Effects of dietary inulin on serum lipids, blood glucose and the gastrointestinal, environment in hypercholesterolemic men.

Inulin is a complex carbohydrate that belongs to a class of compounds known as fructans. Inulin has been consumed in plant sources by mankind for cent uries, and is most concentrated in chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, le ek and onion It can be extracted from purified concentrated sources such as chicory root, and used to enhance the technological and nutritional proper ties of foods. Inulin is thought to share many of the properties of soluble dietary fibers, such as the ability to lower blood lipids and stabilize bl ood glucose. Additionally, inulin has been shown to enhance the growth of b ifidobacteria and lactobacilli and enhance the gut environment. The objecti ve of this study was to examine the effect of a commercially available inul in from chicory root (degree of polymerization (DP) ranging between 2 and 6 0, modal DP=9) in men with hypercholesterolemia on serum parameters and fec al composition The study was a randomized, double blind, crossover design w ith no washout period. Twelve men were randomly assigned to two controlled diets that differed only in that the control diet contained one pint of van illa ice cream made with sucrose while the inulin containing diet was suppl emented with one pint of vanilla ice cream made with 20 grams of inulin. Su bjects consumed each controlled diet for three weeks. Daily intake of 20 g of inulin significantly reduced serum triglycerides by 40 mg/dL (p=0.05). A trend toward a reduction in serum cholesterol was observed. Trends toward short chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile changes were observed after inulin ad ministration. Transit time did wt differ significantly between treatments. These data suggest that dietary inulin supplementation may improve blood li pid profiles and alters the colonic environment in a manner that may be ben eficial. Because inulin is easily incorporated into an acceptable food like low-fat vanilla ice cream, it shows promise as a functional ingredient in many processed foods. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.