Inulin is a polymer of fructose. Remember glucose with fructose? When they combine, they make sugar. If you put many glucose molecules together, you get starch. And if you combine several tens of fructose molecules together, you get inulin. Plants store it together with starch.
Some people think that inulin is some kind of chemistry in pills. It is actually used as a dietary supplement because of its sweet taste. If you look at the labels of sweeteners, inulin is often there.
But that's not the point. The main thing is that inulin acts in the intestine as a soluble fiber and as a prebiotic. That is, it increases the volume of intestinal contents, adsorbs any filth on itself and feeds intestinal microbes.
We are constantly eating inulin with different foods. It is hidden in bananas, garlic, onions. Without any pills, you can easily eat a few grams of inulin a day.
Food manufacturers love inulin because of its sweet taste and pleasant texture. This thing lowers the freezing point of the product and creates a creamy consistency. Very suitable for ice creams, sauces, yoghurts and the like. Reminds of something fatty, but no fat. It's tempting.
But our body does not assimilate inulin. Microbes love him, but our intestines do not digest. If there is a lot of inulin and there are many microbes, then a war will start in the intestines. Gas, bloating, pain, stuff like that.
If a person with the intestines has already had problems - inflammation there or spasms, then from such a war the person can get very sick.
See what happens - inulin is good for your health. It can bloat your stomach, but it is very difficult to overeat inulin from vegetables and fruits. But food manufacturers will help you in this matter. They mix inulin into food as a food additive, because this inulin is very sweet and creamy.
This is a unique situation. Inulin can be useful as a dietary supplement and can be harmful as a dietary supplement. Remember what a food supplement is? This supplement is not for your health, but for the health of the product.
So I advise you to look around more often. Well, in the sense that looking at product labels. If you eat a lot of inulin, your stomach may hurt.
