Polydextrose and health effects across human and animal studies
What it found
Polydextrose supplementation improved bowel function, reduced energy intake, and lowered post-meal glucose and insulin responses in people.
It also increased mineral absorption and changed gut bacteria in animals and people.
What they found
Studies in people
Bowel function
In people with constipation or on dialysis, polydextrose reduced bowel transit time and increased stool frequency. It also produced softer stools and less abdominal discomfort.
Energy intake
A meta-analysis found that polydextrose reduced the desire to eat. In another analysis, a midmorning snack with polydextrose led to eating less at lunch, and the effect was larger with higher doses.
Animal and lab studies
Mineral absorption
In rats, polydextrose increased the absorption of calcium and iron and improved bone mineral density. These studies were in animals, not people.
Immune and colon effects
In rats, polydextrose increased IgA secretion in the gut, especially when combined with lactitol. In lab tests on colon cancer cells, fermentation products of polydextrose affected genes and induced apoptosis.
Studies in people and animals
Blood glucose and insulin
In overweight men and women, replacing 30% of available carbohydrates with polydextrose at breakfast and lunch lowered glucose peaks and insulin responses. In diabetic mice, polydextrose combined with a diabetes drug reduced fasting glucose.
Gut bacteria
In healthy men, 21 grams per day of polydextrose changed the numbers of certain gut bacteria, such as increasing Bacteroidetes and decreasing Firmicutes. In lab tests, it also reduced Clostridium difficile.
What the authors conclude
“In the present review, we present data that indicate that PDX shows evidence for several of these areas; in particular for the postprandial benefits, energy intake, and bowel function.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that polydextrose shows evidence for benefits on post-meal responses, energy intake, and bowel function.
- They state that for nutrient absorption and immune modulation, more studies, especially human studies, are required.
- They note that at the present stage of science it is difficult to indicate what microbial groups should be stimulated.
How it was done
The authors wanted to survey the literature on how polydextrose supplementation affects health and to list its benefits for maintaining health or reducing disease development.
They reviewed studies in people, animals, and lab tests that gave polydextrose by mouth. Doses ranged from 2% to 30% in animal diets and 4 to 21 grams per day in people, for periods from 2 weeks to 108 days.
What it can’t tell you
- Many of the findings come from animal or lab studies, so they cannot show what happens in people.
- The human studies are mostly short-term, so they cannot show long-term health effects.
- The review cannot prove that polydextrose prevents or treats any disease.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- ACO is an employee of DuPont; Dupont manufactures and markets polydextrose. The other authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; State University of Centro-Oeste, Brazil; Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The paper
- Title
- Polydextrose: Physiological Function, and Effects on Health
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- do Carmo MM, Walker JC, Novello D, et al (2016). Polydextrose: Physiological Function, and Effects on Health. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu8090553Free full textPubMed 27618093DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error