Resistant maltodextrin and bowel movements across 29 trials in people
What it found
Taking resistant maltodextrin increased stool volume and how often people went to the toilet compared with a placebo.
It also tended to improve the feeling of emptying the bowels completely.
What they found
Studies in people
More frequent bowel movements
People taking resistant maltodextrin went to the toilet more often than those taking a placebo. This held true even when one unusual trial was removed from the analysis.
Larger stool volume
Stool volume was bigger in people who took resistant maltodextrin compared with those who took a placebo. Researchers measured this by having people compare their stools to ping-pong balls.
Feeling fully emptied
People taking resistant maltodextrin tended to feel they had emptied their bowels more completely than those on a placebo. However, this difference was small and might be due to chance.
Risk of loose stools
Large amounts of certain fibers can draw water into the gut and cause temporary loose stools. The amount needed to cause this with resistant maltodextrin is higher than for some other fibers, and the trials used between 3.8 g and 13.5 g per day.
Other findings
How it works in the gut
When resistant maltodextrin reaches the large intestine, gut bacteria break it down and produce short-chain fatty acids. These acids stimulate the gut wall and help move things along.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that resistant maltodextrin increases both stool volume and how often people go to the toilet compared with a placebo.
- They suggest that adding this fiber to food is a practical way to support normal bowel function when people do not get enough fiber from meals.
- They advise that more research is needed because different companies make resistant maltodextrin in different ways, which could change how it works.
How it was done
About 20% of people worldwide have constipation, which can cause tiredness and lower quality of life. Many people do not eat enough fiber from meals alone, so manufactured fiber ingredients like resistant maltodextrin are added to foods.
The authors gathered 29 randomised controlled trials involving healthy adults or adults prone to constipation. They combined the results to see how resistant maltodextrin affected stool volume, how often people went, and how their bowels felt. The daily amounts taken in the trials ranged from 3.8 g to 13.5 g.
What it can’t tell you
- Most of the trials were done in Japan, so the results might not apply exactly the same way to people everywhere.
- All the trials tested one specific type of resistant maltodextrin, so other versions made differently might not work the same way.
- These trials looked at healthy adults or those prone to constipation, so the findings may not apply to pregnant women or people with medical conditions.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Disclosure YY is an employee of MCI. The authors report no other conflicts of interest directly relevant to the content of this paper.
- Authors work at
- Research Laboratory, Hyogo; Chiba University, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Effects of resistant maltodextrin on bowel movements: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Watanabe N, Suzuki M, Yamaguchi Y, Egashira Y (2018). Effects of resistant maltodextrin on bowel movements: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical and experimental gastroenterology. doi:10.2147/CEG.S153924Free full textPubMed 29535547DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error