What is inulin?

Inulin is a type of dietary fibre that passes through the entire upper gastrointestinal tract without being digested. Inulin is only broken down when it reaches the large intestine with the help of enzymes that the good gut bacteria produce. In the intestine, inulin stimulates the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria, for example, the strains Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei are particularly fond of inulin. These types of fibre, which are burned as fuel for the good bacteria in the large intestine, are also called prebiotics.

Inulin as a dietary supplement

Inulin is a popular fibre supplement and is used in lots of different packaged food products. Since inulin is what is known as a prebiotic ,it can also be combined with probiotics (a supplement containing good bacteria). Supplements that combine prebiotic fibre with probiotics are also called synbiotics.

Fibre-rich foods

Many of us today get too little fibre in our diets. According to the Swedish National Food Administration, adults need to get 25-35 grams of fibre per day, but the average Swedes gets only about 20 grams of fibre per day.

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in almost every type of plant food. Therefore, eating a high-fibre diet means that we need to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts/seeds. We can also supplement our diets with prebiotics or synbiotics to get more fibre.

Dietary fibre

Dietary fibre, such as inulin, is found naturally in different types of foods and is extracted from these to be used in dietary supplements. Inulin is usually extracted from chicory root but is also found in Jerusalem artichoke and in different varieties of onions. Other types of fibre that are commonly used as dietary supplements and as additives in different foods are, for example, beta-glucan from oats, pectin from citrus fruits and resistant starch from corn.