Excerpted from Block Absorption of Killer Carbohydrates
Researchers have identified a potent sucrase inhibitor called L-arabinose. Although it is a simple plant sugar, L-arabinose is indigestible and cannot be absorbed into the blood. Instead it remains in the digestive tract and is eventually excreted.11,12 By blocking metabolism of sucrose, L-arabinose inhibits the spike in blood sugar and fat synthesis that would otherwise follow a sugar-rich meal.12 In animal models, L-arabinose virtually eliminates the rise in blood sugar following administration of sucrose, with blood glucose levels rising only 2% higher than in control animals that did not receive sucrose. L-arabinose did not exert any effect on serum glucose levels in control animals that did not receive sucrose.13L-arabinose has been proven safe in both short- and long-term studies, and may contribute to lowered levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1C),14 a measure of chronic exposure to sugar in the blood. A study combining L-arabinose and white bean extract (see next page) not only smoothed out postprandial glucose spikes and reduced insulin levels—it lowered systolic blood pressure.14
