Resistant maltodextrin and bowel movements in 29 trials
What it found
In 29 randomized trials in people, taking resistant maltodextrin increased stool volume and stool frequency compared with a placebo.
It also tended to improve the feeling of complete or incomplete emptying.
What they found
Studies in people
Stool volume
Taking resistant maltodextrin significantly increased stool volume compared with placebo. When one outlier trial was removed, the increase was still significant.
Stool frequency
Taking resistant maltodextrin significantly increased stool frequency compared with placebo. This increase remained significant after removing the outlier trial.
Feeling of evacuation
Resistant maltodextrin tended to improve the sensation of complete or incomplete evacuation compared with placebo. No other significant differences were seen in subjective evaluations like stool consistency, color, or odor.
Other findings
How it may work
Resistant maltodextrin reaches the large intestine, where gut bacteria ferment it and produce short-chain fatty acids. These acids and the increased stool volume may stimulate bowel movements.
Transient diarrhea
The authors note that large doses of indigestible saccharides can cause transient diarrhea, but the maximum no-effect level of resistant maltodextrin is higher than that of lactitol and galactooligosaccharide. The intake in these trials ranged from 3.8 g to 13.5 g per day, and common use rarely causes transient diarrhea.
What the authors conclude
“The intake of RMD significantly increased stool volume and stool frequency compared with placebo intake.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that the intake of RMD significantly increased stool volume and stool frequency compared with placebo intake.
- They state that RMD intake tended to improve the sensation of complete/incomplete evacuation.
- They advise that RMD improves bowel movements and contributes to normal bowel function.
How it was done
The authors wanted to clarify the effect of resistant maltodextrin on bowel movements, since no systematic review or meta-analysis had been reported. They also wanted to help develop new criteria for choosing dietary fiber in food products.
They searched scientific databases up to January 2017 and found 314 potentially relevant papers. Of these, 28 papers met the criteria, giving 29 randomized controlled trials. The trials were in healthy adults or adults with a tendency toward constipation, and the daily intake of resistant maltodextrin ranged from 3.8 g to 13.5 g.
What it can’t tell you
- All the trials used the same resistant maltodextrin product, so the results may not apply to other products made from different raw materials or processes.
- The trials were mostly conducted in Japan, so the findings may not apply to other populations.
- The review cannot show whether resistant maltodextrin helps people with medical constipation, as the trials excluded those receiving medical treatment.
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 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error