Prenulin® (L-Arabinose and Chromium — Pharmachem)

Evidence Level
Limited
0 Clinical Trials
3 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

Prenulin® is a glucose-support blend of L-arabinose (a plant sugar from corn cob) and chromium picolinate (Chromax). It is sold to be taken with sugary or starchy foods. Important limitation: no published study has tested Prenulin itself. The two studies cited on this page each tested one ingredient on its own, in different people, and neither tested the combination.

Studied Dose No dose of Prenulin itself has been tested in a published study. In the cited human study, L-arabinose was given at 4% of the weight of the sugar, mixed into the same drink. The cited chromium study used 600 micrograms of chromium picolinate a day for four months, which is well above a typical supplement dose. Amounts in finished products vary and may not match either.
Active Compound L-arabinose (from corn cob) plus chromium picolinate (Chromax).

Benefits

Post-meal blood sugar

This comes from the L-arabinose ingredient, not from Prenulin. In a randomised double-blind crossover study, 15 healthy men drank 75 g of sugar in 300 ml of water with different amounts of L-arabinose added. At the highest amount (4%), the blood sugar peak was about 11% lower, the insulin peak was about 33% lower and came later, and insulin over the whole test was about 23% lower. That is one small study of one ingredient using a single sugary drink, not a test of the finished product.

Sugar metabolism

L-arabinose slows the digestion of table sugar (sucrose) by partly blocking the gut enzyme that splits it, which is what the healthy-volunteer study measured. The chromium picolinate study cited here is a separate piece of research: 600 micrograms a day for four months in 71 people who already had type 2 diabetes with poor control. In that group, average HbA1c fell 1.90 points versus 1.00 in the comparison group and fasting glucose fell 31.0 versus 14.0 mg/dl. That trial was single-blind rather than double-blind, blood fat changes were not significant, and it was done in people with a diagnosed disease, so it does not describe what chromium does for a healthy person.

Carbohydrate handling (blood sugar, not weight)

Prenulin is marketed for softening the impact of sweet and starchy foods, but the cited research does not show a weight benefit. The sugar-drink study measured appetite and how much food people ate afterwards and found no significant change in either, and no significant change in blood triglycerides. Nothing cited here shows an effect on body weight.

Mechanism of action

1

Sucrase inhibition

L-arabinose inhibits the sucrase enzyme, slowing the breakdown of sucrose into absorbable sugars and blunting the post-meal glucose rise.

2

Chromium and insulin

Chromium is a mineral that is thought to help insulin work, so cells can take up glucose from the blood. This is the proposed explanation rather than something the studies cited here measured directly.

Clinical trials

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

In the 15-man L-arabinose study, gut symptoms were measured and did not increase significantly at the doses tested.
Mild gas or bloating can occur from unabsorbed sugar.
Take with sugar-containing meals to assess tolerance.

Important Drug interactions

Diabetes medication: if you take medication that lowers blood sugar, adding something else that lowers blood sugar can push it too low (hypoglycaemia). Talk to your doctor before using this.
Take with meals, not on an empty stomach.
Tell your doctor if you manage blood sugar with medication.

Frequently asked questions about Prenulin® (L-Arabinose and Chromium — Pharmachem)

What is Prenulin?

Prenulin® is a glucose-support blend of L-arabinose (a plant sugar from corn cob) and chromium picolinate (Chromax). It is sold to be taken with sugary or starchy foods. Important limitation: no published study has tested Prenulin itself.

What is Prenulin used for?

Prenulin is researched primarily for Metabolic Health. This comes from the L-arabinose ingredient, not from Prenulin. In a randomised double-blind crossover study, 15 healthy men drank 75 g of sugar in 300 ml of water with different amounts of L-arabinose added.

What is the recommended dosage of Prenulin?

The clinically studied dose is No dose of Prenulin itself has been tested in a published study. In the cited human study, L-arabinose was given at 4% of the weight of the sugar, mixed into the same drink. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Prenulin safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, Prenulin is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: In the 15-man L-arabinose study, gut symptoms were measured and did not increase significantly at the doses tested. Mild gas or bloating can occur from unabsorbed sugar. It may also interact with some medications. Prenulin is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Prenulin interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Diabetes medication: if you take medication that lowers blood sugar, adding something else that lowers blood sugar can push it too low (hypoglycaemia). Talk to your doctor before using this. Take with meals, not on an empty stomach. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Prenulin?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Prenulin as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 2 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(2 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Krog-Mikkelsen I, Hels O, Tetens I, Holst JJ, Andersen JR, Bukhave K The effects of L-arabinose on intestinal sucrase activity: dose-response studies in vitro and in humans Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94(2):472-478. doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.014225.PubMedUsed to support: Human dose-response study showing that 4% L-arabinose in sucrose beverages produces uncompetitive sucrase inhibition, reducing postprandial glucose peak by 11% and insulin AUC by 23%; this was a randomised double-blind crossover in only 15 healthy men using a single 75 g sugar drink. In the same study, triglycerides, gut symptoms, appetite and how much food people ate afterwards all showed no significant change. This is evidence for the L-arabinose ingredient, not for Prenulin, and it does not support a weight-management claim.
  2. Paiva AN, Lima JG, Medeiros AC, Figueiredo HA, Andrade RL, Ururahy MA, Rezende AA, Brandão-Neto J, Almeida MG Beneficial effects of oral chromium picolinate supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized clinical study J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2015;32:66-72. doi:10.1016/j.jtemb.2015.05.006.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized clinical study (n=71) demonstrating that chromium picolinate (600 µg/day, 4 months) lowered HbA1c (a fall of 1.90 points versus 1.00 in the comparison group) and fasting glucose (a fall of 31.0 versus 14.0 mg/dl) in people who already had type 2 diabetes with poor control. The study was single-blind, not double-blind, and changes in blood fats were not significant. It tested chromium picolinate on its own, at a high dose, in people with a diagnosed disease. It is not evidence for Prenulin and it does not show what chromium does for a healthy person's blood sugar.