Maltitol and scFOS in desserts: gut symptoms and blood sugar
What it found
In 32 healthy adults, chocolate desserts sweetened with maltitol and scFOS caused mild, short-lived gut symptoms and lower blood sugar and insulin rises than desserts with dextrose.
What they found
Studies in people
Gut symptoms
Flatulence, borborygmi, bloating and discomfort scores were higher for all desserts with maltitol and/or scFOS than for the dextrose dessert, but stayed in the mild range. The maximum average score was 10.8 out of 40.
Stool changes
In the first 24 hours, bowel movements increased slightly and stools were softer with maltitol and/or scFOS desserts compared with dextrose. These differences were not seen between 24 and 48 hours.
Blood sugar and insulin
Blood glucose and insulin responses over 2 hours were lower for all sugar-free desserts with maltitol and scFOS than for the dextrose dessert. The dessert with 24 g dextrose and 11 g scFOS lowered the glucose peak and insulin response but did not significantly reduce the overall glucose response.
Adverse events
Only 11 out of 88 adverse events were possibly linked to the products, seen with both the test desserts and the reference dessert. No serious adverse events and no diarrhoea were reported.
Mixture comparisons
No differences were seen between the different mixtures of maltitol and scFOS for total gut symptom score, individual symptoms, stool frequency or consistency.
What the authors conclude
“This study has shown that maltitol and scFOS can be used jointly when formulating sugar-free foods with the benefit to lower postprandial glycaemic response with only a small and transient increase in non-serious GI symptoms.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that maltitol and scFOS can be used together in sugar-free foods to lower the blood sugar rise after eating, with only a small and short-lived increase in non-serious gut symptoms.
- They say the effect on blood sugar could be of interest for people with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes.
How it was done
The authors wanted to check how well people tolerate maltitol and scFOS when used together to replace sugar in foods, since most studies look at each ingredient alone.
Thirty-six healthy adults aged 18 to 60 were recruited and 32 completed the study. They ate six different chocolate dairy desserts containing 35 g of dextrose, maltitol and/or scFOS, with at least 2 weeks between each, and reported gut symptoms for 48 hours. A subgroup of 18 also gave blood samples for 2 hours after eating.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a short-term study with single servings, so it cannot show what happens with regular long-term consumption.
- The study cannot show whether these effects would be the same in people with digestive conditions, since only healthy adults without irritable bowel syndrome were included.
The paper
- Title
- Digestive tolerance and postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses after consumption of dairy desserts containing maltitol and fructo-oligosaccharides in adults
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Respondek F, Hilpipre C, Chauveau P, et al (2014). Digestive tolerance and postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses after consumption of dairy desserts containing maltitol and fructo-oligosaccharides in adults. European journal of clinical nutrition. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.30Free full textPubMed 24642779DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error