7 Surprising Health Benefits of Trehalose

How a Rare Type of Glucose Can Improve Health and Sweeten Your Coffee

Have you heard of trehalose? As a sugar substitute for coffee, it’s beginning to grow in popularity, and not just because it contains fewer calories than normal sugar. Scientists are still learning about the health benefits of trehalose, but studies suggest that it has enormous potential for staving off serious diseases, regulating blood sugar levels, moisturizing your skin and boosting your energy levels.

In this article, we’ll explain what trehalose is, how it can benefit you, and how you can begin adding it to your daily diet.

What is Trehalose?

Trehalose is a natural sugar compound made of two glucose molecules. It’s known as a slow carbohydrate, which means it digests slowly. It also goes by the names “mycose” or “tremalose”.

You’ve likely ingested trehalose at some point in your life. It’s naturally occurring, and it can be found in organisms like shrimp, mushrooms, yeast, and honey, as well as organisms like bacteria, insects, nematodes and several types of plants. Some of these organisms, like plants, bacteria, and fungi, use it as their main source of energy.

In recent years, humans have found ways to derive trehalose powder from the naturally occurring sugar compound, and we’re beginning to discover that it could have an entire host of health benefits aside from making your coffee taste better.

 

A New Coffee Sweetener and Alternative to Coconut Sugar

Americans love coffee, and most of them drink it with an additive. According to a study from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 67% of coffee drinkers (or over 107 million Americans) add sugar, cream, or some sort of sweetener to their coffee.

Unfortunately, these calories can add up. On average, people who drink sweetened coffee are consuming roughly 70 more daily calories than non-coffee drinkers. Over the course of a year, that’s over 25,000 calories!

But there’s some good news. If you’re looking for something you can substitute coconut sugar or sweetener with, consider the benefits of trehalose. It’s not just a great flavor additive: it can boost your overall health.