Dextrin

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Digestive system and heart health²

  Wheat dextrin is a soluble fiber that may help digestion, blood sugar, and cholesterol, but scientists still debate these benefits.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar control³

  In people, resistant dextrin modestly lowered fasting blood sugar and improved insulin resistance, but scientists say more long-term studies are needed.

• Concern

  Gut gas and bloating⁴

  In healthy people, dextrin first increased gut gas and gas-related sensations, then these decreased.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria in women⁶

  In healthy women, eating dextrin daily boosted a gut bacterium called Parabacteroides distasonis, though not in everyone.

• Benefit

  Gut health and digestion⁷

  Resistant dextrin and magnesium together helped gut bacteria make more short-chain fatty acids in people.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar control in diabetes⁸

  In women with type 2 diabetes, resistant dextrin improved insulin resistance and lowered inflammation markers.

• Benefit

  PCOS symptoms in women⁹

  In women with PCOS, resistant dextrin improved cholesterol, blood sugar, male hormone levels, periods and unwanted hair.

• Open question

  Appetite and fullness¹⁰

  In adults, a drink with dextrin fiber didn't change appetite or food eaten, though 20 g left them fuller later.

• Benefit

  Mental health and immune response¹¹

  In women with type 2 diabetes, resistant dextrin improved scores for depression, anxiety and stress and changed some immune markers.

• Benefit

  Sleep and daily wellbeing¹²

  In obese women with type 2 diabetes, resistant dextrin improved sleep and quality of life over eight weeks.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and blood pressure¹³

  In older people with type 2 diabetes, milk powder with inulin and resistant dextrin improved blood sugar, insulin, and blood pressure.

• Benefit

  Alcohol in the blood¹⁴

  In people, a drink with dextrin and konjac led to lower blood and breath alcohol levels after drinking.

• No harm found

  Mineral absorption from food¹⁵

  Wheat dextrin did not stop women's bodies from taking in calcium or magnesium from their food.

• No harm found

  Appetite and food intake¹⁷

  Eating dextrin did not change how hungry people felt or how much they ate.

• Concern

  Gut comfort at high doses¹⁸

  Eating lots of dextrin each day caused more gas and bloating in healthy men, but no diarrhoea.

• Benefit

  Appetite and eating less¹⁹

  In people, soluble fiber dextrin led to eating less at the next meal than a similar snack without it.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Gas from gut bacteria²¹

  In lab studies, resistant dextrin mixed with inulin fed gut bacteria from older people and made less gas than inulin alone.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria and digestion²²

  In lab studies, wheat dextrin fed good gut bacteria and boosted helpful acids they make.

• No harm found

  How the body handles it²³

  In animal studies, dextrin was broken down into sugars the body normally digests, with no lasting problems seen.

• Benefit

  Gut gas and bacteria²⁴

  In lab studies, wheat dextrin made the least gas of the fibers tested and hinted at more good gut bacteria.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and insulin²⁰

  Dextrin may lower the insulin spike after sugary foods by slowing how sugar is taken in.

How it’s made and used

• Appetite and blood sugar⁵

  In adults, dextrin changed how full people felt and how their blood sugar rose after a drink.

• Exercise performance¹⁶

  In a study, men who drank highly branched cyclic dextrin during workouts lifted faster, while women saw no such gain.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.

• UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 2018

  Reviewed its safety in 2018.