Maltol and bone fragility in diabetes
What it found
In people with fragility fractures, maltol built up in hip bone tissue and higher blood levels went with more fractures.
In mice and lab tests, maltol disrupted the bone rebuilding process, and high blood sugar made it worse.
What they found
Studies in people
Maltol in human bone
In hip bone tissue from people with fragility fractures, maltol levels were higher in those with diabetes. Higher maltol levels in the blood also went with more fractures.
Animal and lab studies
Bone building slowed
In lab tests, maltol blocked the development of osteoblasts, the cells that build bone, through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Bone breakdown boosted
Maltol also helped osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone, mature through NF-κB signaling.
Studies in people and animals
High blood sugar worsens it
The disruptive effects on bone remodeling were stronger when blood sugar was high. In mice, bringing glucose back down with insulin reduced the bone damage caused by maltol.
What the authors conclude
“Given the widespread use of maltol in processed foods, these findings suggest that food additive safety should consider metabolic context and call for disease-specific dietary exposure guidelines to reduce fracture risk in diabetes.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say maltol is a previously unrecognized risk factor for bone fragility linked to high blood sugar.
- They suggest that food additive safety should take metabolic context into account.
- They call for disease-specific dietary exposure guidelines to reduce fracture risk in diabetes.
How it was done
Type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for fragility fractures, but what drives the bone weakness is still unclear.
The researchers combined metabolomic profiling of femoral neck tissue from people with fragility fractures, blood measurements linked to fracture incidence, and lab and mouse experiments on bone cells and bone health.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The human part of this study looked at people who already had fragility fractures, so it cannot show that maltol caused the fractures.
- The mouse and lab results may not apply to people.
- It does not show what amount of maltol in food would be risky for someone with diabetes.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- Xiamen University, China; the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, China; Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, China
The paper
- Title
- Maltol induces diabetic fragility fractures by disrupting the balance of bone remodeling
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Wang J, Wang Z, Feng J, et al (2026). Maltol induces diabetic fragility fractures by disrupting the balance of bone remodeling. Cell metabolism. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2026.03.001PubMed 41903530DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error