Trehalose: A disaccharide that is able to increase autophagy

[Kasper]

Could trehalose be used similarly as sucrose? It is a lot more expensive, but it has some interesting properties.

Autophagy:

Trehalose appears to be a disaccharide that can mimic a cellular chaperone, and increases autophagy in a cell via mechanisms independent of mTOR; mTOR is the most well researched regulatory of autophagy and its inhibition (which increases autophagy) the most common mechanism associated with nutraceuticals leading trehalose to be somewhat novel.

There is some more information here:
https://examine.com/supplements/trehalose/

[RRM]

A problem with trehalose could be that it is highly hydrophylic.
That means that consumption of trehalose might potentially result in increased water retention.
Increased water retention accelerates sagging of the skin, and causes acne and cellulite in those who are susceptible.
It also makes you look less ripped.

Trehalose is however rapidly broken down into glucose by trehalase in the intestines; trehalose malabsorption due to trehalase deficiency is extremely rare. Montalto M et al
But that brings to question whether its consumption would affect us at all.
At least in mice, oral trehalose does have (antidepressant and autophagy) effects. Kara NZ et al
A troubling effect, however, is that it blocks fructose from being processed in the liver. article
This potentially leads to fructose accumulation, and fructose is a potent precursor for AGEs/ALEs.
Trehalose also reduces storage of triglycerides Aral C et al, which is another interference that might be troubling in the long run.
Trehalose (containing only glucose) also elicits lower insulinemic responses (than glucose).Maki KC et al

To me, this all makes me question whether it is sensible to consume proportionate more trehalose than naturally common in our natural foods.
To me, taking proportionally more trehalose seems more like taking a drug, useful for specific interventions.
Autophagy can be easily achieved through fasting.
A pharmaceutic route seems a road littered with potential pitfalls.

Data support safe human consumption of trehalose in doses up to 50 g (per day? / per meal?)
No adverse effects were observed in any of the 8 safety studies performed at doses up to 10% of the diets. (in weight/energy? short/long term?) Richards AB et al

[Aytundra]

It seems that trehalose does something with water.
Whether it is:
a) hydrophylic, attracts water for itself the trehalose,
Or b) hydrophobic, repels water for itself the trehalose,
Or c) regulates water on protein by i) taking water from protein's environment {i am imagining, drying the protein overtime, so that trehalose has more water} or ii) preventing water from reaching protein {like a shield on ironed hair}, or iii) attracting water to the protein {i am guessing like as eye drops, water in air to eyes},
is up for debate.

Reading the posts above, my assumption was that trehalose as eyedrops helps with moisture.
I wanted to know if trehalose could be an expensive alternative to glycerol, of which glycerol is typically used in hair products to impart a higher moisture level on hair. I read the article by "Trehalose in hair care: Heat styling benefits at high humidity" by Pye, S. and Paul P.K.C. (2012). It seems:
Trehalose applied externally on already ironed (heat treated) hair prevented these hair from frizzing (protein moving in different directions) in their humid environment. As these authors wrote "Human hair switches that have been treated with trehalose solution and straightened using hot irons show longevity of the straight style even in high-humidity conditions."
{lol, as if hair is a living breathing creature, it is funny that they used longevity. Do they mean the proteins not frizzing in different directions imply a longer protein life? Is that how one should conclude autophagy in hair strands as well?}
Humor aside; Seriously, it looks like trehalose in conjunction with protein serves to modify moisture content around the protein.

What that does, whether it is good or bad (or neutral), I am not sure.
It is open to interpretation on what adjectives you want to describe that it does.
I am assuming, in the opinion of most hairstylist that adore straight hair, they will say trehalose prevents frizz and prolongs the longevity of the hairstyle.
The opposite perspective is that trehalose taking up moisture from the humidity, weighs down the hair and sags the hair style. Assuming a fluffy frizzy look is the current hairstyle fad.
See what I mean, it depends on what your perspectives are towards the hairstyle desired.

[Aytundra]

a) hydrophylic, attracts water from itself the trehalose,
Or b) hydrophobic, repels water from itself the trehalose,

oops "for" not "from".

[Aytundra]

Trehalose a sugar added to some (especially dairy) processed foods might be the cause of C.difficile infections (aka superbug infections); C. difficile is an antibiotic resistant bacteria. J. Collins et al.(2018 January 18) Dietary trehalose enhances virulence of epidemic Clostridium difficile. Nature. 553, 291-294 and it has been placed into food since 1994, (http://richardsprague.com/microbiome/20 ... alose.html).
{Kasper don't use it!}

Meanwhile, Wikipedia has a post about how weevils has the sugar trehalose.

In 1832, H.A.L. Wiggers discovered trehalose in an ergot of rye,[18] and in 1859 Marcellin Berthelot isolated it from trehala manna, a substance made by weevils, and named it trehalose.[19]

{Cover your food Mr. PC!}