It’s a common fact that eating sweets will raise blood sugar. But what if that wasn’t always the case? Researchers like Lauryn Osborn (MS '25, NDFS) are actively investigating the potential of rare sugars, which might have the ability to lower blood sugar when consumed with a meal. Originally a student at Utah State University studying veterinary science, Osborn switched her major to dietetics and transferred to BYU so she could use her love for nutrition to help others. Now a graduate student, Osborn is proving whether the health benefits of rare sugars like allulose and tagatose are real or not.
After starting her graduate program, Osborn learned that Dr. Karen Della Corte was preparing a meta-analysis on two rare sugars. “Allulose and Tagatose are known as rare sugars," Osborn says. “That means that they're found in really small amounts in nature.” So little, in fact, that they only amount to about 0.15% of the fruit they're found in. Excited by the idea of studying something so relatively unknown, Osborn offered to assist. Soon she was leading the study, compiling the data from dozens of other researchers to confirm if their findings were consistent across the board.
“Allulose naturally occurs in fruit, maple syrup, and brown sugar, and tagatose comes from milk products,” Osborn explains. Both carbohydrates taste sweet but are hardly absorbed by the body, making them uncharacteristically low in calories. They also have potential health benefits, including lowering blood sugar and protecting teeth from cavities. Both sugars have been gradually gaining popularity, even becoming available as food sweeteners. “You can actually buy allulose in bulk now, like Stevia,” Osborn adds. “As for tagatose, I would say there's not as much research on it, but you could probably still buy it on Amazon.”
Osborn’s meta-analysis aggregated all the discovered health benefits of allulose and tagatose, as found by dozens of other researchers across the world. Starting with a systematic search, Osborn found over 4900 articles related to rare sugars. Narrowing it down, Osborn focused on 19 articles that addressed the health effects of allulose and tagatose on the human body. Then, she began a thorough review of what other researchers have proven, cross-examining the data with other studies to prove their reliability.
Osborn’s analysis confirmed that both rare sugars reduce blood glucose following a meal, highlighting their importance to individuals with ailments like type 2 diabetes. Her work won first place in the nutrition and dietetics category at the Life Science Research Conference. However, there are still many unanswered questions about Allulose and Tagatose. “Are they considered an added sugar on a nutrition facts label, or are they significantly different from added sugar?” Osborn questions. “Hopefully this evidence can help the FDA decide.”
At present, Osborn has submitted an article about her findings to a dietetics journal. She was quick to share her gratitude for the people who helped her reach that goal. “Throughout this whole research process, I definitely didn't do it alone. I had a lot of support from my advisor, as well as lots of prayers and lots of inspiration, “Osborn says. “I'm really grateful for that, and it's definitely opened my eyes. God is really in the details of everything.”
Osborn graduated with her master’s in December 2025 and now focuses her efforts on helping those struggling with eating disorders at the Center for Change. Her goal is to uplift others, helping them find balance in their lives and in their blood sugar.