What is dextrose and is it bad for you?

Dextrose is a common ingredient in processed foods, but you might not know exactly what it is – or that it’s been around for well over a hundred years.^1,2 If you’ve spotted it on an ingredient list, you might be wondering whether dextrose is simply another name for sugar or whether it’s something you need to avoid. We talked to Karine Patel registered dietitian and founder of Dietitian Fit, to find out.

Dextrose is a simple sugar (officially called a monosaccharide) that’s usually derived from plant starches such as corn, wheat or rice. Chemically, it’s identical to the glucose found in your bloodstream.³ As a simple sugar, dextrose is quickly absorbed, causing blood glucose levels to rise rapidly. That makes it a readily available source of energy – something that can be useful in certain situations, as we’ll see.⁴

“Dextrose is something of a multitasker,” explains Karine. “It’s commonly used in food to add sweetness, help preserve food and improve texture, and can be found in a range of processed foods and drinks.”⁵ Let’s take a closer look.

You may also spot dextrose in sports drinks, energy gels and protein powders, sometimes listed as dextrose monohydrate or glucose. During prolonged or intense exercise, carbohydrates are an important source of energy for your working muscles. Having them during exercise can help keep you fuelled, while getting enough afterwards helps replenish glycogen – the carbohydrate your body stores for energy.² As dextrose is a form of glucose, it provides a readily available source of carbohydrate that can be used for energy during exercise.¹¹

Dextrose isn’t just used in food and sports nutrition. As it’s the same form of glucose that circulates in our blood, it also has several medical uses.³ Healthcare professionals may use dextrose:^12-15

“For shorter workouts or a casual walk, dextrose is not required,” explains Karine. “But it can be useful for prolonged endurance exercise that's over 60 minutes, or immediately after intense exercise to help refuel muscle glycogen levels. As dextrose is quickly absorbed, it can reduce fatigue too.”^4,16 So, where might it fit into your workout?

During prolonged or high-intensity exercise, carbohydrate can provide an important source of fuel.¹⁷

Dextrose occurs naturally as glucose in foods including fruit and honey. However, the dextrose you see on an ingredient list is usually a refined sugar produced from plant starch. So, while it comes from a natural source, it’s still a refined ingredient. This is different from the sugars naturally found in whole fruit, which come packaged with other nutrients, including fibre. When dextrose is added to foods, it’s considered an added or free sugar.

Not necessarily. When it comes to sugar, context matters. Glucose is an important source of energy for the body, and your body can get the glucose it needs from carbohydrate-containing foods, so you don’t need to seek out dextrose specifically.¹⁷

The short answer? It can be both. During prolonged or intense exercise, rapidly absorbed carbohydrates such as dextrose can be useful because they provide a readily available source of energy.¹¹ But if dextrose has simply been added to an everyday food or drink, it’s an added sugar – and probably not something you need to seek out.²⁰ "It’s all about context," says Karine. "For most of us, most of the time, a balanced diet containing carbohydrate-rich whole foods will give us the energy we need.”

When it comes to dextrose, it’s less about whether it’s ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and more about when – and why – you’re having it. It can provide a quick source of carbohydrates during prolonged or intense exercise and has important medical uses.^14,11-14 But for everyday energy, most of us don’t need to seek it out. If you spot dextrose on an ingredient list, there’s no need to panic. Instead, look at the bigger picture: how much added sugar the food contains, how often you eat it and how it fits into your overall diet.