Chicory root fiber: Versatile fiber with prebiotic power

Fiber has a positive effect on your health, and on your gut health in particular. This also applies to chicory root fiber, known as inulin, the dietary fiber and prebiotic extracted by Sensus from chicory root. Not all fibers, however, are prebiotics, and prebiotics are quite different to probiotics. One thing they do have in common is their beneficial effect on the function of your gut. Veerle Dam, Health Science & Regulatory Affairs Specialist at Sensus, outlines the differences between prebiotics and probiotics in the latest Cosun Stories. She also explains when a fiber qualifies as a prebiotic, and how Sensus is gaining insights into the health effects of chicory root fiber.

"The terms prebiotics and probiotics are often used interchangeably," Veerle begins. "But there’s a significant difference between the two. Prebiotics such as chicory root fiber are soluble fibers that, provide a source of food for a select group of gut bacteria that promote health. Probiotics are the bacteria themselves. Prebiotics can be easily processed in products, whereas probiotics need to be chilled and have a shorter shelf life. They can be processed in products such as yoghurt."

Food for good bacteria

According to the definition of the association dedicated to prebiotics and probiotics, the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), a prebiotic is a substance that is selectively utilised by the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut, resulting in a health benefit. "To date, ISAPP only recognises chicory root fiber as the sole plant-based prebiotic," Veerle explains.  

"For this to work, it’s important that the chicory root fiber passes through the gastrointestinal tract without being digested, arriving intact in the large intestine, where it’s broken down by good bacteria,” Veerle adds. “This should also lead to a health benefit. It’s how these good bacteria make short chain fatty acids, which serve as a source of energy for our body and improve bowel movement.”

Like a rose garden

To illustrate the difference between prebiotics and probiotics, Veerle shares an example from a professor she’s worked with: "Think of it as a rose garden. There are two ways to make the garden look nicer. If you want your roses to grow better, you can feed them. Those are the prebiotics. You can also plant more roses. Those are the probiotics. Both have a positive effect on the rose garden, or in our case, the gut microbiome, but the way they work is different."

The microbiome
The microbiome is a name used for all micro-organisms found in an environment. For example, bacteria on a person’s skin, in their mouth, or in their intestines. These bacteria, which it’s now believed we have more of than we have cells in our body, protect us against pathogens and chemicals from external sources. The bacteria in the gut microbiome break down soluble fibres such as chicory root fiber and convert them into healthy short chain fatty acids, which serve as a source of energy for our body.

Multiple roles

Prebiotics have the advantage of being present in your daily diet – for example in onions, leek, and bananas - or can be incorporated into everyday foods like breakfast cereals or energy bars. In the case of chicory root fiber, the ingredient has multiple functionalities. For example, chicory root fiber can contribute to a product’s texture, or be used as a sugar or fat substitute.

From research to a clear message

The wide application of the ingredient and the opportunities it presents for health warrant further research and insight. "Customers come to our sales department with various questions about potential applications and the benefits of chicory root fiber. Our technical sales team also gets requests for additional insights and data. As a research team, we answer these based on our existing knowledge, or we initiate new studies," Veerle explains. "For this, we collaborate with universities around the world, or we commission studies by clinical research organisations. Our department then translates independent research findings into concrete information for our customers and, ultimately, for the consumer."

Gut-brain axis

There is a growing assumption in nutritional sciences that there is a positive link between gut health and mental health. Veerle: "This is called the gut-brain axis. Think of the knot in your stomach when you’re worried, or a sense of happiness you can feel in your tummy. The understanding of this is still in its infancy, but it’s interesting for us to research as well. We know that chicory root fiber positively influences gut bacteria. It may also have a positive influence on the brain via the intestinal bacteria."

"We know that chicory root fiber positively influences gut bacteria. It may also have a positive influence on the brain via the intestinal bacteria."

A world to discover

There are currently various research projects being carried out regarding the health benefits of chicory root fiber. One such project being carried out by Wageningen University & Research, in which Sensus is also involved, is looking at cognition in the elderly and its link to gut health and nutrition. "Elderly people with self-reported cognitive decline are given different diets with dietary fibers, including chicory root fiber, to investigate whether this can positively influence cognitive abilities. For nutritional scientists, this is new territory. We don’t know exactly which gut bacteria are involved. These are things that, hopefully, thanks to our research, will become increasingly clear in the coming years and can eventually be translated to practice."

This story was posted on cosun.com; go to the original article here.