SynthesisAdvances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)2017
A Systematic Review of the Effects of Polyols on Gastrointestinal Health and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Synthesis in Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
63 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 143 citations in OpenAlex.
- Limited support for a direct connection between prebiotics and intestinal permeability - a systematic review.Glycoconjugate journal · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of myo-inositol vs. metformin on hormonal and metabolic parameters in women with PCOS: a meta-analysis.Irish journal of medical science · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers on weight management and gut microbiota composition in individuals with overweight or obesity: the SWEET study.Nature metabolism · 2025Trial
- Metabolic plasticity of the gut microbiome in response to diets differing in glycemic load in a randomized, crossover, controlled feeding study.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2025Trial
- Gastrointestinal Tolerance and Glycemic Response of Isomaltooligosaccharides in Healthy Adults.Nutrients · 2018Trial
- Functional PET imaging of gut microbiota with [European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2026Article
- KetoFLEX 12/3 Diet and Cognitive Health: A Precision-Nutrition Perspective on Mechanisms, Emerging Evidence, and Future Directions.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Article
- Screening and dynamic change study of microbial and metabolite markers for calf diarrhea based on multi-omics and machine learning.mSystems · 2026Article
- A Clinician's Guide for Trending Cardiovascular Nutritional Controversies in 2026.JACC. Advances · 2026Review
- Quantitative Food Compounds Enable Dietary Ontology Referencing across 500 Foods and Human Plasma.Analytical chemistry · 2026Article
- The Role of FODMAPs in Sports Nutrition: A Narrative Review and Clinical Implications.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Stevia-derived sweeteners in reduced-sugar foods: formulation strategies, sensory optimization, nutritional evidence, and safety perspectives.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Feeding the estrobolome with sweet prebiotics?Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Beyond Sugar: A Holistic Review of Sweeteners and Their Role in Modern Nutrition.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the UK adult population and perceived effects of foods.European journal of nutrition · 2025Article
- Potential Effects of Low-Calorie Sweeteners on Human Health.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Lifestyle Medicine for Obesity in the Era of Highly Effective Anti-Obesity Treatment.Nutrients · 2025Review
- A Comparative Analysis of the Use of Low-Calorie and No-Calorie Sweeteners in Food Products Without and With Added Sugar on the Polish Market.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Food Hypersensitivity: Distinguishing Allergy from Intolerance, Main Characteristics, and Symptoms-A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2025Review
3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Polyols are sugar alcohols found in certain fruits, vegetables, and sugar-free sweeteners. They make up a component of the diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, which is gaining popularity in the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effects of polyols on the gastrointestinal tract in healthy men and women and in patients with IBS. Utilizing PubMed, Ovid, and Embase databases, we conducted a search on individual polyols and each of these terms: fermentation, absorption, motility, permeability, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Standard protocols for a systematic review were followed. We found a total of 1823 eligible articles, 79 of which were included in the review. Overall, available work has shown that polyol malabsorption generally occurs in a dose-dependent fashion in healthy individuals, and malabsorption increases when polyols are ingested in combination. However, studies in patients with IBS have shown conflicting results pertaining to polyol malabsorption. Polyol ingestion can lead to intestinal dysmotility in patients with IBS. Regarding the microbiome, moderate doses of polyols have been shown to shift the microbiome toward an increase in bifidobacteria in healthy individuals and may therefore be beneficial as prebiotics. However, data are limited regarding polyols and the microbiome in patients with IBS. Polyols can induce dose-dependent symptoms of flatulence, abdominal discomfort, and laxative effects when consumed by both healthy volunteers and patients with IBS. Further research is needed to better understand the effects of specific polyols on gastrointestinal function, sensation, and the microbiome in health and gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.