PrebioticsDo prebiotics lower blood sugar and cholesterol?
Updated 4 Nov 2026
Short answer
A little, mainly in people whose blood sugar is already high. A 2019 review of 33 trials with 1346 people found that inulin-type fructans lowered fasting glucose by 0.60 mmol/L and HbA1c by 0.58% in people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. The authors favored 10 g a day for 6 weeks or longer.[1] A 2024 review of adults in general found little to no effect on these two measures.[2]
For cholesterol, the 2024 review of 55 trials found LDL cholesterol lower by 0.14 mmol/L, with very low certainty, and triglycerides lower by 0.06 mmol/L, with low certainty.[2]
Sources (2)
- Inulin-type fructans supplementation improves glycemic control for the prediabetes and type 2 diabetes populations: results from a GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of 33 randomized controlled trials. Wang L, Yang H, Huang H, Zhang C, Zuo HX, Xu P, et al. J Transl Med, 2019. PMID 31805963
- The effects of inulin-type fructans on cardiovascular disease risk factors: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Talukdar JR, Cooper M, Lyutvyn L, Zeraatkar D, Ali R, Berbrier R, et al. Am J Clin Nutr, 2024. PMID 38309832
More about prebiotics
What are prebiotics?Do prebiotics change your gut bacteria?How long do prebiotics take to work?Which foods contain prebiotics?What are prebiotics used for?Is a synbiotic better than a prebiotic alone?For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.