Open Food Labels. Search 352 ingredients⌘K

Study · Nutrients · 2022Conflicts declared

Resistant dextrin, gut gas and gut bacteria in healthy men

Barber C, Sabater C, Ávila-Gálvez MÁ, et al · Free full text

What it found

In 20 healthy men, taking resistant dextrin first raised gut gas and gas-related feelings, then these settled back to starting levels by four weeks.

The fibre also increased the solid content in the colon and changed which gut bacteria were present.

What they found

Studies in people

Gas evacuations

Before the fibre, men passed gas about 13 times a day. In the first days of taking 14 g dextrin, this rose by about 30%, but the rise was not statistically significant. After four weeks, the number returned to the starting level, and two weeks after stopping it was lower than at the start.

Higher dose gas

With 42 g dextrin daily, the number of daytime gas evacuations rose sharply at the start, by about 172%. By the end of the 18 days, it had fallen back to the starting level.

Gas-related feelings

At the start of taking 14 g dextrin, men felt more flatulence, up by about 35%. This feeling eased during the four weeks and was even lower two weeks after stopping. The fibre did not cause abdominal symptoms or change mood or well-being.

Colon contents

The total volume inside the colon rose from about 634 mL before dextrin to 730 mL at the start, and stayed higher during the four weeks. The increase was larger in the first part of the colon than in the later part.

Gut bacteria changes

Dextrin changed the amounts of certain gut bacteria. Some types that make short-chain fatty acids, such as Anaerostipes, Eubacterium, Roseburia and Ruminococcus, were higher after the fibre. The overall mix of bacteria stayed similar, with large differences between individuals.

Bile acids and urine

After taking dextrin, a secondary bile acid called deoxycholic acid dropped by about 2.2 times. A urine compound linked to biotin metabolism also decreased. These changes suggest the fibre affected how gut bacteria process bile acids and biotin.

What the authors conclude

“Administration of a resistant dextrin soluble fibre, induced an adaptation of intestinal microbiota and intestinal gas homeostasis, that outlasts the administration phase.”
Barber C, Sabater C, Ávila-Gálvez MÁ, et al, 2022

Also in their conclusions

  • They say that taking resistant dextrin led to an adaptation of gut bacteria and gut gas that lasted beyond the time it was taken.
  • They note that the fibre may boost short-chain fatty acid production and slightly affect bile acids and biotin metabolism.
  • They call for larger, placebo-controlled studies in both men and women, and in people with digestive symptoms.

How it was done

The authors wanted to see whether a soluble fibre that feeds gut bacteria changes how much gas the gut makes and how the gut bacteria behave. Earlier studies had not looked at this.

Twenty healthy men took 14 g of resistant dextrin daily for four weeks. A smaller group of 10 men also took a higher dose of 42 g daily for 18 days. The men kept food diaries and measured gas, digestive feelings, gut bacteria and urine compounds at several points.

What it can’t tell you

  • This was a small study in healthy men only, so the results may not apply to women or to people with gut problems.
  • The study had no placebo group, so it cannot prove that dextrin caused the changes seen.
  • The study cannot show whether the changes in gut gas or bacteria would improve symptoms in people with digestive conditions.

The paper

Title
Effect of Resistant Dextrin on Intestinal Gas Homeostasis and Microbiota
Type
Study
Evidence
Studies in people
Summarised from
Full text
Cite
Barber C, Sabater C, Ávila-Gálvez MÁ, et al (2022). Effect of Resistant Dextrin on Intestinal Gas Homeostasis and Microbiota. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu14214611Free full textPubMed 36364873DOI

Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error