Inulin Vs. Psyllium Fiber
Countless studies have proven that adding dietary fiber helps prevent a number of serious chronic illnesses. Inulin and psyllium are two popular soluble dietary fibers that can be added to foods or beverages to supplement fiber intake. Although the two deliver similar health benefits, they vary in origin, consistency, appearance, and taste.
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Inulin
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An additive used in place of fats in food products from salad dressing to fruit yogurt, inulin is both undetectable and tasteless and gives a creamy texture to foods. It's a fermentable fiber derived from chicory root or synthesized from sucrose and processed as a white powder. Inulin stimulates the growth of Bifidobacteria in the colon, which helps trigger the immune response and contributes to preventing diarrhea.
Psyllium
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Psyllium fiber is extracted from the husks of seeds harvested from the psyllium plant. Initially made up of tiny, dry flakes [personal experience: Metamucil], the fiber, when added to liquid, becomes gelatinous. Several brand-name bulk laxatives are psyllium-based, and the fiber is an ingredient in certain heart-healthy breakfast cereals.
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Health benefits
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According to researchers at the University of Oregon's Linus Pauling Institute, European and American studies have shown that increased dietary fiber reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, strokes, myocardial infarctus, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and diverticular disease. Increased fiber intake (an extra 10 grams per day) has also been found to decrease total and LDL cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure. There is as yet contradictory evidence as to whether increasing fiber intake can curb the risk of breast cancer.
Which fiber is best?
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Practitioners seem to agree that adding fiber of any type to your diet is a good thing. But since many trials test only one kind of fiber, the results are limited to that fiber, even though researchers tend to extrapolate to other types of fiber. Still, the safest way to ensure maximum health benefits is to ingest fiber both from food sources—including fruits, vegetables, legumes, and natural grains—and from inulin-enriched foods and added psyllium.
Health tip
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Fiber supplements are only effective if you take them with at least 8 ounces of liquid.
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