Isomaltulose (Palatinose)

Also called Palatinose, isomaltulose, 6-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-D-fructose, slow-release sugar.

Best grade B across 10 graded outcomes Other Last checked Oct 21, 2026

The short answer

From 13 sources

Isomaltulose is a sucrose isomer that is digested slowly but almost completely. Meta-analyses of small trials show a lower, flatter blood-sugar rise than sucrose after a drink (grade B), yet swapping 50 g/day of sucrose for 12 weeks did not change HbA1c in 101 people with type 2 diabetes, and endurance-performance benefits were not shown.

Every graded outcome on this page

10 rows · line = participants

Grade BPost-meal glucose vs sucrose in people with and without diabetesBlood sugarn 367
Grade BBlood glucose and insulin after a drink vs sucrose or other sugarsBlood sugarn 175
Grade DMemory and attention after a sweetened dessert vs sucroseAttention and memoryn 65
Grade DAttention and mental fatigue after a single drink vs glucoseAttention and memoryn 64
Grade DPost-meal arterial stiffness after 12 weeks vs sucroseBlood vesselsn 54
Grade DWeight and fat loss on an energy-reduced diet vs sucroseBody weightn 50
Grade DSoccer-specific performance vs maltodextrinTeam sportn 22
Grade DFat oxidation and running time to exhaustion vs glucose or maltodextrinEndurancen 21
Grade DFluid retention after a drink vs sucrose or waterHydrationn 13
No effectHbA1c after replacing sucrose for 12 weeks (type 2 diabetes)Blood sugarn 101
7 more graded outcomes, in the evidence chapter

Key facts

What it is: A structural isomer of sucrose (glucose and fructose joined differently) that is digested slowly^7,8
Digestion: About 94–96% absorbed in the small intestine in an ileostomy study, so it supplies sugars much like sucrose⁸
Blood-sugar response: Lower glucose peak than sucrose at 30–60 minutes in pooled trials, with a longer, flatter curve^1,2
Long-term glucose control: 50 g/day replacing sucrose for 12 weeks did not change HbA1c in 101 adults with type 2 diabetes; triglycerides were lower³
Safety: EFSA judged an isomaltulose syrup novel food to be as safe as sucrose⁹

What it is

Isomaltulose (Palatinose) is a slowly digested isomer of table sugar used in sports drinks and low-glycemic foods.

How it works

Established

Isomaltulose joins glucose and fructose through a different bond from sucrose, and gut enzymes split it more slowly. Glucose therefore enters the blood more gradually, with smaller insulin and GIP responses, while nearly all of it is still absorbed in the small intestine.^7,8,1,5

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Isomaltulose (Palatinose) forms compared

2 forms

Isomaltulose (Palatinose) forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 forms	Isomaltulose powder (Palatinose)	Isomaltulose syrup (dried; with trehalulose)
Absorption in people	Essentially fully absorbed: apparent absorption of 50 g was 93.6–96.1% in people with an ileostomy, regardless of food matrix.⁸	No separate human data; assessed by EFSA from isomaltulose literature.⁹
GI tolerance	50 g/day for 4 weeks was well tolerated in people with high blood lipids; gut discomfort during running did not differ from glucose or maltodextrin.^8,5	EFSA concluded it is as safe as sucrose.⁹
Studied for	Blood-sugar response, diabetes diets, weight loss and sports drinks	Sucrose replacement in foods

Isomaltulose powder (Palatinose)
Absorption in people
Essentially fully absorbed: apparent absorption of 50 g was 93.6–96.1% in people with an ileostomy, regardless of food matrix.⁸
GI tolerance
50 g/day for 4 weeks was well tolerated in people with high blood lipids; gut discomfort during running did not differ from glucose or maltodextrin.^8,5
Studied for
Blood-sugar response, diabetes diets, weight loss and sports drinks
Isomaltulose syrup (dried; with trehalulose)
Absorption in people
No separate human data; assessed by EFSA from isomaltulose literature.⁹
GI tolerance
EFSA concluded it is as safe as sucrose.⁹
Studied for
Sucrose replacement in foods

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

10 graded outcomes, largest study first

10 graded outcomes: 5 improved, 1 mixed, 4 no effect. The largest, a 2025 meta-analysis of 367 people on Post-meal glucose vs sucrose in people with and without diabetes, found an improvement.

By sizeTable

1Post-meal glucose vs sucrose in people with and without diabetes

Improved · Grade B · Meta-analysis, 367 people, 2025

People with diabetes and healthy people (10 studies)

Dose, result and source

Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
Outcome	Found	People	Study	Who was studied
Post-meal glucose vs sucrose in people with and without diabetes	Improved	367	Grade B · Meta-analysis, 2025	People with diabetes and healthy people (10 studies)
Blood glucose and insulin after a drink vs sucrose or other sugars	Improved	175	Grade B · Meta-analysis, 2022	Adults who were healthy or had type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance or hypertension (11 RCTs)
HbA1c after replacing sucrose for 12 weeks (type 2 diabetes)	No effect	101	No-effect grade · RCT, 2012	Adults with type 2 diabetes eating their habitual diet
Memory and attention after a sweetened dessert vs sucrose	No effect	65	Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2020	Young adults
Attention and mental fatigue after a single drink vs glucose	Improved	64	Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2023	Healthy Japanese adults
Post-meal arterial stiffness after 12 weeks vs sucrose	Improved	54	Grade D · RCT, 2024	Healthy middle-aged and older adults, mean age 55
Weight and fat loss on an energy-reduced diet vs sucrose	Mixed	50	Grade D · RCT, 2019	Overweight or obese adults on an energy-reduced diet
Soccer-specific performance vs maltodextrin	No effect	22	Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2017	University soccer players
Fat oxidation and running time to exhaustion vs glucose or maltodextrin	No effect	21	Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2021	Male recreational endurance runners
Fluid retention after a drink vs sucrose or water	Improved	13	Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2022	Healthy young adults (7 women)

Every graded row

10 rows

Form tested

Showing 10 of 10 outcomes. Human trials only.

Grade BPost-meal glucose vs sucrose in people with and without diabetesBlood sugarImprovedMeta-analysis
n 367 · 2025

Improved Plasma glucose at 60 minutes was lower than with sucrose (mean difference −7.99), though the authors note the clinical effect may be modest and results varied widely.

Design: Meta-analysis, n = 367, 2025
Population: People with diabetes and healthy people (10 studies)
Form: Isomaltulose in place of sucrose
Dose: As in the included studies
Duration: Single-meal tests
Source: Reference 2 · PubMed 40507211 (opens PubMed)

Grade BBlood glucose and insulin after a drink vs sucrose or other sugarsBlood sugarImprovedMeta-analysis
n 175 · 2022

Improved Moderate-certainty evidence for a smaller glucose rise than sucrose at 30 minutes; low-certainty evidence for a lower but longer glucose curve and a smaller insulin response.

Design: Meta-analysis, n = 175, 2022
Population: Adults who were healthy or had type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance or hypertension (11 RCTs)
Form: Isomaltulose dissolved in water
Dose: Single test drinks after an overnight fast
Duration: 2-hour tests
Source: Reference 1 · PubMed 35595510 (opens PubMed)

Grade DMemory and attention after a sweetened dessert vs sucroseAttention and memoryNo memory difference vs sucroseCrossover RCT
n 65 · 2020

No effect No difference from the sucrose trifle in word, letter-number or visuospatial recall at 60 or 120 minutes; trail-making test B was 7.7 seconds faster after the sucrose trifle at 60 minutes.

Design: Crossover RCT, n = 65, 2020
Population: Young adults
Form: Trifle sweetened with isomaltulose
Dose: Single serving (amount not stated in the abstract)
Duration: Cognitive tests 60 and 120 minutes after eating
Source: Reference 11 · PubMed 32046793 (opens PubMed)

Grade DAttention and mental fatigue after a single drink vs glucoseAttention and memoryFaster reaction times vs glucoseCrossover RCT
n 64 · 2023

Improved Reaction times on a vigilance task were shorter than after glucose at 60, 120 and 180 minutes, cerebral blood flow measured by fNIRS rose more, and "physically fatigued" ratings were lower at 120 and 180 minutes.

Design: Crossover RCT, n = 64, 2023
Population: Healthy Japanese adults
Form: Palatinose (isomaltulose) drink
Dose: 10 g, single serving
Duration: One afternoon per condition; tested up to 180 minutes after the drink
Source: Reference 10 · PubMed 37633356 (opens PubMed)

Grade DPost-meal arterial stiffness after 12 weeks vs sucroseBlood vesselsImprovedRCT
n 54 · 2024

Improved After the intervention, a glucose drink raised baPWV stiffness and endothelin-1 in the sucrose group but not in the isomaltulose group.

Design: RCT, n = 54, 2024
Population: Healthy middle-aged and older adults, mean age 55
Form: Isomaltulose jelly drink
Dose: 25 g/day
Duration: 12 weeks
Source: Reference 7 · PubMed 37777673 (opens PubMed)

Grade DWeight and fat loss on an energy-reduced diet vs sucroseBody weightMixedRCT
n 50 · 2019

Mixed Weight loss was larger but not significantly different (−3.2 vs −2.1 kg, p=0.258); fat mass fell significantly only within the isomaltulose group, and energy intake fell more.

Design: RCT, n = 50, 2019
Population: Overweight or obese adults on an energy-reduced diet
Form: Isomaltulose (Palatinose)
Dose: 40 g/day in place of sucrose
Duration: 12 weeks
Source: Reference 4 · PubMed 31590285 (opens PubMed)

Grade DSoccer-specific performance vs maltodextrinTeam sportNo effectCrossover RCT
n 22 · 2017

No effect Blood glucose stayed higher late in exercise than with maltodextrin, but sprint, jump and skill performance did not differ from either carbohydrate or placebo.

Design: Crossover RCT, n = 22, 2017
Population: University soccer players
Form: 8% isomaltulose sports drink
Dose: About 20 g/hour during warm-up and half-time
Duration: 120-minute exercise protocol
Source: Reference 6 · PubMed 28929343 (opens PubMed)

Grade DFat oxidation and running time to exhaustion vs glucose or maltodextrinEnduranceNo effectCrossover RCT
n 21 · 2021

No effect Pre-exercise glucose, insulin and GIP were lower and glucose swings smaller, but fat and carbohydrate oxidation, time to exhaustion and gut discomfort did not differ.

Design: Crossover RCT, n = 21, 2021
Population: Male recreational endurance runners
Form: Isomaltulose drink
Dose: 50 g before exercise
Duration: Single session per condition
Source: Reference 5 · PubMed 34001166 (opens PubMed)

Grade DFluid retention after a drink vs sucrose or waterHydrationHydration index 1.53 vs 1.20Crossover RCT
n 13 · 2022

Improved Less urine over 3 hours than with sucrose or water; the beverage hydration index (relative to water) was 1.53 vs 1.20 for sucrose. Blood glucose rose later than with sucrose.

Design: Crossover RCT, n = 13, 2022
Population: Healthy young adults (7 women)
Form: 6.5% isomaltulose carbohydrate drink with low electrolyte content
Dose: 1 L of a 6.5% solution, drunk within 15 minutes
Duration: 3 hours after drinking
Source: Reference 12 · PubMed 35247444 (opens PubMed)

No effectHbA1c after replacing sucrose for 12 weeks (type 2 diabetes)Blood sugarNo effectRCT
n 101 · 2012

No effect HbA1c did not differ from the sucrose group (7.24% vs 7.39%); triglycerides were significantly lower with isomaltulose.

Design: RCT, n = 101, 2012
Population: Adults with type 2 diabetes eating their habitual diet
Form: Isomaltulose in sweet foods and drinks
Dose: 50 g/day in place of sucrose
Duration: 12 weeks
Source: Reference 3 · PubMed 22492584 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

Acute effect, no long-term HbA1c change

Meta-analyses show a lower glucose peak after single drinks, but the 12-week, 101-person diabetes trial found no HbA1c difference.^1,2,3

Steadier glucose did not mean faster running

In runners, isomaltulose smoothed glucose swings yet time to exhaustion and fat burning matched glucose and maltodextrin.⁵

Maker-funded studies are common

The soccer trial was funded by the ingredient maker, the weight-loss trial was co-authored by its staff, and one meta-analysis author declared a company link.^4,6,2

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from a single 10 g drink in an attention study, through 25 g/day for 12 weeks and 40–50 g/day in place of sucrose for 4–12 weeks, to single 50 g drinks before exercise, about 20 g/hour during soccer-specific exercise and 1 L of a 6.5% drink (about 65 g) in a hydration test.^{10,7,4,3,8,5,6,12}

When trials measured an effect

3 outcomes

How long trials ran before effects were measured
Outcome	Measured at	Basis
Smaller blood-sugar rise than sucrose	30–60 minutes after a single drink	Pooled 2-hour test-drink trials: glucose lower at 30 minutes in one meta-analysis and at 60 minutes in another^1,2
Faster reaction times than after glucose	60–180 minutes after a 10 g drink	One maker-linked crossover trial in 64 adults¹⁰
Better fluid retention than sucrose	Over the 3 hours after a 1 L drink	One crossover trial in 13 adults¹²

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Isomaltulose and your picks, and between your picks.

Add a supplement or medicine

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Isomaltulose.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Who should be careful

4 groups

People limiting sugar: Isomaltulose is a sucrose isomer that is almost fully absorbed, so it counts as sugar and calories like table sugar.^8,7
People with diabetes: Swapping it for sucrose for 12 weeks did not improve HbA1c, so it is not a substitute for diabetes care.³
People who must avoid fructose: It is made of glucose and fructose, like sucrose, so the same restrictions apply.^7,8
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: No reliable human data: no trials in pregnant or breastfeeding women were found, and LactMed has no isomaltulose entry. It is sold as a sucrose replacement, and EFSA judged an isomaltulose syrup as safe as sucrose for the general population. In rats, diets of up to 10% isomaltulose throughout pregnancy caused no harm to mothers or fetuses (animal data).^9,13

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

2 checks

Label dose vs studied dose

Daily-use trials used 25–50 g/day in place of sucrose; sports studies used 50 g before exercise or about 20 g/hour during it.^7,3,5,6

"Low glycemic" is not "sugar-free"

Isomaltulose lowers the glucose peak but is still digested and absorbed almost completely in the small intestine.^8,1

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, isomaltulose (palatinose) included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

7 answers

Does isomaltulose raise blood sugar less than sugar?

Yes, after a single drink: pooled trials show a lower glucose peak than sucrose, with a longer, flatter curve and less insulin.^1,2

Is isomaltulose good for diabetes?

In 101 adults with type 2 diabetes, replacing 50 g/day of sucrose for 12 weeks did not change HbA1c, though triglycerides were lower.³

Does isomaltulose improve endurance?

Not in the trials cited here: it kept blood glucose steadier, but running time to exhaustion and soccer performance did not improve compared with other carbohydrates.^5,6

Does isomaltulose cause stomach upset or diarrhea?

Not in the studies cited here: about 94–96% is absorbed in the small intestine, so little reaches the colon; 50 g/day for 4 weeks was well tolerated, and gut discomfort during running did not differ from glucose or maltodextrin.^8,5

Is isomaltulose safe?

EFSA judged an isomaltulose syrup to be as safe as sucrose, 50 g/day for 4 weeks was well tolerated, and daily-use trials of 25–50 g/day ran for up to 12 weeks. It is still a sugar, with the same glucose and fructose as sucrose.^9,8,3,7

Does isomaltulose interact with medicines?

No interactions are documented: LactMed and LiverTox have no isomaltulose entries, and the EFSA opinion and trials cited here report none. It supplies glucose and fructose like sucrose, so it counts as carbohydrate for anyone managing blood sugar with medicines.^8,9

How many calories does isomaltulose have?

It is absorbed almost completely in the small intestine (about 94–96%), so it provides energy much like sucrose.⁸

Sources

13 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

13 sources

1Effect of Isomaltulose on Glycemic and Insulinemic Responses: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Meta-analysis Adv Nutr, 2022 · PMID 35595510
2Impact of Isomaltulose on Glycemic Response in Diabetic and Healthy Populations: A Meta-Analysis.Meta-analysis Nutrients, 2025 · PMID 40507211
3Metabolic effects of replacing sucrose by isomaltulose in subjects with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind trial.RCT Diabetes Care, 2012 · PMID 22492584
4Changes in Weight and Substrate Oxidation in Overweight Adults Following Isomaltulose Intake During a 12-Week Weight Loss Intervention: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial.RCT Nutrients, 2019 · PMID 31590285
5Metabolic, hormonal and performance effects of isomaltulose ingestion before prolonged aerobic exercise: a double-blind, randomised, cross-over trial.Crossover RCT J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2021 · PMID 34001166
6A comparison of isomaltulose versus maltodextrin ingestion during soccer-specific exercise.Crossover RCT Eur J Appl Physiol, 2017 · PMID 28929343
7Habitual isomaltulose intake reduces arterial stiffness associated with postprandial hyperglycemia in middle-aged and elderly people: a randomized controlled trial.RCT Heart Vessels, 2024 · PMID 37777673
8Novel findings on the metabolic effects of the low glycaemic carbohydrate isomaltulose (Palatinose).PK study Br J Nutr, 2010 · PMID 20211041
9Safety of isomaltulose syrup (dried) as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.Guideline EFSA J, 2024 · PMID 38260771
10The effects of palatinose on attention and cerebral blood flow in healthy adults: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study.Crossover RCT Brain Res, 2023 · PMID 37633356
11The effect of postprandial glycaemia on cognitive function: a randomised crossover trial.Crossover RCT Br J Nutr, 2020 · PMID 32046793
12Comparison of hydration efficacy of carbohydrate-electrolytes beverages consisting of isomaltulose and sucrose in healthy young adults: A randomized crossover trial.Crossover RCT Physiol Behav, 2022 · PMID 35247444
13Embryotoxicity/teratogenicity study with isomaltulose (Palatinose) in rats.Animal study Food Chem Toxicol, 1997 · PMID 9207892

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

3 entries

Dated changes to this page
Date	Change	Who and why
Oct 21, 2026evidence, studied doses, who should avoid, time to effect, FAQ, questions, related	Added evidence rows for attention and memory (a 2023 maker-linked 10 g trial with faster reaction times vs glucose; a 2020 independent trial with no memory difference vs sucrose; both grade D) and hydration (a 2022 crossover trial, hydration index 1.53 vs 1.20 for sucrose; grade D), widened studied doses to 10–65 g, and added a pregnancy and breastfeeding note (no human data; LactMed has no entry; EFSA safety opinion; a rat teratology study). Added time-to-effect rows, page questions and goal-hub links; replaced the FAQ item that repeated an auto-derived question with stomach-tolerance and medicine-interaction questions. PubMed search for 2023–2026 meta-analyses and RCTs found nothing newer for blood sugar than the 2025 meta-analysis already cited. Interactions checked in LiverTox, LactMed, NCCIH, MedlinePlus and the EFSA opinion: none documented, so the list stays empty. Not added: single-session trials in golf, type 1 diabetes exercise, metabolic syndrome gut hormones and glycerol hyperhydration (small, mechanistic or blend drinks).	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md
Oct 17, 2026all	First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title, journal and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for each cited row.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page
Oct 17, 2026all	Adversarial review pass: every number in each evidence row's result, dose, duration, n and population fields was machine-checked against its PubMed abstract, and figures not in an abstract were confirmed in the PMC full text (noted per row). Unverified study-country, funding and mechanism wording was removed or sourced, rows whose sample size could not be confirmed were dropped, and retraction, erratum and expression-of-concern flags were checked on every PMID (two errata, noted on their rows; no retractions). Page set indexable.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: review

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