Studies on the effects of polydextrose intake on physiologic functions in Chinese people.

Background: Previous studies showed that polydextrose has physiologic effects similar to those of dietary fiber.

Objective: Ingestion of 4, 8, and 12 g polydextrose/d was studied to determine the physiologic effects in Chinese subjects.

Design: In a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study, we evaluated the effects of polydextrose ingestion on clinical biochemistry indexes, glycated hemoglobin, glucose tolerance, the glycemic index, bowel function, stool weight and pH, short-chain fatty acid production, fecal microflora, and cecal mucosa cell proliferation.