Polydextrose, appetite hormones and hunger after a high-fat meal
What it found
In 18 obese adults, polydextrose added to a high-fat meal raised levels of the satiety hormone GLP-1 and reduced hunger ratings afterwards.
It also lowered lactic acid levels after the meal.
What they found
Studies in people
GLP-1 hormone
Polydextrose increased postprandial GLP-1 levels more than placebo. GLP-1 is a gut hormone linked to satiety.
Other satiety hormones
There were no significant differences in ghrelin, CCK or PYY responses between the polydextrose and placebo meals. Ghrelin and PYY showed a trend to decrease with polydextrose but did not reach significance.
Lactic acid
Lactic acid concentrations after the meal were significantly lower with polydextrose, decreasing by 11.9% compared to placebo.
Short chain fatty acids
No significant changes in short chain fatty acids were found. Acetic acid showed a marginal 14.3% reduction with polydextrose.
Hunger and satisfaction
During the post-meal satiety period, polydextrose reduced hunger by 40.4% and marginally increased satisfaction by 22.5% compared to placebo. No significant differences were seen during the satiation period.
Age and GLP-1
Participants older than 40 had significantly lower GLP-1 concentrations than those aged 40 or less. BMI above or below 34 made no significant difference.
What the authors conclude
“Polydextrose increased the postprandial secretion of the satiety hormone GLP-1 and reduced hunger after a high-fat meal.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that polydextrose increased the postprandial secretion of the satiety hormone GLP-1 and reduced hunger after a high-fat meal.
- They state that polydextrose also reduced the elevated postprandial lactic acid levels in plasma.
- They suggest that polydextrose may offer an additional means to regulate inter-meal satiety and improve postprandial metabolism in obese participants.
How it was done
The authors wanted to understand how polydextrose affects appetite and satiety hormones in obese people, since most earlier studies were in normal weight or overweight volunteers and the mechanism was not clear.
18 non-diabetic obese adults (average age 42, average BMI 33.6) ate a high-fat meal with or without 15 g of polydextrose in a drink, in a randomised, double-blind, crossover trial with a 10-day washout. Blood was sampled over 6 hours and appetite ratings were recorded.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a single meal test in 18 obese adults, so it cannot show what happens with longer-term use.
- The study cannot show whether these hormone and appetite changes lead to weight loss or other health outcomes.
The paper
- Title
- Postprandial effects of polydextrose on satiety hormone responses and subjective feelings of appetite in obese participants
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Olli K, Salli K, Alhoniemi E, et al (2015). Postprandial effects of polydextrose on satiety hormone responses and subjective feelings of appetite in obese participants. Nutrition journal. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-14-2Free full textPubMed 25555562DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error