Isomalt and blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes
What it found
Replacing higher glycaemic carbohydrates with 30 g of isomalt daily for 12 weeks improved several blood sugar markers in people with type 2 diabetes.
Routine blood tests and blood fats stayed the same.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood sugar markers improved
After 12 weeks, measures of long-term and short-term blood sugar control dropped significantly. Fasting blood glucose also fell.
Insulin levels dropped
Fasting insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, and a measure of insulin resistance all showed significant reductions after 12 weeks on the isomalt diet.
Oxidised LDL decreased
Levels of oxidised LDL, which is linked to artery disease risk, fell significantly over the 12 weeks.
Fatty acids in women
Female participants showed significantly lower levels of nonesterified fatty acids after the diet change.
Routine tests unchanged
Standard blood measurements and blood fat levels did not change during the study.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that replacing higher glycaemic ingredients with isomalt significantly improved diabetes control over 12 weeks.
- They note that these results match earlier human studies showing benefits of low glycaemic diets for people with type 2 diabetes.
How it was done
Isomalt is a sugar replacer that raises blood sugar very little. The authors wanted to see if swapping it for regular sugars or starches could help people with type 2 diabetes manage their condition better.
Thirty-three people with type 2 diabetes ate foods containing 30 g of isomalt per day instead of higher glycaemic carbohydrates. They followed this diet for 12 weeks while keeping the rest of their usual eating habits. Blood samples were taken before the study, at 6 weeks, and at 12 weeks.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was an open study without a comparison group eating regular sugar. It cannot prove that isomalt alone caused the improvements rather than other changes in behaviour.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Würzburg, Germany
The paper
- Title
- Improved metabolic control after 12-week dietary intervention with low glycaemic isomalt in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Type
- Clinical trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Holub I, Gostner A, Hessdörfer S, et al (2009). Improved metabolic control after 12-week dietary intervention with low glycaemic isomalt in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme. doi:10.1055/s-0029-1234107PubMed 19701877DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error