Tapioca
What the research shows
No concerns
none of the findings here link it to harm
What research says
Studies in people
-
Benefit
Blood sugar and insulin3
In people, a drink with tapioca resistant maltodextrin lowered insulin after meals and slightly lowered HbA1c over 12 weeks.
-
Benefit
Blood sugar response5
In men, a modified tapioca starch raised blood sugar far less than regular tapioca starch.
-
Benefit
Blood cholesterol levels6
Eating tapioca for 15 days lowered cholesterol in people, though it did not change blood sugar response.
How it’s made and used
-
Cheese texture and taste4
Adding tapioca maltodextrin to low-fat soft cheese made it softer, creamier and better liked in taste tests.
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.
Products
The 6 most-scanned of 16,621 products on Open Food Facts that list tapioca.
- Protein Nut Bar Fruit & Chocolate Nature Valley · 160 g 4 additives
- Barrette Proteiche al Caramello Salato Nature Valley · 40 g 3 additives
- SNACK POPPÉ TOO GOOD · 85 g 2 additives
- Beef Flavour Yum Yum · 60 g 8 additives
- Crunchy Nut Bars with Peanuts & Chocolate Eat Natural · 3 x 45 g 1 additive
- Vitamin & Protein Bar Fulfil · 55 g 5 additives
References
- 1tapioca: ingredient taxonomy entry. Open Food Facts.
- 2Tapioca. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 3Astina J, Saphyakhajorn W, Borompichaichartkul C, Sapwarobol S. Tapioca Resistant Maltodextrin as a Carbohydrate Source of Oral Nutrition Supplement (ONS) on Metabolic Indicators: A Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2022;14(5). doi:10.3390/nu14050916
- 4Iakovchenko NV, Arseneva TP. Tapioca maltodextrin in the production of soft unripened cheese. Acta Sci Pol Technol Aliment. 2016;15(1):47-56. doi:10.17306/J.AFS.2016.1.5
- 5Tachibe M, Ohga H, Nishibata T, Ebihara K. Digestibility, fermentability, and energy value of highly cross-linked phosphate tapioca starch in men. J Food Sci. 2011;76(6):H152-5. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02247.x
- 6Kurup PG, Krishnamurthy S. Glycemic response and lipemic index of rice, raggi and tapioca as compared to wheat diet in human. Indian J Exp Biol. 1993;31(3):291-3.