Polydextrose

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Appetite and satiety^{1, 2} Energy intake at next meal³ Functional constipation⁴ Gut microbiota modulation^{5, 6} Postprandial triglycerides^{7, 8} Infant formula stool softness^9–12	Pregnancy or nursing¹³ Surgery within two weeks¹³

Polydextrose is a randomly linked glucose polymer that resists digestion in the upper gut and is slowly fermented by colonic microbes, which underlies its fiber-like effects^{14, 15}.

A meta-analysis found polydextrose lowered energy intake at the following meal but not across the rest of the day³. In constipation, a randomized trial in adults found more bowel movements at the highest dose studied, while a review of over-the-counter therapies rated the evidence insufficient. In overweight adults, polydextrose alone did not change body fat mass¹⁶. A 2023 microbiome analysis of a randomized trial in moderate and late preterm infants found that a probiotic, or separately a galacto-oligosaccharide and polydextrose mixture, accelerated a Bifidobacteria-dominated gut microbiome compared with placebo¹⁷. Products listing polydextrose number 1383, most often tablets and liquids in multi-ingredient fiber and weight formulas; see Form comparison.

Fermentation produces gas, and flatulence and distension were greatest with polydextrose in healthy men, though discomfort scores stayed low. Some United States product labels listing polydextrose ask for a health care practitioner's advice before use with insulin or hypoglycemia¹³.

Last updated October 17, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

55 sources, 49 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources