Inulin is a soluble dietary fiber with positive effects on the gut microbiome. It is thought to help with regulating fat metabolism and blood sugar, as well as easing constipation and depression, for example. Plants naturally produce inulin and use it as an energy source, and it’s found in 36,000Trusted Source different plant species. It’s considered a prebiotic and is often added to more and more food products because of its benefits and adaptability.
Sources of inulin
Inulin can be found naturally trusted Source in foods such as: Jerusalem artichoke,chicory root Onion, garlic, barley, dahlia. With its creamy consistency, inulin can work as a fat substitute in margarine and salad dressings. It’s also used to replace some of the flour in baked goods and is often sourced from chicory root and Jerusalem artichoke in particular.
Benefits of inulin
Inulin is high in fiber and low in calories. It also has other health benefits.
- It keeps you full (of fiber) Fiber is any type of carbohydrate the body can’t digest. It moves through the intestines intact and continues into the colon to serve as food for the bacteria there. Fiber has low caloric value, but it’s essential to good health. The fiber in inulin is soluble, which means it dissolves in water. It dissolves in the stomach and then forms a gelatinous substance that: slows digestion, increases fullness, reduces cholesterol absorption as it passes through the digestive tract.
- It promotes digestive health : Your gut contains 15,000-36,000 species of bacteria. Only a small portion of the bacteria in the body has the potential to be harmful. Good bacteria provide many health benefits. Inulin stimulates some of these bacteria to grow. Inulin aids digestion by increasing the number of good bacteria in the gut, particularly Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.
- It controls blood sugar : Inulin slows digestion, including the digestion of carbohydrates. This allows sugar to be released slowly without spiking, which promotes healthy blood sugar levels.
- It could potentially lower your colon cancer risk : Research shows that consuming certain prebiotics, including inulin, has an inverse relationship with colon cancer risk. This suggests that taking inulin might help reduce your chance of developing this cancer and may even work as a preventive measure.
- May improve depression symptoms : According to 2023 research, certain probiotics – including inulin – may help reduce the severity of depression and may even help prevent it from developing.
