Compositions, kits, and methods for providing and...

Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Treatment of live animal

Reexamination Certificate

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C426S072000, C426S073000, C426S074000, C426S087000, C426S590000, C426S594000, C424S729000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06413558

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to compositions which are useful as, for example, food and/or beverage compositions. The present invention is further directed to kits comprising such compositions and methods of using such compositions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common for consumers to experience a period of low energy and decreased mental alertness in the late afternoon, i.e., from about two or three hours after lunch to about dinner time. It is well established that this experience is caused by a drop in blood glucose levels. Many consumers combat this dip in energy by ingesting a beverage or a candy bar that functions as a source of sugar, such as sucrose.
Unfortunately for the consumer, these common sources of energy act too quickly and are not maintained over time. Instead, such sources tend to increase the blood glucose level quickly and excessively, followed by rapid depletion of blood glucose levels. Typically, the excessive blood glucose level triggers the body to produce insulin, which causes the glucose to be metabolized rapidly. Once the glucose is metabolized, the blood glucose level is lower than it was before the sugar-containing beverage or candy bar was consumed. This sequence of changes in the blood glucose level is experienced by the consumer as an initial “sugar high,” (i.e., excess levels of glucose or sugar) followed by a “sugar crash” (i.e., depletion of glucose or sugar).
The present inventors have surprisingly discovered compositions which overcome the problems associated with the foregoing by rapidly increasing the blood glucose level to one which is appropriate to provide the required energy while avoiding the excessively high levels of blood glucose which could trigger an exaggerated insulin response. The compositions of the present invention maintain a desirable blood glucose level for an extended period of time after consumption, to provide energy and mental alertness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to compositions, kits, and methods which are useful for providing and maintaining energy levels and mental alertness in a consumer. The compositions set forth herein include beverage compositions, beverage concentrates, and essentially dry compositions.
In particular, the present invention relates to beverage compositions comprising:
(a) from about 0.1% to about 15% of one or more mono saccharides;
(b) from about 0.1% to about 15% of one or more disaccharides;
(c) from about 0.1% to about 15% of one or more complex carbohydrates; and
(d) more than about 60% water.
The present invention further relates to beverage concentrates comprising:
(a) one or more mono saccharides;
(b) one or more disaccharides; and
(c) one or more complex carbohydrates; and
(d) from about 20% to about 60% water;
wherein the concentrate has a monosaccharide to complex carbohydrate ratio of from about 1:5 to about 10:1 and a monosaccharide to disaccharide ratio of from about 1:15 to about 15:1, by weight of the concentrate.
The present invention further relates to essentially dry compositions comprising:
(a) one or more mono saccharides;
(b) one or more disaccharides; and
(c) one or more complex carbohydrates;
wherein the concentrate has a monosaccharide to complex carbohydrate ratio of from about 1:5 to about 10:1 and a monosaccharide to disaccharide ratio of from about 1:15 to about 15:1.
In particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention, one or more bracers and/or one or more flavanols are included in the present compositions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to compositions which are useful, for example, as food and/or beverage compositions. The present invention is further directed to kits comprising such compositions and methods of using such compositions.
Publications and patents are referred to throughout this disclosure. All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.
All percentages and ratios are calculated by weight unless otherwise indicated. All percentages and ratios are calculated based on the total composition unless otherwise indicated.
All component or composition levels are in reference to the active level of that component or composition, and are exclusive of impurities, for example, residual solvents or by-products, which may be present in commercially available sources.
Referred to herein are trade names for components including, but not limited to, certain carbohydrates, flavors, and other components. The inventors herein do not intend to be limited by materials under a certain trade name. Equivalent materials (e.g. those obtained from a different source under a different name or catalog (reference) number) to those referenced by trade name may be substituted and utilized in the compositions, kits, and methods herein.
In the description of the invention various embodiments and/or individual features are disclosed. As will be apparent to the ordinarily skilled practitioner, all combinations of such embodiments and features are possible and can result in preferred executions of the present invention.
The compositions, kits, and methods herein may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of any of the elements as described herein.
As used herein, wherein the term “composition” or the like it utilized, without specific reference to a beverage composition, concentrate, or essentially dry composition, such term is meant to refer to all of the beverage compositions, concentrates, or essentially dry compositions herein.
Compositions of the Present Invention
The compositions of the present invention provide an onset and maintenance of energy and mental alertness to the consumer. Optionally and preferably, the compositions further provide satiation and/or refreshment. The present inventors have surprisingly discovered that the present compositions, which comprise a mixture of one or more monosaccharides, one or more disaccharides, one or more complex carbohydrates and, optionally, water, provide such onset and maintenance of energy and mental alertness. In particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention, one or more bracers and/or one or more flavanols are included in the present compositions. Without intending to be limited by theory, the present inventors have discovered that inclusion of one or more bracers and/or one or more flavanols (see optional components, herein below) serves to delay the glycemic response associated with ingestion of the present compositions, thus providing further maintenance of energy and mental alertness to the user.
The compositions utilized herein may be a beverage composition, typically icomprising at least about 70% water; a beverage concentrate, typically comprising from about 20% to about 70% water; and an essentially dry composition, typically comprising less than about 20% water, all by weight of the composition.
As the present inventors have discovered, the compositions of the present invention contain a balanced, complex mixture of digestible carbohydrates which provides an onset and maintenance of energy and mental alertness. The present inventors have further discovered that, in selecting effective carbohydrates and carbohydrate levels for use in the present compositions, it is important that the carbohydrates and levels thereof which are chosen allow a sufficient rate of digestion and intestinal absorption to provide a steady maintenance of glucose, which in turn provides energy and alertness to the consumer.
It has been discovered that the monosaccharide utilized herein provides immediate energy to the consumer while the disaccharide and, to a further extent the complex carbohydrate components, are hydrolyzed in the digestive tract to provide a later, and maintained, onset of energy for the consumer. As is also set forth herein, inclusion of one or more bracers and/or flavanols enhances this internal response. Accordingly, as will be discussed more particularly herein, it is a particularly preferred embodiment to provide one or more bracers and/or flavanols to the composition for opt

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