Resistant dextrin, insulin resistance and inflammation in type 2 diabetes
What it found
In 55 women with type 2 diabetes, 10 g of resistant dextrin a day for 8 weeks lowered fasting insulin, insulin resistance, IL-6, TNF-alpha, MDA and endotoxin compared with a placebo.
It did not significantly change fasting glucose, HbA1c or hs-CRP.
What they found
Studies in people
Insulin resistance
Fasting insulin fell by 20.1 pmol/l (22.8%) and a measure of insulin resistance fell by 1.3 (24.9%) in the resistant dextrin group compared with the maltodextrin group. A measure of insulin sensitivity rose by 0.2 (7.2%).
Blood sugar control
Fasting plasma glucose fell by 0.05 mmol/l (0.6%) and HbA1c fell by 0.5% (9.6%) in the resistant dextrin group, but these changes were not significant compared with the maltodextrin group.
Inflammation markers
IL-6 fell by 1.4 pg/ml (28.4%) and TNF-alpha fell by 5.4 pg/ml (18.8%) in the resistant dextrin group compared with the maltodextrin group. hs-CRP fell by 2.7 ng/ml (35.1%) but this was not significant.
Oxidative stress and endotoxin
MDA fell by 1.2 nmol/ml (25.6%) and endotoxin fell by 6.2 endotoxin units/ml (17.8%) in the resistant dextrin group compared with the maltodextrin group.
Weight and diet
Body weight and BMI decreased significantly in the resistant dextrin group but not in the maltodextrin group. Energy and total fat intake also fell significantly in the resistant dextrin group.
Side effects
The patients did not report any adverse effects or symptoms with respect to resistant dextrin supplementation.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, resistant dextrin supplementation can modulate inflammation and improve insulin resistance in women with type 2 diabetes.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that resistant dextrin supplementation can modulate inflammation and improve insulin resistance in women with type 2 diabetes.
- They suggest resistant dextrin is a safe intervention for managing type 2 diabetes and its complications, and can be considered as a supplement in the food industry, especially as a substitute for sugar and fat in foods for diabetic patients.
- They say further investigations are needed to confirm the positive effects of resistant dextrin on insulin resistance and inflammatory indices in type 2 diabetic patients.
How it was done
The authors say improving insulin resistance and inflammation is a basic strategy in managing type 2 diabetes, and there was limited evidence that prebiotics help. They wanted to test whether resistant dextrin, as a prebiotic, affects insulin resistance and inflammation in people with type 2 diabetes.
They randomly assigned 55 women with type 2 diabetes, aged 30 to 65, to either 10 g of resistant dextrin a day or the same amount of maltodextrin as a placebo for 8 weeks. Blood markers of blood sugar, inflammation and oxidative stress were measured before and after.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial was in 55 women with type 2 diabetes only, so the results may not apply to men, to people without diabetes, or to other groups.
- The study lasted 8 weeks, so it cannot show what happens over longer periods.
- The authors note the trial was limited by its sample size, fairly short duration, and that gut and faecal bacteria and some markers were not measured.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran
The paper
- Title
- Resistant dextrin, as a prebiotic, improves insulin resistance and inflammation in women with type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled clinical trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Aliasgharzadeh A, Dehghan P, Gargari BP, Asghari-Jafarabadi M (2015). Resistant dextrin, as a prebiotic, improves insulin resistance and inflammation in women with type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled clinical trial. The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1017/S0007114514003675Free full textPubMed 27028002DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error