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Energy Foods Take Off

November 1, 2003 Andaleeb Ahmed Comments

Posted in Articles, Functional Foods, Healthy Foods, Topics

Energy with a capital "E" is what we need to survive in this fast-paced and stressful environment. Worries about personal, job and family problems literally drain the body and mind. Everything seems to be done in a hurry, even eating. How do we cope with this stress and keep in good health?

Fortunately, in recent years, the increasingly popular functional foods are flooding the market, offering consumers convenience, great taste, nutrition and energy. These foods are designed to provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition, from preventing serious ailments like osteoporosis and high cholesterol, to shoring up mental well-being and cardiovascular health, to energizing the mind and body.

The energy-food market is booming. According to an in-depth analysis of functional foods by Mintel International Group Ltd., Chicago, this market will grow 39% between 2001 and 2006. This tremendous growth is also posing challenges to food designers and formulators, who are working hard to keep up with the demand. Formulators' main challenge in developing these specially designed food products is in selecting the right ingredients, from proteins to sweeteners to vitamins to herbs. Intensifying this challenge is the fact that consumers are getting more educated about the positive and negative impacts of food on health.

Ingredients in food products must meet the "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) status as defined by FDA. Fortunately, a broad spectrum of ingredients is now available from which to choose.

Building blocks

One ingredient category in particular - protein - is generating a lot of buzz due to the commercial and clinical success of the Atkins and similar diets. As a macronutrient, protein is an important tool for our bodily function and maintenance, and there is some evidence protein supplementation might provide benefits during prolonged exercise.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, whether synthesized by the body or ingested. The body will also burn them for energy once carbohydrate sources are used up. Out of 20 amino acids required by the body, we need only nine from food: These essential amino acids are histidine, tryptophan, threonine, valine, phenylalanine, leucine, methionine, lysine and isoleucine. The body can synthesize the nonessential amino acids: arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine. Glutamine, arginine and taurine are often found in energy drinks to enhance performance, although little science supports this application.

During exercise, the body converts branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) - L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine - into energy, and helps replenish glucose/glycogen deposits in the muscle. This makes them valuable in products for endurance athletes. L-carnitine (often described as an amino acid or amino-acid-like), made by the body from lysine and methionine, is essential to break down long-chain fatty acids for energy production. Some research has implicated it in enhanced athletic performance and in delaying the onset of fatigue during exercise, but there is still some question as to how effective it is in these roles.

Since the body has limited protein reserves, it needs to be constantly replenished; inadequate intake is detrimental to muscles. The U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance requirement ranges from 0.4 to 0.8 grams per kg body weight per day for people with a low to average activity level, but this might be much higher - some experts suggest more than 2.0 grams per kg body weight per day - for athletes.

Product designers can find a wide range of dairy and soy proteins to enrich energy foods and beverages. Manufacturers of dairy beverages, yogurts and smoothies are calling on these as they explore ways to boost their products' protein levels.

Whey protein ranks as one of the best sources of protein, with a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino-Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1.15. Some studies show that whey protein promotes fat loss, while helping to maintain lean muscle mass. It is rich in branched-chain amino acids, which the body uses during strenuous exercise as an energy source, thus inhibiting muscle breakdown. The requirement for branched-chain amino acids increases with exercise because the skeletal muscles consume them directly vs. other amino acids, which are metabolized through the liver.

Whey protein constitutes several proteins, including beta-lactoglobulin, glycomacropeptide (GMP), alpha-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, immunoglobulin, lactoperoxidase, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme. Lactoferrin, lactoperxidase, immunoglobulin and lysozyme form a natural defense system. For instance, lactoferrin binds very strongly with iron, giving it antimicrobial properties.

Whey protein isolate contains approximately 90% to 95% protein, while whey protein concentrate is available in a number of different protein levels, from 25% to 89%. When added to nutritional bars and beverages, whey, whey protein and whey protein isolate contribute functionality and nutritional benefits that product designers need to consider when selecting a particular ingredient.

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