Polydextrose compared with grain fiber and inulin
What it found
Polydextrose acts in the large intestine much like grain fiber: it is fermented by gut bacteria, boosts bifidobacteria, and has a laxative effect.
Its reported effects on blood sugar after meals and fasting cholesterol were modest.
What they found
Gut fermentation
Polydextrose is fermentable in the large intestine, a functionality it shares with grain fiber and inulin.
Bifidobacteria boost
Polydextrose is bifidogenic, meaning it supports bifidobacteria in the gut, as grain fiber and inulin do.
Laxative effect
Polydextrose has a laxative effect, one of the functionalities shared with grain fiber and inulin.
Blood sugar after meals
Reported effects of polydextrose on postprandial blood glucose have been modest. Grain fibers also show variable effects.
Fasting cholesterol
Reported effects of polydextrose on fasting cholesterol levels have been modest. Grain fibers also show variable effects.
What it is
Polydextrose is a synthetic indigestible glucose polymer with a simpler structure than grain fiber.
What the authors conclude
“New biomarkers are needed to link the physiological functions of specific fibers with long-term health benefits.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say new biomarkers are needed to link the physiological functions of specific fibers with long-term health benefits.
How it was done
Dietary fiber is defined by chemical and physical properties rather than by what it does in the body. For an isolated or synthetic fiber to count as fiber, it should show beneficial physiological effects such as laxative effects, fermentability, lowering blood cholesterol, or lowering the blood sugar rise after a meal.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This paper compares reported functionalities of fiber types.
- It does not report a single new study in people, so it cannot show cause and effect for any one outcome.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Eastern Finland, Finland
The paper
- Title
- Dietary fiber type reflects physiological functionality: comparison of grain fiber, inulin, and polydextrose
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Raninen K, Lappi J, Mykkänen H, Poutanen K (2011). Dietary fiber type reflects physiological functionality: comparison of grain fiber, inulin, and polydextrose. Nutrition reviews. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00358.xPubMed 21198631DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error