How Inulin Makes Food Better
Inulin is a soluble fiber found in thousands of plants. Its main source is the chicory plant, where the large, carrot-like taproot stores inulin at a whopping 48% of its volume. This accounts for its marketing as “chicory root fiber” or “chicory root extract.” This important additive is more than a New Orleans staple. Bell Chem, your food ingredient supplier, inventories dried inulin for its customers to add to foods and beverages due to its glowing benefits.
Inulin is available in two forms: long chain and short chain. The addition of long-chain inulin in products increases viscosity to low-fat or zero fat foods, such as yogurt or sauces. Short-chain inulin, on the other hand, is simply the longer chain carbohydrate broken into a simple sugar. Therefore, short-chain inulin adds a sweet flavor to foods and beverages without adding excess sugar.
As we age, it becomes more and more important to be aware of our diets. Healthy eating includes fiber, but not all fibers are created equal. Inulin’s natural solubility aids the digestive system due to its reaction with digestive juices. As it is broken down, inulin becomes a feedstock (a prebiotic) for Bifidobacterium, a helpful probiotic bacteria, which aids in overall digestion.
Inulin’s remarkable benefits also include the following:
Slowing digestion: Through several research studies, it has been proven that inulin slows digestion. In today’s modern world where food is almost always within arm’s reach, the tendency to overeat predominates. Slower digestion helps people feel fuller longer, and that leads to weight loss.
Glucose regulation for diabetics: Diabetics find high-performance (HP) inulin stabilizes carbohydrate digestion to regulate the release of sugar into the bloodstream, decreases fat in the liver for individuals diagnosed with prediabetes, reduces fasting blood sugar by an average of 8.5%, and decreases hemoglobin A1c an average of 10.4%. These statistics have led many physicians to believe inulin can help prevent or possibly reverse type II diabetes in some patients.
Removal of bile acids: Any foods with excess soluble fiber – including inulin – remove cholesterol-containing bile acids from the digestive system.
Sugar replacement: With its slightly sweet flavor, inulin adds a touch of sweetness without unwanted calories and carbohydrates. Inulin is often added to cereals and cereal bars to fortify them with fiber while lowering sugar and fat content.
Pharmaceutical aid: Pharmaceutical products with metallic aftertastes often add inulin to mask that offensive flavor.
Fat replacement: Our bodies are predisposed to craving fat. Thousands of years ago, fat was the ultimate form of energy storage. Today, the overabundance of food leads to obesity. Inulin replaces fat in many foods, fooling our brains into believing we have digested fat when it was instead a flavorful fiber.
Bone remineralization: One of the body’s major losses with age is bone strength. Studies suggest that inulin stimulates remineralization through calcium absorption in the bones.
Stabilizer/bulk additive: Inulin is fiber. Adding inulin to any bakery or dairy product, cosmetic, or beverage will increase bulk and add body.
Baby formula supplement: The World Health Organization claims a mother’s milk is ideally suited for her child’s growing body, with her antibodies and prebiotics keeping her baby healthy. Inulin added to formula simulates a mother’s milk by enhancing prebiotics in the baby’s digestive system.
Animal feed additive: Humans are not the only animals benefiting from inulin. Added to animal feed and pet food, inulin increases the amount of good bacteria in your pet’s digestive system and those of farm animals.
Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including inulin. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.