Polydextrose is a water-soluble dietary fiber. It is a special carbohydrate with low calories, no sugar, and low glycemic index. It also has the characteristics of a prebiotic. It is made of naturally occurring glucose, a small amount of sorbitol, and citric acid melted at high temperature. It is formed by condensation polymerization and is a polysaccharide composed of randomly cross-linked glucose. As one of the dietary fibers with the best functions and properties, polydextrose has developed rapidly in recent years and has been approved for use in more than 50 countries. It can be used for fiber reinforcement in various foods, replacing sugar and fat in foods, and improving food texture and taste. Therefore, polydextrose is increasingly used in many foods, beverages, and health foods.

Because polydextrose has a low caloric value of 4.187kJ/g, it can be used to produce low-energy health foods or functional beverages, which is suitable for consumption by beauty enthusiasts such as slimmers and young women. It can increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, generate a large amount of short-chain fatty acids, and inhibit the proliferation of harmful bacteria. Its main functional properties include: low calories, regulating intestinal balance, reducing triglycerides and cholesterol, promoting calcium and magnesium absorption, and improving immunity. At present, in addition to using polydextrose as an additive in China, there are also some products such as capsules, granules, and tablets based on polydextrose.

Regulate the intestines.

Polydextrose can improve defecation function without adverse effects such as bloating and diarrhea. It can help increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, reduces the number of harmful bacteria, and lowers the pH value of stool. It can reduce the absorption of glucose in the small intestine. After ingestion, it is fermented in the large intestine to produce short-chain fatty acids such as butyric acid, isobutyric acid, acetic acid, etc. Polydextrose at a concentration of 1% and 2% can have a significant stimulating effect on intestinal bifidobacteria.

Reduce cholesterol.

Polydextrose can prevent or reduce the amount of triglycerides and cholesterol entering lymphatic tubules. At the same time, the products degraded by intestinal microorganisms after polydextrose enters the intestine can inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol, and can adsorb bile acids, the metabolic products of cholesterol, and excrete them out of the body, thereby reducing the cholesterol content in the human body, hindering the absorption of cholesterol, and also preventing Gallstone formation. Chocolate made with polydextrose has a significant effect on reducing serum triglycerides. This effect is even stronger when combined with lactitol.

Lactitol has low sweetness, only 40% of the sweetness of sucrose at the same concentration. Lactitol has good thermal stability and acid-base stability. It is not easily hygroscopic. Lactitol is a crystalline powder. Among functional sugar alcohols, lactitol is one of the few sugar alcohols that is not easily hygroscopic, which is very helpful for the product to resist caking. Lactitol has a mild effect and no adverse reactions. Lactitol has good gastric acid resistance and is basically not decomposed in gastric acid. Therefore, it has a high retention rate and can be more utilized by probiotics.

Lose weight.

On the one hand, polydextrose can suppress appetite, reduce food intake, and take away excess fat and energy from the human body. On the other hand, polydextrose can also form a thin film on the gastrointestinal wall, wrapping the fat in some foods, limiting the absorption of fat in the digestive tract, and promoting the excretion of lipids, thereby reducing fat accumulation and preventing obesity.

Improve immunity.

The large amount of water absorbed by soluble fiber reduces the concentration of harmful substances in the intestines and promotes their elimination from the body. Research shows that soluble fiber has a certain preventive and therapeutic effect on cancer, especially colon cancer, and has a beauty effect of detoxifying and nourishing the skin. Polydextrose can reduce the activity of α-benzopyrene hydroxylase and reduce the harm of benzopyrene to the digestive system; it can also enhance the body's clearance rate of polychlorinated biphenyls.

Promote calcium absorption.

Studies have shown that ingesting polydextrose (50g/kg, 21 days) can increase calcium absorption and bone mineralization. It is speculated that calcium absorption is mainly a function of the small intestine and has nothing to do with the large intestine. Studies have shown that as the concentration of polydextrose increases, the calcium absorption in the jejunum, ileum, cecum, and large intestine of mice shows an increasing trend, and 100 mmol/L polydextrose has a significant effect on calcium absorption in the jejunum, ileum, and cecum of mice.

As a dietary fiber with unique properties, polydextrose has attracted more and more attention and has shown its unique application value in many fields such as food, medicine, and health care products. With the deepening of research work, its application fields will be broader.