Today, with the rising awareness of healthy consumption, "sugar control" has become a synonym for the lifestyle of the whole people. But the frequent appearances of an ingredient called ? Polydextrose ? on ingredient lists for "diet foods" and "low-calorie drinks" have led to confusion among consumers about whether it is sugar disguised as "dietary fiber" or a misnamed health guardian. Through molecular structure analysis, international authoritative definition and metabolic mechanism research, this paper reveals the true identity of polyglucose and ends the "scientific misunderstanding" caused by the name.

? First, the name of the source: why the word "glucose" cause misunderstanding? ?

The English name "Polydextrose" literally translates to "polymerized glucose", and the Chinese translation follows this logic. However, its naming nature is an objective description of the chemical structure, rather than a definition of functional properties.

? Historical background ? : Polyglucose was developed by American scientist H.H. Rennhard in 1965, the original intention was to develop a low-calorie, high-stability food filler. Because the raw material contains glucose monomer, and the molecular chain is connected by multiple glucose units, it is named "polyglucose".

? Language trap ? : in the Chinese context, the word "glucose" is often directly associated with "sugar" and "sweet", but the character "ju" fails to convey its indigestible character, resulting in the public's misunderstanding of the word.

? Two, scientific disassembly: from the molecular structure of the nature of polyglucose ?to determine whether polyglucose is a sugar, it is necessary to return to its chemical nature.

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?1. Definition and classification of sugar ?

According to the definition of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Sugar refers to monosaccharides (e.g., glucose, fructose) or oligosaccharides (e.g., sucrose, maltose) which are connected by glycosidic bonds with 2 to 10 monosaccharides. Their common features are:

Can be broken down into monosaccharides by human digestive enzymes (such as α-amylase, sucrase);

Provides 4 kcal/g heat;

Directly raises blood sugar levels.

?2. Chemical structure of polyglucose ?

The molecular formula of polyglucose ? was (C?H??O?)?. It was composed of the following three parts.?

? skeleton structure ? : D-glucose as the basic unit, mainly connected by 1, 6-glucoside bond;

? random branching ? : Some glucose units form branching structures through 1,2, 1,3 or 1,4 glucoside bonds;

? end modification ? : The end of the molecular chain is often bound to sorbitol or citric acid residues (production process residues).

? Key differences ? :

? degree of polymerization ? : The average degree of polymerization (n value) of polyglucose is 20-22, and the far ultra-low glycan (n≤10) forms a complex three-dimensional network structure.

? bond type complexity ? : The random distribution of glucoside bonds makes the body lack the corresponding digestive enzymes to break them down into glucose monomers.

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Metabolic mechanism: Why does polyglucose not belong to sugar? ?

The physiological metabolic pathway of polyglucose is completely different from that of traditional sugars, which is the core basis for its classification as dietary fiber.

?1. Zero absorption in the upper digestive tract ?

? stomach and small intestine ? : Polyglucose remains stable in gastric acid. Due to its excessive molecular weight (about 3200 Da) and complex types of glucoside bonds, it cannot be hydrolyzed by human saliva amylase or pancreatic amylase. Studies have shown that after oral administration of polyglucose, the absorption rate of the small intestine is less than 0.5% (Journal of Nutrition, 2022).

? blood sugar effect ? : Polyglucose does not cause postprandial blood sugar fluctuations because it cannot be broken down into glucose. Experiments by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed that the glycemic index (GI) of ingesting 10g of polyglucose is 0, which is comparable to pure water (China Food Journal, 2023).

?2. "prebiotic fermentation" in the lower digestive tract ?

When undigested polyglucose enters the colon, it becomes a fermentation substrate for the intestinal flora:

? short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) ? : Bifidobacteria and other beneficial bacteria convert it into butyric acid, propionic acid and other SCFA, which can supply energy for colon cells and regulate immunity;

? very low caloric contribution ? : the energy released by the fermentation process is only about 1 kcal/g, much lower than the 4 kcal/g of sugar.

? Regulatory positioning: How do global authorities define polyglucose? ?

International organizations and national food safety standards explicitly exclude polyglucose from the category of "sugar" and give it the legal status of dietary fiber.

?1. CODEX Alimentarius Commission (CODEX) ?

The CODEX Standard (CODEX STAN 234-2022) states:

Dietary fiber should meet the conditions of "polymerization degree ≥3 and can not be digested by human small intestine enzymes";

Polyglucose meets the above criteria and is included in the "dietary fiber" list, allowing the fiber content to be indicated on food labels.

?2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ?

In 2016, the FDA updated the definition of dietary fiber to define polyglucose as a "functional fiber with physiological benefits" and approved it for use in "low-sugar" and "sugar-free" foods (21 CFR 101.9).

?3. Chinese national standards ?

The "Food Safety National Standard Food Additive Polyglucose" (GB 25541-2024) emphasizes:

Polyglucose is water-soluble dietary fiber and cannot be classified as carbohydrate.

Foods that use polydextrose may claim to "increase dietary fiber," but may not be labeled "sugary" or "added sugar."

? Market controversy: Is polyglucose in sugar-free foods "invisible sugar"? ?

Despite clear regulations, consumer misconceptions about polydextrose continue to fester. Here are the facts of two typical disputes:

?1. Controversy 1: Does polyglucose cause blood sugar to rise? ?

? Science verdict ? : No. The metabolite of polyglucose is SCFA rather than glucose, and its own GI value is 0. A clinical trial in Peking Union Medical College Hospital for diabetic patients showed that after daily intake of 15g of polyglucose for 12 consecutive weeks, there was no significant change in the hemoglobin a1c (HbA1c) of patients (Chinese Journal of Diabetes, 2023).

? Misconception source ? : Some vendors mix polydextrose with easily raised sugar ingredients such as maltodextrin and glucose syrup, resulting in consumer confusion.

?2. Controversy 2: Is polyglucose an "added sugar"? ?

? Clarification of definition ? : According to WHO guidelines, "added sugar" means monosaccharides or disaccharides (e.g. sugar, sucrose) artificially added to food. Polyglucose is not considered an added sugar because it does not have the chemical and metabolic properties of sugar.

? In the European Union and the United States, polyglucose is counted as the total dietary fiber content of foods, rather than "sugar"; China's General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Food (GB 28050-2024) also adopts this rule.

? Consumer guide: How to correctly identify polyglucose? ?

To avoid confusion, consumers can distinguish polyglucose from sugar by:

?1. Look at the table ?

? sugar ? : usually marked as "white sugar", "high fructose syrup", "maltose" and so on;

? polyglucose ? : directly labeled "polyglucose" or "water-soluble dietary fiber".

?2. Read nutrition labels ?

? sugar content ? : Check "carbohydrate-sugar", polyglucose is not listed;

? Dietary fiber ? : The amount of fiber contributed by polyglucose will be labeled separately.

?3. Consciousness declares ?

Products labeled "sugar-free" or "low-sugar" but containing polyglucose comply with regulations because they do not use sugar ingredients that raise sugar.

? Industry reflection: the dilemma of science communication behind the naming controversy ?

The controversy over the naming of polydextrose exposes a deep contradiction in the public use of scientific terms:

? term simplification and accuracy imbalance ? : chemical names often omit key information (such as the structural meaning of "poly") for ease of memorization;

? Consumer science literacy gap ? : A survey shows that only 12 percent of Chinese consumers can correctly distinguish between "dietary fiber" and "sugar" (China Health Consumption White Paper 2024).

? Solution ? :

? Standard terminology ? : It is suggested to add a note in the ingredient list, such as "polyglucose (dietary fiber)";

? strengthen science popularization education ? : convey the "non-sugar" attribute through short videos, packaging ICONS and other intuitive ways.

? 8. Expert opinion: The "battle to correct the name" of polyglucose ?

?Dr. Emily Chen (President, International Alliance for Food Science and Technology) ? :

"The polyglucose controversy is a classic case of the disconnect between scientific language and public perception. We need a more transparent terminology system where ingredient names truly reflect their function."

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? WANG Xiangtao (Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of Nutrition) ? :

"The health value of polyglucose as a quality dietary fiber has been fully validated. "The key to eliminating misconceptions is translating scientific definitions into language that consumers can understand."

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? Conclusion ?

Polydextrose is not sugar, but the victim of a "scientific misunderstanding" caused by its naming. From molecular structure to regulatory definition, metabolic mechanism to market practice, all the evidence points to the same conclusion: it is a dietary fiber pioneer delayed by its name. In the era of health awareness and information explosion, breaking cognitive barriers and establishing a rational consumption view may be more important than arguing that "sugar is not sugar."

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