What Is Allulose?

Allulose is a monosaccharide, or simple sugar, that is often referred to as a “rare sugar” because it is naturally found in small quantities in a variety of foods (e.g., figs, raisins, wheat, maple syrup, and molasses). Allulose can also be manufactured from corn or sugar beets and used in packaged foods, such as syrups, cereals, snack bars, ice cream, candy, sodas and baked goods, to help reduce added sugar and calories. 

Although allulose is classified as a simple sugar based on its chemical structure, the body processes it differently than traditional sugar, or sucrose. Compared to sugar – which provides 4 calories per gram – allulose contributes only 0.4 calories per gram because it is absorbed early in the digestive tract and is not fully metabolized by the body.    

Yes, allulose is safe. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised no questions or objections to several Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notifications filed to use allulose in food products. GRAS is a regulatory designation used by FDA for substances whose safety under their intended conditions of use is supported by publicly available scientific evidence and generally recognized by qualified experts.  As part of these GRAS notifications, allulose can be used within specific food categories and certain usage limits. Allulose is also approved for use in Singapore, China, the Philippines, and several Latin America countries, including Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico.  

Allulose is a relatively “new” food ingredient, entering the mainstream market around 2012. In regions where allulose has not yet been authorized for use, like Canada, the EU, and the UK, it is classified as a “Novel Food” because it lacks a long history of consumption. As a result, it must undergo a formal safety assessment and regulatory review before it can be authorized for use. Its current lack of authorization in these areas does not, by itself, indicate that allulose has been determined to be unsafe. 

Allulose is rapidly absorbed in the small intestine and is largely excreted unchanged in the urine within about 24 hours. The remaining allulose leaves the body after passing through the large intestine within about 48 hours. Because a majority of allulose is absorbed early in the digestive tract, it is not metabolized by the body in the same way traditional sugar is and does not increase blood glucose or insulin levels.  

Allulose has little to no effect on blood glucose or insulin levels when consumed on its own.  Human clinical studies have shown either no change, or a decrease in blood glucose concentrations with its use. Additionally, allulose has also been shown to help reduce the rise in blood sugar after consuming other carbohydrates. For example, when allulose was consumed with sucrose or maltodextrin, the resulting increase in blood glucose was lower than when these carbohydrates were consumed on their own. 

Yes, because allulose has little to no effect on blood glucose or insulin levels, it can be used as an alternative to sugar by those who have diabetes. A systematic review of six human clinical studies in people with type 2 diabetes found that consuming allulose resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose levels after eating, as well as the time above a normal glucose range. There was also a non-significant decrease in insulin levels, further supporting its role as an ingredient that can be used to help with glycemic control in people with diabetes.  

Allulose – when consumed in high amounts at one time – may cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. In a human clinical study of healthy adults, participants were given an increasing amount of allulose while monitoring gastrointestinal side effects (i.e., gas, bloating, diarrhea and abdominal cramping). Based on the experiment, the researchers suggested a maximum single dose of 0.4 grams per kilogram body weight and maximum total daily intake of 0.9 grams per kilogram body weight for allulose to avoid any negative gastrointestinal symptoms. As a reference, a typical cereal that uses allulose could contain 5-10 grams of allulose per serving. The average adult would need to eat about 3 servings of this cereal at one sitting, or 6 servings in a day, to potentially experience any negative gastrointestinal effects.   

To date, there are no long-term studies on the health effects of allulose. The current body of evidence includes short-term studies in humans and animals that indicate allulose has the potential over time to assist with blood glucose and insulin control in both healthy people and those with type 2 diabetes. In addition, allulose does not promote tooth decay and has been shown to reduce the formation of bacteria in the mouth compared to traditional sugar. Longer-term research should evaluate the potential impact of allulose on the digestive system over time, given some observed intolerances at high levels of consumption. 

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has raised concerns on the regulatory approval process in the United States, the use of allulose given its potential negative gastrointestinal effects, and the lack of evidence on the use of allulose in children.  

In 1997, the US FDA initiated the self-GRAS process that allowed companies to independently determine if their food ingredient was GRAS, without submission to the FDA. While several food ingredients have used this pathway, there are currently 11 GRAS notifications published on the US FDA’s GRAS Database for allulose. While it’s possible that some food manufacturers are continuing to use allulose within the context of a self-GRAS determination, the US FDA issued a proposed rule in 2026 that would eliminate the self-GRAS affirmation pathway if it is adopted as proposed. 

CSPI cites a 2024 report by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) agency that highlights the gastrointestinal tolerance of 0.4 gram per kilogram of bodyweight in a single serving or 0.9 gram per kilogram of bodyweight per day observed in clinical research. The report also discusses the challenges that some consumers may face in determining how much allulose a product contains. Although allulose appears in the ingredient list on packages, the amount per serving is not specifically listed on the Nutrition Facts panel. In the United States, the amount of allulose used in foods is limited to the food categories and use levels specified in the applicable GRAS notification for each supplier. These limits are determined to ensure that intake of allulose from different categories of food is at a tolerable level for individuals across the day. 

The research on the gastrointestinal tolerance of allulose in children is limited. In one short-term clinical trial, 30 children, ages 6-8 consumed two different doses of allulose in a beverage over a seven-day period. The researchers used a cross-over study design, meaning all children consumed both doses for seven days. The results of the study showed that allulose, at doses of 2.5 g and 4.2 g, was tolerated well by healthy 6- to 8-year-old children. The doses were determined by applying adult body weight-based tolerance levels to the average weight of a child. While this study is promising, more research is needed to better understand any potential longer-term health impacts of allulose in children, or any adverse impacts in children who have overweight or obesity, and those that have elevated fasting blood sugar.   

Allulose, like all other food ingredients, is regulated differently around the world. In the United States, allulose is regulated through the GRAS notification process. As part of this process, several no objection letters have been issued by the US FDA for the use of allulose in specific categories of food products within certain usage levels.¹  

Allulose is approved for use in Singapore, China, the Philippines, and several Latin America countries, including Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico. Canada, the EU, and the UK, are still performing formal safety and regulatory reviews of allulose due to its relatively recent use. As a frame of reference, in the European Union (EU), any food ingredient that was not widely consumed within the EU before May 15, 1997, is legally classified as a “Novel Food” and must go through a Novel Food application process that is reviewed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). 

Allulose is also called D-Psicose and was originally called pseudo-fructose (or psi-fructose) by German chemists in 1915. Its name was shortened to psicose in 1935. The food industry and modern labeling usage has led the transition to the wider use of its modern name, allulose.  

Allulose is often referred to as a “rare sugar” because it is naturally found in small quantities in a variety of foods (e.g., figs, raisins, wheat, maple syrup, and molasses). Allulose can also be manufactured from corn or sugar beets and used in packaged foods, such as syrups, cereals, snack bars, ice cream, candy, sodas, and baked goods, to help reduce added sugar and calories. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised no questions or objections to several Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notifications filed to use allulose in food products. Because allulose is a relatively new food ingredient, there are no long-term studies on the health effects of allulose. The current body of evidence includes short-term studies in humans and animals that indicate allulose has the potential to assist with blood glucose and insulin control in both healthy people and those with type 2 diabetes. 

1. US Food and Drug Administration. GRAS Notices – Allulose. September 15, 2026. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=GRASNotices&sort=GRN_No&order=DESC&startrow=1&type=basic&search=psicose 

2. Iida T, Hayashi N, Yamada T, et al. Failure of d-psicose absorbed in the small intestine to metabolize into energy and its low large intestinal fermentability in humans. Metabolism. 2010;59(2):206-214. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2009.07.018 

3. Hayashi N, Iida T, Yamada T, et al. Study on the Postprandial Blood Glucose Suppression Effect of D -Psicose in Borderline Diabetes and the Safety of Long-Term Ingestion by Normal Human Subjects. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 2010;74(3):510-519. doi:10.1271/bbb.90707 

4. Braunstein CR, Noronha JC, Glenn AJ, et al. A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled, Acute Feeding Equivalence Trial of Small, Catalytic Doses of Fructose and Allulose on Postprandial Blood Glucose Metabolism in Healthy Participants: The Fructose and Allulose Catalytic Effects (FACE) Trial. Nutrients. 2018;10(6):750. doi:10.3390/nu10060750 

5. Iida T, Kishimoto Y, Yoshikawa Y, et al. Acute D-Psicose Administration Decreases the Glycemic Responses to an Oral Maltodextrin Tolerance Test in Normal Adults. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol. 2008;54(6):511-514. doi:10.3177/jnsv.54.511 

7. Kimura T, Kanasaki A, Hayashi N, et al. d-Allulose enhances postprandial fat oxidation in healthy humans. Nutrition. 2017;43-44:16-20. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2017.06.007 

8. Franchi F, Yaranov DM, Rollini F, et al. Effects of D-allulose on glucose tolerance and insulin response to a standard oral sucrose load: results of a prospective, randomized, crossover study. BMJ Open Diab Res Care. 2021;9(1):e001939. doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001939 

9. Ayesh H, Suhail S, Ayesh S. Impact of allulose on blood glucose in type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis of clinical trials. Metabolism Open. 2024;24:100329. doi:10.1016/j.metop.2024.100329 

10. Han Y, Choi BR, Kim SY, et al. Gastrointestinal Tolerance of D-Allulose in Healthy and Young Adults. A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2018;10(12):2010. doi:10.3390/nu10122010 

11. Han S, Rajitha K, Park S, et al. Unveiling the impact of allulose on oral microbiota and biofilm formation via a cariogenic potential assessment platform. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025;15:1670139. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2025.1670139 

12. Substances Generally Recognized as Safe. Vol 91. 2026:5183451881. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-11/pdf/2026-16296.pdf 

13. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Approval Report: Application A1247: D-Allulose as a Novel Food. 2024. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-08/A1247%20Approval%20Report.pdf 

14. Risso D, DunnGalvin G, Saxena S, Doolan A, Spence L, Karnik K. Gastrointestinal tolerance of d -allulose in children: an acute, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Food Funct. 2024;15(1):411-418. doi:10.1039/D3FO04210C 

15. EFSA (European Food Safety Authority). Novel food. December 17, 2025. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/novel-food 

16. EFSA (European Food Safety Authority). Novel food application procedure. May 6, 2026. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/applications/novel-food