Polydextrose and bowel habits in 45 healthy people
What it found
Taking 8 g of polydextrose a day sped up gut transit time and lowered stool pH in healthy people.
It did not change stool weight or key gut bacteria levels.
What they found
Studies in people
Faster gut transit time
People taking polydextrose had a shorter time for food to travel through the gut compared to those on the placebo.
Lower stool pH
Taking polydextrose led to a drop in the pH level of the stool, meaning it became more acidic.
Changes in bile acids
The amount of bile acids and neutral sterols passed in the stool changed significantly with polydextrose.
No change in stool weight
Polydextrose did not affect how much the stool weighed.
No change in gut bacteria
Levels of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in the stool stayed the same. Main short-chain fatty acids also did not change.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that polydextrose can shorten the time food takes to pass through the gut.
- They suggest it may improve stool firmness in people who struggle with constipation.
How it was done
Prebiotics are known to support bowel health. The authors wanted to see if polydextrose acts as a prebiotic in people.
They gave 45 healthy volunteers either 8 g of polydextrose or a placebo each day. They then measured stool weight, gut transit time, stool firmness, acid levels, and gut bacteria.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial only looked at healthy volunteers. It cannot show what happens in people who already have bowel problems.
- The study tested one daily dose of 8 g. It cannot show whether other amounts would work differently.
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 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error