What is agave inulin

It may improve digestive health, relieve constipation , promote weight loss and help control diabetes. Inulin can help promote this balance. In fact, studies have shown that inulin can help stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria. Increasing the amounts of these bacteria can help improve digestion, immunity and overall health. On average, the people taking inulin lost over 2 lbs 0.

In another weight loss study, people with prediabetes took inulin or another fiber called cellulose for 18 weeks. Those taking inulin lost 7. However, this may depend on the type of inulin, and the high-performance HP type may be especially beneficial. For example, one study found that HP inulin decreased fat in the livers of people with prediabetes These shifts were countered with nonsignificant reductions in Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Two species, B. Predominant fecal bacterial phyla and genera present in healthy human participants who consume 0, 5.

Although dietary supplementation of agave inulin resulted in a significant increase in fecal Bifidobacterium in the treatment groups, individual responses to the treatments were varied Figure 1. In general, female participants were more responsive to supplementation, demonstrating larger shifts in the abundance of fecal Bifidobacterium than for male participants.

The size of the bubbles is representative of the percentage differences. Black bubbles depict increased proportions, and white bubbles depict decreased proportions of fecal Bifidobacterium after agave inulin supplementation. Total dietary fiber intake total dietary fiber plus 0, 5. No other significant correlations were found between fecal fermentation end products and Bifidobacterium.

Scatterplots depict relations between A fecal Bifidobacterium and grams of agave inulin consumed per kilocalorie, B fecal Bifidobacterium and total fiber intake total dietary fiber plus 0, 5. DM, dry matter. However, to date, the impact of prebiotics on the microbiota has relied heavily on molecular methods that investigate targeted taxa instead of characterizing the entire community structure. The present study used high-throughput sequencing to characterize the community composition of the fecal microbiota.

In addition, we measured fecal fermentation end products, thereby providing both compositional and functional outcomes related to agave inulin fermentation by the GI microbiota. Our data revealed that agave inulin supplementation enriched fecal Bifidobacterium. In addition, we found a negative correlation between Bifidobacterium and fecal ammonia concentrations. The reduction in fecal pH and phenolic compounds suggests increased saccharolytic fermentation and reduced proteolytic fermentation.

Because phenols and ammonia are considered toxic to intestinal epithelial cells, our results indicate a prebiotic effect of agave inulin supplementation. Because Bifidobacterium are not the only bacteria able to use inulin-type fibers and bacterial crossfeeding is particularly important in the complex milieu of the GI tract, an ecologic characterization of the microbiota was necessary. Although Lactobacillus, Bacteroides , Roseburia , and Faecalibacterium have all demonstrated the potential to degrade oligofructose in vitro 57 , 58 , we found that only Bifidobacterium species were selectively enriched in healthy adults who consumed agave inulin.

Four species of Bifidobacterium were enriched with agave inulin supplementation, B. In vitro experiments have indicated that B. In addition, in vitro studies demonstrate that B. The selective growth inhibition by B. The linear relation between agave inulin per kilocalorie and Bifidobacterium provides a plausible explanation for the more pronounced effect observed in female as opposed to male participants because agave inulin represented a higher proportion of the dietary intake of women.

Dose responses were demonstrated with short-chain FOSs, whereby 2. Similarly, galactooligosaccharide GOS supplementation followed a dose response curve for enriching bifidobacteria abundance.

In that case, supplementation of 2. Host genetics may also contribute to these differential responses Previously, we reported the breath hydrogen profiles of these same participants after a bolus of 0, 5, or 7. The results revealed an early peak 4—6 h after agave inulin consumption, suggesting fermentation begins more proximally in the GI tract. As such, fecal SCFAs represent residual fermentation end products, thereby providing a potential explanation for the numeric increase in fecal SCFAs with agave inulin supplementation.

Because we previously observed a clear distinction between agave inulin and controls during the 8-h breath hydrogen testing, but only a numeric increase in fecal SCFAs, this suggests that the SCFA measurements were either not sensitive enough to detect the changes in fermentation profiles among treatments or that there was inadequate power.

The fermentation profile in concert with the enrichment of fecal Bifidobacterium and depletion of fecal Desulfovibrio after agave inulin supplementation is particularly interesting. Proteobacteria, including Desulfovibrio , colonize the proximal intestine utilizing mono- and di-saccharides and amino acids as primary energy sources Because saccharolytic fermentation of agave inulin begins 4 h after consumption, this suggests that the impact of supplementation may begin more proximally in the GI tract.

Early fermentation could be affecting Desulfovibrio by spreading saccharolytic fermentation throughout the GI tract, thereby changing nutrient availability and environmental conditions along the way. The numeric reduction in the proteolytic fermentation end product, 4-methylphenol, is also supportive of this hypothesis. Desulfovibrio is a sulfate-reducing bacteria that uses substrates, including SCFAs and amino acids, to reduce sulfur-containing compounds to hydrogen sulfide, a potential toxin to GI epithelial cells 71 , Increased proportions of sulfate-reducing bacteria were noted in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease and autism 7 , 8 , 73 — Furthermore, individuals with autism were found to have both increased abundances of Desulfovibrio and decreased abundances of Bifidobacterium 7 , 8 , Although the underlying mechanisms of these bacterial shifts in diseased individuals remain unclear, the potential application of agave inulin as a therapeutic agent in individuals with these diseases warrants further investigation.

Our data support the Institute of Medicine's recommendation to consume a high-fiber diet from a variety of sources. Although we did not detect a significant treatment effect of agave inulin supplementation alone, total dietary fiber intake dietary fiber plus 0, 5. The benefits of increased SCFA concentrations and particularly increased butyrate include local and systemic effects.

Luminal effects of butyrate include provision of energy for intestinal epithelial cells and effects on enterocyte cell cycle progression, differentiation, and apoptosis via histone deacetylase inhibition; systemically, butyrate was shown to provide immune-modulating functions, influence cholesterol biosynthesis, and improve insulin resistance 23 , 24 , 26 — 28 , 69 , 77 , To our knowledge, this is the first study to use high-throughput sequencing to demonstrate a specific enrichment of fecal Bifidobacterium after agave inulin supplementation in healthy adults.

The selectivity of other prebiotic fibers was demonstrated in clinical trials by using high-throughput sequencing. Davis et al. Resistant starches also were reported to have differential effects on the fecal microbiota. Resistant starch type 4 was previously found to enrich Bifidobacterium , whereas resistant starch type 2 selectively enriched Eubacterium Other fermentable fibers also have demonstrated more nonspecific shifts, including polydextrose and soluble corn fiber, which were found to enrich several genera in both the Firmicutes and Bacteroides phyla 80 , The chemical structures of these fibers and the complex GI ecosystem, which provides residence to diverse microbes capable of crossfeeding, should be considered in light of this.

The distinct molecular structures of these fibers provide a partial explanation for the differences in microbial shifts after supplementation. Study strengths include the crossover design with washouts, dietary record collection, utilization of state-of-the-art sequencing technology and bioinformatics tools, and assessment of digestive physiologic outcomes.

We, however, acknowledge potential limitations, including the lack of biomedical measures such as blood glucose, cholesterol, and TGs. In addition, we aimed to characterize the impact of fiber supplementation on the entire community structure of the fecal microbiota; therefore, a more in-depth examination of the species and strains affected by agave inulin were outside the scope of this research and should be investigated in future studies. Next steps should include assessment of microbial functional capacity and activity through measurement of mRNA or protein expression and further assessment of untargeted bacterial metabolites.

Additional characterization of bacterial crossfeeding via in vitro models and computational simulations will also help advance our understanding of the role of diet on the microbiome.

Because rodent studies have provided evidence for the benefits of agave inulin supplementation on body composition, blood cholesterol, and blood glucose concentrations 45 — 47 , further investigation is warranted to determine whether these effects translate into health benefits in human populations.

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Clin Epigenetics ; 4 : 4. Potential beneficial effects of butyrate in intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. World J Gastroenterol ; 17 : — Add a teaspoon of agave inulin powder to sweeten your favorite beverage or as a sugar substitute in dishes. Agave Inulin: Super Fiber for Great Health Benefits by Charles Weller May 09, Agave Inulin is a carbohydrate and a natural sweetener with a clean, mildly sweet flavor that makes it a great substitute for refined sugar.

What is Agave Inulin? How to Use Agave Inulin Organic agave inulin is soluble in water with a mildly sweet taste, serving as a great option for flavoring beverages and various recipes. How are we doing on our goals so far? Today, we are going to Is Overhydration A Thing? I made one of my New Year's Goals to drink more water. I've been drinking about 80 or more ounces of water per day. Here are some self care ideas to br