Core Insights - The increasing health awareness among the public has led to a rise in demand for sugar-free and low-sugar diets, with a focus on identifying healthier sugar substitutes [1] Group 1: Research Findings - A review paper published by Associate Professor You Yilin and his team in the journal "Food Research International" systematically evaluated the impact of artificial and natural sweeteners on metabolic health, revealing that natural sweeteners outperform artificial ones in maintaining metabolic balance, regulating blood sugar, and improving gut health [2] - Natural sweeteners such as steviol glycosides, monk fruit extract, D-allulose, and erythritol exhibit milder metabolic pathways in the body, with erythritol being excreted by over 90% without participating in energy metabolism or causing blood sugar fluctuations [2] - Steviol glycosides and monk fruit extract can be metabolized by gut microbiota to produce secondary glycosides, which help improve insulin sensitivity, while D-allulose can reduce food intake and inhibit fat generation, showcasing unique advantages in weight control and metabolic burden reduction [2] Group 2: Molecular Mechanisms - At the molecular level, natural sweeteners not only provide taste satisfaction through sweet taste receptors but also activate the AMPK pathway, promoting fat breakdown and energy expenditure, indicating that the right choice of sweetener can potentially improve metabolic status and help prevent chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes [2] - Erythritol, being naturally sourced from foods like corn, grapes, pears, and watermelon, has a refreshing taste, nearly zero calories, and minimal interference with gut microbiota, making it widely used in sugar-free beverages, gum, children's food, and nutritional supplements [4] Group 3: Industry Implications - The latest rankings of healthy sweeteners suggest that erythritol is likely to become a key direction for the future transformation of zero-sugar products in the beverage and food industry, as many pharmaceutical formulations are also beginning to replace sucrose with erythritol to reduce dental damage and blood sugar fluctuation risks [4]

Group 1 - The new materials industry is experiencing growth opportunities driven by policy support and technological breakthroughs, particularly in biobased materials and synthetic biology [1] - The demand for electronic-grade polyphenylene oxide (PPO) is surging due to explosive growth in AI servers, leading domestic manufacturers to achieve technological breakthroughs and enter leading supply chains [1] - The domestic production of OLED materials is accelerating due to policy promotion and technological optimization, with full-size penetration speeding up [1] Group 2 - The New Materials 50 ETF (159761) tracks the New Materials Index (H30597), which reflects the overall performance of listed companies in high-performance composite materials and new metal materials sectors [2] - The index focuses on innovative and high-growth potential sub-sectors within the new materials industry, showcasing the investment value and development trends of the sector [2] - Investors without stock accounts can consider the Guotai Zhongzheng New Materials Theme ETF linked A (014908) and C (014909) for investment opportunities [2]