Diabetes-Specific Oral Nutritional Supplement with Allulose Improves Postprandial Glycemic Response in Prediabetes

A direct test in a growing patient population

Oral nutritional supplements are a hard category to reformulate. Standard products lean on fast-digesting carbohydrates for calories and mouthfeel, which is exactly what a prediabetic patient doesn't need. A new study in Nutrition Research and Practice (DOI: 10.4162/nrp.2025.19.6.904) compared a diabetes-specific oral nutritional supplement (DSNF) against a standard ONS in prediabetic adults. The result was clear: swapping in allulose and trimming available carbohydrates flattened the postprandial glucose curve.

Why postprandial glucose matters

Prediabetes is a massive and growing patient segment. These patients are told to manage their blood sugar, but when they need supplemental nutrition—after surgery, during illness, or as a meal replacement—the standard options often work against them. A diabetes-specific formula should deliver protein and calories without sending glucose through the roof.

Allulose is the ingredient that makes the difference here. The DSNF carried 3 grams of it per serving; the standard ONS carried none.

What the study did

The researchers formulated a DSNF and compared it with a standard ONS. The DSNF delivered 3 grams of allulose per 200 mL and contained lower available carbohydrate than the standard product, which had no allulose. Prediabetic participants consumed the products, and postprandial glucose was tracked over time.

This wasn't an isolated-ingredient experiment. It tested finished products. For formulators, that's the kind of data that translates directly to a product brief.

Key findings

The difference was stark. The incremental area under the glucose curve (iAUC) after the DSNF was 1,683.49 versus 4,455.92 for the standard ONS—a 62% reduction, with P < 0.0001. That's not a subtle shift. It's the difference between a glucose spike and a gentle rise.

Measure	DSNF (with allulose)	Standard ONS
Allulose per 200 mL	3 g	0 g
Available carbohydrate	Lower	Standard
Postprandial glucose iAUC	1,683.49	4,455.92

The authors attribute the effect to three allulose mechanisms: inhibition of glucose absorption in the intestine, stimulation of GLP-1 release, and promotion of hepatic glycogen storage. Together, those actions slow the entry of glucose into circulation and speed its clearance.

What this means for manufacturers

You now have a clinical anchor for allulose in a complete ONS. Three grams per serving is a workable dose. It fits a standard 200 mL beverage format and doesn't force a complete overhaul of the formula. You're replacing part of the available carbohydrate with allulose and adjusting the profile to keep calories where you want them.

For ingredient buyers, the value case is straightforward. A 62% reduction in postprandial glucose iAUC is the kind of outcome that supports a differentiated claim. It justifies a premium price point and gives sales teams a number that matters to clinicians.

Caveats apply. This was one study in prediabetic adults. Your target population, product format, and carb profile will differ. But the mechanisms at work are not population-specific, and the dose is realistic for commercial production.

FAQ

Is 3 grams of allulose per serving enough to matter? In this study, yes. The DSNF containing 3 g of allulose per 200 mL produced a significantly lower glucose response than the standard ONS with no allulose. That's a realistic dose for a beverage or liquid supplement.

Does allulose work alone or in combination? The study tested a finished product, so you can't credit allulose as the sole driver. The DSNF also had lower available carbohydrates. But the paper's discussion points to specific allulose mechanisms—GLP-1 stimulation, glucose absorption inhibition, glycogen storage—that contribute to the effect. The practical answer: allulose plus a reduced carb load is a strong combination.

Can I use this data for my own product claims? The data applies to this specific DSNF formulation. You would need your own study to support a claim on a different product. The methodology and dose give you a solid starting point for that work.

Moving forward

This paper gives formulators a ready-made template: 3 grams of allulose, lower available carbohydrates, and a clinically measurable outcome. That's the kind of evidence that moves a product from concept to market.