What Is Inulin Powder?
Inulin powder is used by food manufacturers to do everything from making ice cream creamier to making cereal crunchier. It can add sweetness while reducing calories, all while helping you to meet your daily fiber intake. But inulin also has potential for medical and even fuel uses. Despite all this, few people have ever heard of inulin powder, and fewer still know how it is processed, or even where it comes from.
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Where It Comes From
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Inulin powder is derived from the edible portions of many non-starchy root vegetables and rhizomes such as onions, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, agave and even dandelion roots.
How It Is Processed
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For commercial uses, chicory is the most common source of inulin powder. Chicory, in its dried form, it is made up of about 70 percent inulin. The powder is obtained through an industrial process of first extracting the inulin by dissolving it into hot water, purifying it using a process similar to sugar refining, and then evaporating and spray drying it.
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Nutritional Classification
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Inulin can be classified as a "prebiotic" fiber because it passes through the digestive tract undigested until it reaches the colon, where naturally-occurring bacteria go to work, breaking it down through fermentation. Whereas "probiotics" deliver active bacteria directly to the colon, "prebiotics" serve to nourish and thus multiply bacteria already colonized in the colon.
Common Uses
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Inulin powder is already being used in a number of foods as a fat and sugar replacement, and to improve texture and taste. Frozen desserts, cereals and table spreads are among the many foods enhanced by inulin. According to "Progress in Food Engineering Research and Development," by Jerrod M. Cantor, the reason for inulin fiber's incredible versatility as both a flavor and texture enhancer is "due to its ability to form discrete highly stable particle gels," which essentially means that it is creamy in texture and stays that way even when combined with other foods.
High Potential?
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Inulin powder has shown success when substituted for fructose and other sugars in helping diabetics maintain better control over their blood sugar levels, as reported in "Diabetes in Focus" by Anjana Patel. Inulin also seems to promote the growth of the so-called "beneficial bacteria" while inhibiting the growth of pathogenic, or harmful bacteria. However, it has often been prescribed in only limited doses due to its tendency to produce flatulence. Nutritional scientists have not given up, though. Because of its combined qualities as a fiber source, a prebiotic, an aid in regulating blood sugar, and its extraordinary versatility as a food additive, inulin powder's potential will continue to be explored.
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