Polydextrose
OTHER NAME(S): E 1200, (2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-6-[[(3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]oxane-2,3,4,5-tetrol, 2S,3R,4S,5S,6R, Polydextrosa
Overview
Polydextrose is a complex carbohydrate made from glucose. It's made in a lab and is not digested by the body. Polydextrose is often used as a prebiotic.
Polydextrose does not get digested by the human body. Instead it's digested by good bacteria found in the colon. This helps the good bacteria to grow, which is why it's used as a prebiotic. Prebiotics act as food for probiotics (good bacteria).
People use polydextrose for constipation, prediabetes, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Don't confuse prebiotics with probiotics. These are not the same.
Uses
We currently have no information for Polydextrose overview.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Polydextrose is likely safe when consumed in foods in amounts less than 15 grams daily. Polydextrose is possibly safe when used as medicine in doses up to 50 grams daily for up to 12 weeks. But it is possibly unsafe to use in higher amounts. Taking more than 90 grams of polydextrose daily, or more than 50 grams at one time, might cause severe diarrhea in some people.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: Polydextrose is likely safe when consumed in foods in amounts less than 15 grams daily. Polydextrose is possibly safe when used as medicine in doses up to 50 grams daily for up to 12 weeks. But it is possibly unsafe to use in higher amounts. Taking more than 90 grams of polydextrose daily, or more than 50 grams at one time, might cause severe diarrhea in some people.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if polydextrose is safe to use as a medicine when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to food amounts.
Children: Polydextrose is possibly safe for infants when added to formula at concentrations of 2-4 grams per liter of formula. It is also possibly safe for children 4-8 years old to take in doses of about 4 grams daily.
Interactions
We currently have no information for Polydextrose overview.
Dosing
Polydextrose has most often been used by adults in doses of 4-12 grams by mouth daily for up to 4 weeks. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.
References
- Food Additive Status List. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/foodadditivesingredients/ucm091048.htm#abb.
- Ziegler E, Vanderhoof JA, Petschow B, et al. Term infants fed formula supplemented with selected blends of prebiotics grow normally and have soft stools similar to those reported for breast-fed infants. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2007;44(3):359-364.
- Setser CS, Racette WL. Macromolecule replacers in food products. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 1992;32(3):275-297.
- Flood MT, Auerbach MH, Craig SA. A review of the clinical toleration studies of polydextrose in food. Food Chem Toxicol 2004;42(9):1531-1542.
- Burdock GA, Flamm WG. A review of the studies of the safety of polydextrose in food. Food Chem Toxicol 1999;37(2-3):233-264.
- Jie Z, Bang-Yao L, Ming-Jie X, et al. Studies on the effects of polydextrose intake on physiologic functions in Chinese people. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72(6):1503-1509.
- Nakamura N, Gaskins HR, Collier CT, et al. Molecular ecological analysis of fecal bacterial populations from term infants fed formula supplemented with selected blends of prebiotics. Appl Environ Microbiol 2009;75(4):1121-1128.
- Auerbach MH, Craig SA, Howlett JF, Hayes KC. Caloric availability of polydextrose. Nutr Rev 2007;65(12 Pt 1):544-549.
- Saku K, Yoshinaga K, Okura Y, et al. Effects of polydextrose on serum lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins in healthy subjects. Clin Ther 1991;13(2):254-258.
- Ogata S, Fujimoto K, Iwakiri R, et al. Effect of polydextrose on absorption of triglyceride and cholesterol in mesenteric lymph-fistula rats. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1997;215(1):53-58.
- Tomlin J, Read NW. A comparative study of the effects on colon function caused by feeding ispaghula husk and polydextrose. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 1988;2(6):513-519.
- Hengst C, Ptok S, Roessler A, Fechner A, Jahreis G. Effects of polydextrose supplementation on different faecal parameters in healthy volunteers. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2009;60 Suppl 5:96-105.
- King NA, Craig SA, Pepper T, Blundell JE. Evaluation of the independent and combined effects of xylitol and polydextrose consumed as a snack on hunger and energy intake over 10 d. Br J Nutr 2005;93(6):911-915.
- Achour L, Flourie B, Briet F, et al. Gastrointestinal effects and energy value of polydextrose in healthy nonobese men. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59(6):1362-1368.
- Hyvonen L, Linna M, Tuorila H, Dijksterhuis G. Perception of melting and flavor release of ice cream containing different types and contents of fat. J Dairy Sci 2003;86(4):1130-1138.
- Schwab, U., Louheranta, A., Torronen, A., and Uusitupa, M. Impact of sugar beet pectin and polydextrose on fasting and postprandial glycemia and fasting concentrations of serum total and lipoprotein lipids in middle-aged subjects with abnormal glucose metabolism. Eur J Clin Nutr 2006;60(9):1073-1080.
- Willis, H. J., Eldridge, A. L., Beiseigel, J., Thomas, W., and Slavin, J. L. Greater satiety response with resistant starch and corn bran in human subjects. Nutr Res 2009;29(2):100-105.
- Shimomura, Y., Maeda, K., Nagasaki, M., Matsuo, Y., Murakami, T., Bajotto, G., Sato, J., Seino, T., Kamiwaki, T., and Suzuki, M. Attenuated response of the serum triglyceride concentration to ingestion of a chocolate containing polydextrose and lactitol in place of sugar. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2005;69(10):1819-1823.
- Magro DO, de Oliveira LM, Bernasconi I, Ruela Mde S, Credidio L, Barcelos IK, Leal RF, Ayrizono Mde L, Fagundes JJ, Teixeira Lde B, Ouwehand AC, Coy CS. Effect of yogurt containing polydextrose, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis HN019: a randomized, double-blind, controlled study in chronic constipation. Nutr J. 2014 24;13:75.
- Mudgil D, Barak S. Composition, properties and health benefits of indigestible carbohydrate polymers as dietary fiber: a review. Int J Biol Macromol 2013;61:1-6.
- Craig SAS, Holden JF, Troup JP, Auerbach MH, Frier HI. Polydextrose as soluble fiber: Physiological and analytical aspects. Cereal Foods World 1998;43(5):370-376.
- Shimada M, Nagano N, Goto S, et al. Effect of polydextrose intake on constipation in Japanese dialysis patients: A triple-blind, randomized, controlled trial. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2015;61(4):345-53.
- Duncan PI, Enters-Weijnen CF, Emami N, et al. Short-term daily intake of polydextrose fiber does not shorten intestinal transit time in constipated adults: A randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2018;10(7). pii: E920.
- Ibarra A, Olli K, Pasman W, et al. Effects of polydextrose with breakfast or with a midmorning preload on food intake and other appetite-related parameters in healthy normal-weight and overweight females: An acute, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and crossover study. Appetite. 2017;110:15-24.
- Tiihonen K, Rautonen N, Alhoniemi E, Ahotupa M, Stowell J, Vasankari T. Postprandial triglyceride response in normolipidemic, hyperlipidemic and obese subjects - the influence of polydextrose, a non-digestible carbohydrate. Nutr J. 2015;14:23.
- Olli K, Salli K, Alhoniemi E, et al. Postprandial effects of polydextrose on satiety hormone responses and subjective feelings of appetite in obese participants. Nutr J. 2015;14:2.
- Ibarra A, Astbury NM, Olli K, Alhoniemi E, Tiihonen K. Effects of polydextrose on different levels of energy intake. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Appetite. 2015;87:30-7.
- Martinelli M, Hick E, Walz F, Drago SR. Effects of cereal bar containing polydextrose on subjective feelings of appetite and energy intake in overweight adults over 15 d. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2018;69(7):892-899.
- Luoto R, Ruuskanen O, Waris M, Kalliomäki M, Salminen S, Isolauri E. Prebiotic and probiotic supplementation prevents rhinovirus infections in preterm infants: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;133(2):405-13.
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), Younes M, Aquilina G, et al. Re-evaluation of polydextrose (E 1200) as a food additive. EFSA J 2021;19(1):e06363.
- Maragkoudaki X, Naylor M, Papacleovoulou G, et al. Supplementation with a prebiotic (polydextrose) in obese mouse pregnancy improves maternal glucose homeostasis and protects against offspring obesity. Int J Obes (Lond) 2020;44(12):2382-2393.
- Bahrudin MF, Abdul Rani R, Tamil AM, Mokhtar NM, Raja Ali RA. Effectiveness of Sterilized Symbiotic Drink Containing Lactobacillus helveticus Comparable to Probiotic Alone in Patients with Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Dig Dis Sci 2020;65(2):541-549.
- Ibarra A, Pelipyagina T, Rueffer M, Evans M, Ouwehand AC. Efficacy of Polydextrose Supplementation on Colonic Transit Time, Bowel Movements, and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Adults: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nutrients 2019;11(2):439.
- Toporovski MS, de Morais MB, Abuhab A, Crippa Júnior MA. Effect of Polydextrose/Fructooligosaccharide Mixture on Constipation Symptoms in Children Aged 4 to 8 Years. Nutrients 2021;13(5):1634.
- Berding K, Long-Smith CM, Carbia C, et al. A specific dietary fibre supplementation improves cognitive performance-an exploratory randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021;238(1):149-163.
- Colombo J, Carlson SE, Algarín C, et al. Developmental effects on sleep-wake patterns in infants receiving a cow's milk-based infant formula with an added prebiotic blend: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Res 2021;89(5):1222-31.
- Hu Q, Niu Y, Yang Y, et al. Polydextrose Alleviates Adipose Tissue Inflammation and Modulates the Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice. Front Pharmacol 2022;12:795483.
- Lauw S, Kei N, Chan PL, et al. Effects of synbiotic supplementation on metabolic syndrome traits and gut microbial profile among overweight and obese Hong Kong Chinese individuals: A randomized trial. Nutrients 2023;15(19):4248.