Why is inulin such a trouble-maker for digestion?

Unlike other FODMAPs, inulin is a soluble fiber that ferments slowly in the large intestine. This delayed fermentation means that symptoms such as bloating, gas, or discomfort, may not appear until many hours later, or even the next day. As a result, it’s easy to mistake the real cause of your symptoms.

A common scenario? People blame wheat or gluten-containing foods (like bread or pasta), when it’s actually the inulin content in those foods that’s triggering the problem.

What if I completely eliminate a food that does not cause digestive issues?

In order to promote a healthy gut, the complete elimination of foods is not recommended. For instance, inulin supports digestion by promoting the growth of good bacteria in the gut, especially Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. Therefore, it is clear that a thoughtful approach must be taken when managing and tracking how much of it you include in your diet.

How can I determine if inulin is causing me digestive issues?

The good news? You don’t need to guess. With FoodMarble AIRE 2, the FoodMarble app, and the Food Intolerance Kit, you can track your breath hydrogen and methane levels and correlate them with digestive symptoms. This helps you pinpoint whether inulin intake is the culprit.

Inulin Challenge Results

We have carefully selected two user results from the Inulin Challenge (part of the Food Intolerance Kit), where each participant consumed 10g of inulin. Let’s dive into the findings:

User 1
Inulin Challenge Result: Low Fermentation Score

The final result for this user was 1.9/10. They didn’t experience any uncomfortable symptoms during the challenge. However, they did notice that the level of hydrogen on their breath had started to increase towards the end of the three hours and they began to feel bloated. It is likely that the culprit was a meal eaten after the test that contained more fructans and some lactose.

So, I should avoid combining high inulin foods with other high-FODMAP foods?

That’s correct! In order to mitigate rapid build-up of gas and uncomfortable digestive symptoms, our recommendation is to carefully plan meals to limit the combination of different high-FODMAP foods. This means that when eating foods with high inulin levels, you will need to be vigilant about the FODMAP levels prevalent in the other foods in the meal so you avoid digestive discomfort.

Our food database on the FoodMarble app is a great resource to help ensure that your meals do not contain too many high-FODMAP foods. Let’s keep the FODMAPs where they belong – in the database, not in your gut!

User 2
Inulin Challenge Result: High Fermentation Score

The final result for this challenge was 9.7/10. This user initially felt quite bloated with some minor flatulence, which was closely followed by abdominal pain. They felt an urge to pass gas but were unable, suggesting a build-up of gases. Based on the breath test results and the symptoms that occurred, it is clear that this user has a low tolerance to 10g of inulin.

If I have a high fermentation score for inulin I can’t eat any foods with high inulin levels?

Well, not exactly. Inulin does provide benefits to your gut microbes, like enhancing the diversity of the gut microbiota. For this reason, our recommendation would be to keep the level of inulin in your daily diet to a minimal level that is tolerable. You can do this by limiting the portion size of high inulin foods.

Track and Monitor Your Gut Health with FoodMarble

By avoiding unnecessary restrictions and including a variety of foods to nourish your gut, you can support the maintenance of your overall gut health.

Let FoodMarble be your trusted guide as you embark on a path of self-discovery, measuring your body’s unique response to different foods and providing valuable insights to help you make informed decisions about your gut health!

Say goodbye to uncertainty and embrace the transformative power of FoodMarble AIRE 2. This innovative device, coupled with the FoodMarble App and Food Intolerance Kit, takes the guesswork out of optimizing your gut health. Click here to check out our products.