from Wikipedia: Inulin is indigestible by the human enzymes ptyalin and amylase, which are designed to digest starch. As a result, inulin passes through much of the digestive system intact. It is only in the colon that bacteria metabolise inulin, with the release of significant quantities of carbon dioxide and/or methane. Inulin-containing foods can be rather gassy, particularly for those unaccustomed to inulin, and these foods should be consumed in moderation at first. However, given some time, most people can adapt to consuming fairly high levels of inulin without side effects.
Inulin is not broken down into simple sugars (monosaccharides) by normal digestion, so it does not elevate blood sugar levels, hence, helping diabetics regulate blood sugar levels. Inulin is also a highly effective prebiotic, stimulating the growth of beneficial probiotic bacteria in the gut. As mentioned, inulin passes through the stomach and duodenum undigested and is highly available to the gut bacterial flora. This contrasts with proprietary probiotic formulations based on yogurt or milk in which the bacteria have to survive very challenging conditions through the gastrointestinal tract before they are able to colonize the gut. Some traditional diets contain up to 20g per day of inulin or oligofructose. Many foods naturally high in inulin or oligofructose, such as chicory, garlic, and leek, have been seen as "stimulants of good health" for centuries (Full study of PubMed 10395609). Inulin can be found in commerically available products such as Fibersure from the Makers of Metamucil. Fibersure is a fiber supplement powder that can be added to foods or beverages without changing the taste or texture. It performs well in cooking and baking applications and can be an easy way to add additional fiber to the diet through foods and drinks. Inulin is also used in medical tests to measure the total amount of extracellular volume and determine the function of the kidneys ([Reference: MedlinePlus Drug Information http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/202300.html]) Natural sources of inulin Plants that contain high concentrations of inulin include: Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Wild Yam (Dioscorea spp.) Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) Chicory (Cichorium intybus) Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus) Burdock (Arctium lappa) Onion (Allium cepa) Garlic (Allium sativum) Agave (Agave spp ____________________________________________________________________________________ Cheap talk? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates. http://voice.yahoo.com -- The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver. Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com Address Off-Topic messages to: silver-off-topic-l...@eskimo.com The Silver List and Off Topic List archives are currently down... List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>
