Patents Assigned to Vivalac, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6777397
    Abstract: Mixtures of fructose and lactose are useful for reducing caloric intake and glycemic index for individuals who are overweight, glucose-impaired, diabetic, or who just consume too large a fraction of their calories from “added sugars”. The fructose/lactose sweetener is included in the daily diet as a one-for-one replacement for “added sugars” in various edible formulations without sacrificing quality of taste. Sucrose can be used as a replacement for all or part of the fructose in the claimed sweetener to increase sweetness or improve certain functional properties without substantially changing caloric value. The claimed mixtures of fully-caloric sugars work synergistically to reduce available calories and blood sugar concentration. Specifically, fructose interferes strongly with normal small-intestinal absorption of lactose and interferes moderately with sucrose absorption, while lactose interferes with normal small-intestinal absorption of both sucrose and starch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Vivalac, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee R Zehner, Warren L. Zehner