HowToCookThat : Cakes, Dessert & Chocolate | Debunking, Allulose, Cake Mix Hacks & More - HowToCookThat : Cakes, Dessert & Chocolate

In this episode:
Can you elevate a box cake mix by adding an extra egg, milk instead of water and butter instead of oil?

Can you make brachs nougat in the microwave?

Is allulose the new wonder sweetener?

Allulose is a novel or new ingredient. While yes, it has been around in nature forever, it only occurs in very tiny amounts. In order for humans to consume larger amounts, it has to be manufactured through bioengineering using enzymes from GMO bacteria then ultra-processed to purify it. Because it is new studies are only just catching up. Initial studies focused on safety and now have moved on to function. Allulose has been shown to decrease blood glucose peak area under the curve and insulin response when taken with glucose. Further testing is needed to see what happens with more complex meals. When injected into the cerebral spinal fluid of mice it decreased hunger, but that is not the same as ingestion. Two human trials ingesting allulose have shown no decrease in hunger and no effect on gastric emptying.

Would you like to dive into this further:

Franchi, F., Yaranov, D. M., Rollini, F., Rivas, A., Rios, J. R., Been, L., Tani, Y., Tokuda, M., Iida, T., Hayashi, N., Angiolillo, D. J., & Mooradian, A. D. (2021). Effects of D-allulose on glucose tolerance and insulin response to a standard oral sucrose load: Results of a prospective, randomized, crossover study. BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care, 9(1), e001939. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001939
Conclusion: This is the largest study assessing the effects of D-allulose in Westerners demonstrating an early dose-dependent reduction in plasma glucose and insulin levels as well as decreased postprandial glucose and insulin excursion in subjects without DM. These pilot observations set the basis for large-scale investigations to support the anti-DM effects of D-allulose.

Noh, J., Kim, H. R., Han, J., Hwang, H., Park, J., Sa, S., Atkinson, F., Lau, K., & Byun, S. (2026). Differential modulation of postprandial glycemic, Incretin, and satiety responses by low-digestible carbohydrates in humans: An exploratory investigation. Nutrients, 18(11), 1742. PubMed Central.
Conclusion: In Study 1, all tested LDCs elicited minimal plasma glucose responses when consumed alone. In Study 2, distinct metabolic benefits were observed depending on the type of LDCs. Allulose exhibited the strongest effects, significantly reducing postprandial glucose and insulin levels while increasing plasma GLP-1 concentrations. 1-Kestose exhibited significantly lower plasma glucose and insulin incremental area under the curve (iAUC) compared to RM alone, indicating improved glycemic regulation. RD significantly enhanced subjective satiety between 30 and 180 min post-consumption. These findings highlight that each LDC exerts unique physiological effects.

Noronha, J. C., Braunstein, C. R., Glenn, A. J., Khan, T. A., Viguiliouk, E., Noseworthy, R., Blanco Mejia, S., Kendall, C. W. C., Wolever, T. M. S., Leiter, L. A., & Sievenpiper, J. L. (2018). The effect of small doses of fructose and allulose on postprandial glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes: A double-blind, randomized, controlled, acute feeding, equivalence trial. Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism, 20(10), 2361–2370. PubMed.
Conclusion: Allulose, but not fructose, led to modest reductions in the postprandial blood glucose response to oral glucose in individuals with type 2 diabetes. There is a need for long-term randomized trials to confirm the sustainability of these improvements.

Samyang A1247 Samyang D-Allulose FSANZ application_Redacted (1)
The application to Australian New Zealand food standards for allulose approval, details bacteria used and tests for allulose purity.

Tani Yuma, Tokuda, M., Nishimoto, N., Yokoi, H., & Izumori, K. (2023). Allulose for the attenuation of postprandial blood glucose levels in healthy humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 18(4), e0281150–e0281150. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281150
Conclusion: Both 5g (0.18 ounces) and 10g (0.35 ounces) intake groups have the significantly smaller area under the curve of postprandial blood glucose levels. It means that D-Allulose attenuates postprandial blood glucose concentrations in healthy humans.

Mice studies
Note there are lots of mice studies with allulose, the one linked below shows appetite regulation when allulose is injected into cerebrospinal fluid of mice. That is very different to eating allulose. I have focused this video on human trials where they eat / drink allulose. Mice trials like the one below may be useful for medication development but are not relevant to people buying allulose of the shelf.
Rakhat, Y., Kaneko, K., Wang, L., Han, W., Seino, Y., Yabe, D., & Yada, T. (2022). d-Allulose inhibits ghrelin-responsive, glucose-sensitive and neuropeptide Y neurons in the arcuate nucleus and central injection suppresses appetite-associated food intake in mice. Nutrients, 14(15), 3117. PubMed Central. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14153117
Intracerebroventricular injection of d-allulose inhibited food intake at 20:00 and 22:00, the early dark phase when hunger is promoted. These results indicate that d-allulose suppresses hunger-associated feeding and inhibits hunger-promoting neurons in ARC.