Polydextrose and bowel habits in healthy volunteers
What it found
In 45 healthy people, taking 8 g of polydextrose a day shortened the time food took to pass through the gut and changed some bile acids and sterols in stool.
It did not change stool weight or the main short-chain fatty acids.
What they found
Studies in people
Transit time
Taking polydextrose shortened the time from eating to passing stool, and the authors call this a significant change.
Stool pH and acids
Stool pH went down. The amounts of the main short-chain fatty acids, acetate and propionate, did not change.
Bile acids and sterols
The amount of bile acids and neutral sterols coming out in stool changed significantly.
Stool weight and bacteria
Stool weight stayed the same. The numbers of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in stool also stayed the same.
Stool consistency
The authors say polydextrose improved stool consistency in people who were constipated.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, PDX is able to shorten the orofaecal transit time and to improve stool consistency in subjects suffering from constipation.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that polydextrose can shorten the time food takes to pass through the gut.
- They say it can improve stool consistency in people who are constipated.
How it was done
The authors wanted to show that polydextrose has prebiotic effects on bowel health.
They ran a placebo-controlled, randomised study in 45 healthy people who took 8 g of polydextrose a day. They measured stool weight, how long food took to pass through, stool consistency, short-chain fatty acids, pH, neutral sterols, bile acids and gut bacteria.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a small study in healthy volunteers, so the results may not apply to everyone.
- It only looked at the measures listed, not at long-term health outcomes.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Friedrich Schiller University, Germany
The paper
- Title
- Effects of polydextrose supplementation on different faecal parameters in healthy volunteers
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Hengst C, Ptok S, Roessler A, Fechner A, Jahreis G (2009). Effects of polydextrose supplementation on different faecal parameters in healthy volunteers. International journal of food sciences and nutrition. doi:10.1080/09637480802526760PubMed 19107626DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error