Maltitol, blood sugar and phosphate in black and white men
What it found
After taking maltitol, blood sugar rose in black men but not white men, while phosphate dropped in white men but not black men.
The trial involved eight black and eight white healthy males.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood sugar after maltitol
In black men, blood sugar rose from 4.7 to 5.2 mmol/l after taking maltitol. In white men, it went from 4.6 to 5.9 mmol/l, but this rise was not significant.
Phosphate after maltitol
In white men, blood phosphate fell from 1.24 to 1.18 mmol/l after taking maltitol. In black men, it went from 1.17 to 1.06 mmol/l, but this drop was not significant.
Blood sugar after glucose
In white men, blood sugar rose from 4.8 to 6.2 mmol/l after taking glucose. In black men, it went from 4.7 to 5.3 mmol/l, which was not a significant rise.
Phosphate after glucose
In black men, blood phosphate fell from 1.16 to 1.01 mmol/l after taking glucose. In white men, it went from 1.24 to 1.15 mmol/l, which was not a significant drop.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that enzymes controlling sugar breakdown may work differently in black and white men.
- They note that changes in blood phosphate depend on both the type of carbohydrate and the race group.
- The authors say these metabolic differences between races might affect kidney stone risk factors.
How it was done
Glucose and maltitol can change how much calcium and phosphate leave the body in urine. The authors wanted to see if these effects differ between race groups, which might matter for kidney stone risk.
Eight healthy black males and eight healthy white males followed a set diet for eight days. After fasting overnight, they gave blood before and 30 minutes after drinking glucose or maltitol. They repeated the test a week later with the other drink.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial only looked at short-term blood changes 30 minutes after one dose.
- It cannot show whether maltitol affects kidney stone risk over time.
- Only healthy men took part, so results may differ for women or people with health conditions.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Cape Town, South Africa
The paper
- Title
- Glycaemia and phosphatemia after oral glucose and maltitol ingestion in subjects from two different race groups: preliminary evidence of inter-race differences in metabolism and possible implications for urinary stone disease
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Theka T, Rodgers A (2017). Glycaemia and phosphatemia after oral glucose and maltitol ingestion in subjects from two different race groups: preliminary evidence of inter-race differences in metabolism and possible implications for urinary stone disease. International urology and nephrology. doi:10.1007/s11255-017-1623-xPubMed 28526969DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error