Latest news with #Wholesome
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Popular artificial sweetener linked to brain cell damage and stroke risk; Natural sweeteners to use as sugar substitutes
Can you keep up with your sweet treat indulgences while keeping the guilt at bay? Turns out, with artificial sweeteners, you can. But what if that very solution becomes a rather bigger problem in the long run? Artificial sweeteners promised sweetness without the guilt. However, new research is now raising serious questions. A recent study from the University of Colorado Boulder has raised concerns about erythritol, a common sugar substitute often marketed to people with diabetes. Used in popular brands like Wholesome, Truvia, and Splenda, erythritol was once thought to be one of the best sweeteners due to its sweetness without significant effects on insulin or blood sugar levels. However, new findings suggest it may pose more risks than benefits. Read on to know more. What does the study say? In a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology , researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder found that erythritol can harm brain cells and increase the risk of stroke and heart attack. Following earlier findings that showed a connection between higher levels of erythritol in the bloodstream and increased risks of stroke and heart attack, Professor Christopher DeSouza and graduate student Auburn Berry aimed to dive deeper into this concerning trend. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo In their lab experiments, they treated brain blood vessel cells with the amount of erythritol found in a typical sugar-free drink. They discovered that these cells displayed lower levels of nitric oxide, a molecule that helps relax and widen blood vessels. At the same time, they had higher levels of endothelin-1, a protein that constricts blood vessels. What are the key findings? The lab-based research revealed that the sweetened cells produced lots of "free radicals," which can cause inflammation and aging in cells, and showed a significantly muted response to a compound called thrombin, which assists in clot formation. In simple terms, the cells were not functioning as they should have. Berry explained in a press release., 'Big picture, if your vessels are more constricted and your ability to break down blood clots is lowered, your risk of stroke goes up.' These worrying effects were seen even with the erythritol from just one sugar-free drink. As DeSouza cautioned, for those consuming multiple drinks daily, the consequences could be even more severe, advising, "Given the epidemiological study that inspired our work, and now our cellular findings, we believe it would be prudent for people to monitor their consumption of non-nutrient-sweeteners such as this one. " DeSouza also suggested checking food labels for erythritol, also known as "sugar alcohol." This is especially important since people with diabetes already face double the risk of stroke compared to those without diabetes. What is erythritol? Erythritol is an organic compound, the naturally occurring achiral meso four-carbon sugar alcohol. It is the reduced form of either D- or L-erythrose and one of the two reduced forms of erythrulose. It is used as a food additive and sugar substitute. It is synthesized from corn using enzymes and fermentation. Created during the corn fermentation process, erythritol, an organic compound used for so-called "stevia" products sold by the brands Wholesome, Truvia, and Splenda, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration back in 2001. Since then, erythritol has been considered one of the best sweeteners on the market because of its near-sugar-level sweetness that barely affects insulin or blood sugar in diabetics. What are the alternatives? As erythritol is proving to be a 'sweet poison', it's better to opt for natural sweeteners as alternatives. Raw honey: Raw, unprocessed honey is packed with antioxidants, enzymes, and trace vitamins (B6, C), along with minerals such as zinc, iron, and potassium—much more nutritious than regular sugar. Mix into yogurt, herbal tea, homemade granola, or drizzle over pancakes. Use about ¾ cup of honey for every cup of sugar, but reduce the surrounding liquids and include a pinch of baking soda to balance the acidity. Pure maple syrup: Rich in antioxidants and essential minerals like manganese, zinc, and calcium, providing recipes with an appealing earthy sweetness. Replace ¾ cup of sugar with syrup, reducing about 3–4 tablespoons of liquid. Pour over oatmeal, toast, smoothies, or incorporate into marinades and dressings. Date syrup or date sugar: Made from whole dates, this sweetener is high in potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants, plus fiber that slows the absorption of sugar. Add date syrup to smoothies or use as a natural syrup, or utilize date sugar in baking. Note that it may not dissolve completely, but it provides texture and caramel flavor. Coconut Sugar: It has caramel undertones and is less refined than white sugar. It contains small amounts of iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, and inulin fiber. Substitute cup-for-cup in recipes; ideal for cookies, cakes, and coffee, bringing that warm sweetness. Moderation is still key. Blackstrap molasses / Jaggery: Blackstrap molasses offers iron, calcium, magnesium, and B vitamins; jaggery provides iron, potassium, magnesium, and a rich caramel flavor. Bold and intense, molasses offers a robust flavor profile; jaggery delivers earthy caramel. Combine with gingerbread, BBQ marinades, chai, or break into porridges, using it sparingly as a flavor enhancer. Monk fruit (Luo Han Guo): Monk fruit from Southeast Asia produces mogrosides, natural antioxidants yielding 150–300 times the sweetness without calories, and is generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Sprinkle in teas, salad dressings, and baked goods. Since it lacks bulk, pair with bulking agents if necessary. Yacon syrup and allulose: Yacon syrup is a prebiotic substance from the Andes that is high in inulin and FOS; it has half the calories and a caramel flavor while supporting gut health. Allulose is a unique sugar that mimics the taste and texture of sugar, has negligible calories, does not cause an insulin spike, and may help with weight management. Low-calorie sweetener can also improve gut health: Study
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Popular Sugar Substitute Marketed to Diabetics Linked to Stroke, Heart Attack, Brain Cell Damage
A widely-used sugar substitute found in products marketed to people with diabetes may involve more risks than rewards. In a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder found that erythritol — an organic compound used for so-called "stevia" products sold by the brands Wholesome, Truvia, and Splenda — can harm brain cells and increase the risk of stroke and heart attack. Created during the corn fermentation process, erythritol, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration back in 2001, has long been considered one of the best sweeteners on the market because of its near-sugar-level sweetness that barely affects insulin or blood sugar in diabetics. Unfortunately, the sugar alcohol seems, per the new study from Boulder, to be nearly as harmful as the artificial sweetener aspartame, which is used in many diet sodas, has been labeled "carcinogenic" by the World Health Organization, and has been linked to increased heart attack and stroke risk. Following up on a 2023 study that linked increased stroke and heart attack risk with higher erythritol circulation in the bloodstream, integrative physiology professor Christopher DeSouza and graduate student Auburn Berry, both coauthors on the new paper, sought to learn more about this unsettling correlation. In a lab, the researchers saturated the kind of cells that line our brain's blood vessels with the amount of erythritol that comes in the average sugar-free drink. As they found, the treated cells were both lower in the molecule nitric oxide, which widens and relaxes blood vessels, and contained higher-than-normal levels of endothelin-1, a protein that causes blood vessels to constrict. The sweetened cells also spat out a bunch of so-called "free radicals," which inflame and age cells and tissues, and had a "markedly blunted" reaction to the clot-forming compound thrombin. Essentially, the cells that had been treated with erythritol worked the opposite way they were supposed to. "Big picture, if your vessels are more constricted and your ability to break down blood clots is lowered, your risk of stroke goes up," explained Berry in a press release about the new study. Notably, those stark effects were found in cells that had been doused with enough erythritol for one sugar-free drink. For people consuming more than one per day, that inflammatory effect could, as research lead DeSouza warned, be even worse. "Given the epidemiological study that inspired our work, and now our cellular findings, we believe it would be prudent for people to monitor their consumption of non-nutrient-sweeteners such as this one," the professor explained. DeSouza went on to add that people should check labels for erythritol, or "sugar alcohol," as it's sometimes called — a prudent piece of advice, especially considering that people with diabetes are already at double the risk of having a stroke as their non-diabetic counterparts. More on food functions: Scientists Find that Hosing Glizzies Is Basically a Death Sentence
Edinburgh Reporter
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
From Leith to the App Store: Edinburgh Graduates Building the Next Big Mobile Games
In 2025, Edinburgh has matured to become one of the UK's top game development hubs. Video games now add over £5 billion to Scotland's economy, powered by hundreds of studios and thousands of professionals. Many come from the city's universities, where game design and interactive media courses spark innovation. Leith-based Glitchers stands out with Sea Hero Quest, a mobile game that aids dementia research through player data. Accordingly, new developers are building on this momentum, launching startups focused on social impact and user engagement. Although giants like Rockstar North—recipient of £73 million in tax relief in 2023—remain prominent, real innovation often comes from small teams exploring new mobile mechanics. In May 2025, Glitchers received part of a £100,000 funding round to expand health-focused titles. Backed by strong academic roots and a vibrant startup scene, Edinburgh could drive mobile gaming's future in the UK and beyond. Young man paying a mobile game at home. Smart phone gaming Customisation as a Core Design Pillar In the past, games gave you limited control over characters or interfaces; now, customisation is central to game design. Developers from Edinburgh's universities lead this shift, creating titles that let you modify visuals, behaviours, tools and sound. Take Yaldi Games' Wholesome, a mobile game where you craft, explore and personalise a simulated countryside. Your choices on layout, aesthetics and play rhythm make the experience feel tailored rather than pre-packaged. These choices drive how you connect with the game: when you personalise gameplay—like deciding how a farm looks or tackling challenges—you become more invested in your progress. The same approach is now common in casino-style mobile games, where adjustable visuals, personal dashboards and adaptive difficulty give you control. Between changing background colours, selecting sound design or rearranging tools, each choice becomes a form of expression. This turns you from a user into a collaborator, dictating the game in real time. Weapons, Loadouts and Expression Weapons and tools in games have long been functional; however, now they express style and personality. Edinburgh-developed mobile titles focus on modular loadouts, letting you customise both appearance and mechanics, no matter if it's a shooter's weapon or a puzzle game's feature. This approach, adapted for mobile's need for quick interaction and clarity, makes your game unique even if the objectives stay the same. Casino apps use similar ideas—you can adjust spin animations, set win sounds or build profiles that unwind with your play history. These features draw from custom loadout concepts pioneered by Edinburgh-trained designers; instead of treating you as a passive player, developers see you as a co-creator of the experience. It has moved beyond luck or skill, becoming about your personal style and choices. This blend of utility and flair keeps you engaged and coming back for more. Tech and Talent in Sync For these innovations to run smoothly, hardware must support them. Today's developers understand that game performance hinges as much on the device as on the code. Graphics, loading speed, frame rates and battery usage all influence whether a player feels immersed or frustrated. If you've wondered how to optimize phone for gaming, the answer lies in both the phone's specs and how the software is built. Edinburgh-based teams account for these constraints, building lightweight code and offering scalable features that maintain performance across multiple devices. Meanwhile, the city's universities and accelerators continue to train the next generation of game developers, with work supported by funding bodies that recognise the economic and cultural value of interactive media. New studios are emerging each year with fresh ideas about how to make mobile gaming more immersive, inclusive and intelligent. As personalisation continues to reinvent how games are played, Edinburgh's influence will only expand. You can expect future titles to focus even more on user choice as the driving force behind game design. In this model, your preferences enhance and define the experience. Replay Value and Player Identity Replayability used to mean unlocking new levels or harder difficulties. Today, it means discovering different versions of the game through your own behaviour. Edinburgh-based developers have focused on systems that adapt to the individual. No matter if that's a narrative path that shifts based on your responses or a daily challenge that aligns with your preferences, the idea is to keep the game fresh each time it's played. This approach relies on subtle variability—small changes in layout, task or reward that emerge organically based on how you interact with the game. Casino platforms are starting to implement similar frameworks, tracking the kinds of games you play, your preferred wager levels and the frequency of your sessions. With that information, the app reinvents itself, offering bonuses or visuals that suit your habits. That kind of variability, which began in mobile adventure and strategy games from Edinburgh studios, now helps even simple games maintain attention spans in a crowded market. These systems make each session feel new, even if the game's structure remains unchanged. Key Takeaways Edinburgh's game development sector has grown into a major UK hub, contributing to Scotland's £5 billion gaming economy. Graduates from local universities fuel innovation, with studios like Glitchers leading health-focused mobile games such as Sea Hero Quest. Customisation, modular design and adaptive gameplay—pioneered by Edinburgh teams—are recasting mobile and casino gaming, emphasising player choice and identity. Supported by strong academic programmes and significant funding, Edinburgh continues to produce immersive, personalised games that perform well across devices, securing its position in the future of mobile gaming. Scotland's gaming value : Scotland's creative industries—including video games—contribute over £5 billion annually to the national economy. : Scotland's creative industries—including video games—contribute over annually to the national economy. Development businesses and jobs : The UK's gaming sector includes roughly 2,555 active game businesses and employs around 75,000 people, with the Scottish portion mirroring national trends. : The UK's gaming sector includes roughly active game businesses and employs around people, with the Scottish portion mirroring national trends. Rockstar North tax relief : Edinburgh-based Rockstar North claimed approximately £73 million in Video Games Tax Relief in 2024. : Edinburgh-based Rockstar North claimed approximately in Video Games Tax Relief in 2024. Rockstar cumulative tax relief : Over the past decade, Rockstar North has claimed over £330 million in tax relief through the UK's VGTR scheme. : Over the past decade, Rockstar North has claimed in tax relief through the UK's VGTR scheme. Sea Hero Quest reach: Developed by Leith's Glitchers, 'Sea Hero Quest' engaged 4.3 million players by October 2021, delivering data equivalent to 17,600 years of lab-based dementia research. Like this: Like Related
RTÉ News
30-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
How a Mullingar sweet shop has embraced viral food trends
When David Quirke opened Sugarplum Sweetery in Co Westmeath just three years ago alongside his wife, Denise, it was partly driven by a desire to balance their healthy restaurant Wholesome, which they'd opened three years prior, with something more "naughty". Creating one of the most viral and coveted sweet treats to hit the Irish food market in years was probably not on their five-year plan. Sugarplum Sweetery, a multicoloured and eye-catching shop in Mullingar, had been drawing sweet fanatics with its selection of gummies and chocolates since it opened, but it wasn't until they launched their take on the viral Dubai chocolate bar that business truly started to boom. "We've always been a social media-led brand", Quirke said at TikTok's 2025 Trend Forecast event in Dublin on Thursday. "Everything we do, we're obviously massively inspired by Willy Wonka, everything is nostalgia-based. When you come to our ship it's all about an experience. It's bringing back in that nostalgia." Heavily inspired by the likes of Roald Dahl, and anything that excites the imagination as well as the stomach, Quirke recalled seeing how the original Dubai chocolate bar by Fix - a thick milk chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and crispy Knafeh pastry flakes - captured the attention of viewers across the world, before dying down again as homebakers tried their hand at copying the recipe. The couple travelled to Dubai to taste the original, spending a month tweaking their recipe at home to create a version that uses Irish butter and other "secret ingredients". Taking a new product from testing to market is an arduous process, and one made more challenging for the team due to the time of year: "When we seen that there was a massive demand for this, it came around Christmas, which is our busiest time of the year - about a third of your yearly turnover would come in December. To add on [the] Dubai [bar] and a massive viral hit, we had to hire huge amounts of staff so quickly, we had to train them up, we had to expand our kitchens, buy new equipment, and all of that took a few weeks or a few months, but we expanded as fast as we possibly could." Despite this, there was still a four-week delay for customers waiting to get their hands on the bar - something that only added to its appeal. "We thought that might be damaging to the business, that people might not want to wait as long, but it went even more nuts when people were waiting four weeks. Everyone wanted to jump into the queue to get chocolate." Now, six months after the launch, the Sugarplum team is still working 24-hour days. Far from being a one-off viral hit, Quirke believes their take on the pistachio-filled bar isn't going anywhere. "It's all down to reorders. It's something that we feel will still be our number one product in five years' time." Having tasted virality once, it's not surprising then that the team has embraced novelty and catching trends as they come: "You become addicted to that viral nature of it. Even six months on the company is very viral on TikTok and that's down to jumping on every trend that's there." Their latest launch - thick-filled chocolate bars packed with indulgent ingredients - is another response to dessert bars, which have proven popular on social media.
NDTV
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Fake Or Real? Here's The Truth Behind The Viral Kangaroo Airport Video
A heartwarming video of a kangaroo holding a boarding pass has gone viral, captivating the internet's attention. The clip shows the kangaroo patiently waiting to board a plane while two women, a passenger and airline staff, engage in a heated debate. The video was shared by user "Wholesome Side of X," who often posts viral content. The adorable video was captioned, "Airline staff is not allowing this cute kangaroo to board the aeroplane, the way he is holding the boarding pass and waiting to be scanned." Check the video here: Airline staff is not allowing this cute kangaroo to board the airplane, the way he is holding the boarding pass and waiting to be scanned 🥺 (ai) — Wholesome Side of 𝕏 (@itsme_urstruly) May 26, 2025 The video has gone viral, garnering more than 4 million views on X. The adorable marsupial's big eyes and cute demeanour have won over viewers. One user wrote, "Bro looks better behaved than most adults that board planes." Another commented, "It looks like the kangaroo is the calmest one in this video." A third added, "Oh, why, oh why? He is still anticipating getting into the aircraft. pls let him... Guess he passed the security check as well." The video's authenticity was questioned by many viewers, with some speculating that it might be AI-generated. This suspicion was further supported by the user who shared the video, captioning it as "(AI)". Notably, the video originated from the Instagram page "Infinite Unreality," which specialises in bizarre AI-generated videos, including clips of other animals in unusual situations, like hippos and giraffes on planes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Infinite Unreality (@infiniteunreality) When prompted by a user on its origins, Grok, an AI assistant, also called the video fake and wrote, "Yes, the video of a kangaroo holding a boarding pass at an airport is likely AI-generated. The original post labels it as '(ai),' and no credible reports confirm such an event. Kangaroos have appeared at airports, like Melbourne in 2013 or on a 2021 flight, but not as passengers with tickets. The scenario is highly implausible, and AI tools in 2025 commonly create such content. No evidence suggests the video is real." The viral kangaroo video highlights the growing realism of AI-generated content and the ease with which it can mislead viewers, sparking discussions about the need for effective ways to verify authenticity. Expressing frustration, one user wrote, "These fake videos need to stop." Another said, "God save us from this tsunami of AI crap."
