Soluble corn fiber and blood sugar after meals
What it found
In 22 healthy Chinese men, meals and drinks where half the carbohydrate was replaced with soluble corn fiber led to lower blood sugar and insulin rises than the same foods made with maltodextrin.
The authors say this points to a benefit for controlling blood sugar after eating.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood sugar after meals
Both the rice and the drink made with soluble corn fiber gave lower blood sugar rises than the same foods made with maltodextrin. The maltodextrin versions were not different from plain glucose.
Insulin after meals
Insulin rises were also lower after the soluble corn fiber foods than after the maltodextrin foods. The rice with soluble corn fiber had the lowest insulin response of all the test meals.
Drink comparison
In the drinks, the maltodextrin version raised blood sugar and insulin by about 20% and 40% more than the soluble corn fiber version. The soluble corn fiber drink brought blood sugar back to baseline faster.
Maltodextrin versus glucose
Maltodextrin gave blood sugar and insulin responses very similar to plain glucose, even though it is a longer-chain carbohydrate.
What the authors conclude
“This study shows that the inclusion of SCF into the diet is beneficial in controlling the postprandial GR.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that including soluble corn fiber in the diet is beneficial for controlling blood sugar after meals.
- They say that replacing total carbohydrates with soluble corn fiber lowers blood sugar and insulin responses and may possibly delay the transition from prediabetes to diabetes.
- They call for longer-term studies to confirm these short-term findings and to test soluble corn fiber in commonly eaten foods.
How it was done
Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common in Asia, and the authors wanted to see whether swapping part of the carbohydrate in a common food like rice for soluble corn fiber could soften the blood sugar rise after a meal.
Twenty-two healthy Chinese men aged 21 to 60 ate a glucose drink and four test meals, each with half the carbohydrate replaced by soluble corn fiber or maltodextrin, either in glutinous rice or as a drink. Blood was sampled for 130 minutes after each meal, with five days between sessions.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a single-meal study, so it cannot show what happens with long-term consumption.
- The study was in healthy Chinese men, so the results may not apply to other groups.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR; Tate & Lyle Ingredients America LLC (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Technology and Research (A*STAR) and National University Health System, Singapore; National University of Singapore, Singapore
The paper
- Title
- The Role of Soluble Corn Fiber on Glycemic and Insulin Response
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Tan WSK, Chia PFW, Ponnalagu S, Karnik K, Henry CJ (2020). The Role of Soluble Corn Fiber on Glycemic and Insulin Response. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu12040961Free full textPubMed 32235569DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error