The effect of resistant dextrin on sleep quality in women with type 2 diabetes Original paper

Resistant dextrin is fiber made from starch that has been processed in a way that makes it resistant to digestion, effectively making it a soluble fiber. One study on women with type 2 diabetes found that supplementation with resistant dextrin improved insulin resistance and reduced markers of inflammation.^[1] This study further explored whether resistant dextrin can improve sleep quality in this same population.

This 8-week randomized controlled trial examined the effect of resistant dextrin on sleep quality and quality of life among 76 women (mean age of 47) with type 2 diabetes and obesity. The participants were assigned to take 10 grams per day of either resistant dextrin or a placebo in the form of maltodextrin (a nonresistant starch).

The outcomes examined included sleep quality assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and quality of life assessed using Short Form 36, as well as cortisol, endotoxin, various cytokines, and the ratio of the amino acids kynurenine to tryptophan.

Compared with the placebo group, the resistant dextrin group experienced an improvement in sleep quality and quality of life. The improvements in sleep quality were associated with the extent of decreases in endotoxin, cortisol, the kynurenine to tryptophan ratio, and the inflammatory cytokine biomarkers IL-18 and IL-6.

Neither quality of life nor sleep quality were listed as outcomes in the trial preregistration, which reduces confidence in these results.

Although dietary changes were not part of the intervention, the resistant dextrin group reduced their intake of calories, carbohydrates, refined sugar, and fat compared with the placebo group. These factors could explain some or all of the differences seen in the study.