Health Benefits of Oligofructose-enriched Inulin
by: Carla R. McGill, PhD, RD
What is Oligofructose-enriched Inulin
Oligofructose-enriched inulin is a type of fiber composed of inulin and oligofructose. Inulin and oligofructose may not sound familiar, but they are not exotic compounds. Both are natural food ingredients found in a number of fruits and vegetables that are commonly a part of the North American diet, including wheat, onion, banana, leeks, artichokes and chicory root. The oligofructose-enriched inulin found in Healthy 10 is extracted from chicory root.
Structurally inulin is made up of fructose molecules linked together to form a chain up to 60 units long that may have a glucose molecule at the end. Oligofructose is related to inulin but with shorter chain lengths of 2 to 9 sugar units (1). While inulin and oligofructose are widely recognized for their positive effects as dietary fiber and for their prebiotic benefits, the combination of these two ingredients results in their unique calcium absorption benefits. The oligofructose-enriched inulin found in Healthy 10,Orafti® Synergy1, was developed to have optimal chain lengths for providing these three specific health benefits.
Dietary Fiber Effect
Dietary fiber is defined as components of plant foods that are not digested by humans. The linkages between the sugar units of inulin and oligofructose are resistant to digestion in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract, therefore inulin and oligofructose are classified as dietary fibers (1). Inulin and oligofructose have been shown to show to improve regularity (2).
Intakes of fiber in the U.S. are typically about half the recommended amount of 25 to 35 grams per day for adults (1,3). In fact, fiber is listed by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as one of the nutrients of concern for children, adolescents and adults, meaning we are not consuming enough on average (3). Healthy 10 is a good source of fiber, providing 3 grams of fiber per serving, thus contributing to a healthy GI tract by helping to maintain regularity.
Probiotic Effect
The large intestine normally contains billions of bacteria that have an impact on health (please see the article Health Benefits of Probiotics). This complex population of bacteria, called the normal flora, can be impacted by many factors, including diet. A prebiotic fiber helps promote the growth or activity of beneficial bacteria in the large intestine (2). Inulin and oligofructose promote the growth and activity of beneficial Bifidobacteria to help maintain a healthy, balanced bacterial population (2). The oligofructose-enriched inulin in Healthy 10, Orafti Synergy1, provides fuel for the growth of both the beneficial Bifidobacteria already in the large intestine, and the Bifdobacterium lactis BB-12® contained in each serving of Healthy 10, thus helping support the body’s immune system and promote digestive health (4).
Increased Calcium Absorption
Calcium is a critical nutrient for maintaining bone health and intakes are typically below the recommended amounts at all ages (2). Only about one-third of ingested calcium is absorbed by the body. Therefore, inadequate intake or poor intestinal absorption can lead to calcium deficiency. One of the most researched health benefits of Orafti Synergy1 is its effect on increasing calcium absorption. Consumption of 8 grams of Orafti Synergy1 has been shown to significantly increase calcium absorption in adolescents (5-7) and adults (8). Increasing calcium absorption is important since all of the calcium for healthy bones has to come from the diet. A serving of Healthy 10 provides 3 grams of Orafi Synergy1, as well as 30% of the Daily Value for calcium and 25% of the Daily Value for phosphorus and vitamin D to help build strong bones and maintain bone health.
Learn More About...
1. Probiotics and Bifidobacterium Lactis BB-12
References
1. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids. National Academies Press, Washington D.C. 2005.
2. Roberfroid MR. Inulin-type fructans: functional food ingredients. J Nutr 2007;137:2493S-2502S.
3. Department of Health and Human Services/US Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Available at: http://www.healthgove/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/ . Accessed September 25, 2008.
4. Gibson GR, Beatty ER, Wang; Cummings JH. Selective stimulation of Bifidobacteria in the human colon by oligofructose and inulin. Gastroenterology, 1995;108:975-982.
5. Griffin IJ, Davila PM, Abrams SA. Non-digestable oligosaccharides and calcium absorption in girls with adequate calcium intake. Br J Nutr 2002;87 Suppl 2:S187-191.
6. Griffin IJ, Hicks PMD, Heaney RP, Abrams SA. Enriched chicory inulin increases calcium absorption in girls with lower calcium absorption. Nutr Res 2003;23:901-909.
7. Abrams SA, Griffin IJ, Hawthorne KM, Liang L, Gunn SK, Darlington G, Ellis KJ. A combination of prebiotic short- and long-chain inulin-type fructans enhances calcium absorption and bone mineralization in young adolescents. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;82:471-476.
8. Holloway L, Moynihan S, Kent K, Hsu AR, Friedlander AL. Effects of oligofructose enriched inulin on mineral absorption and markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women. Br J Nutr. 2007;97:365-372.
Orafti® Synergy 1 is an oligofructose-enriched inulin produced by:
Beneo-Orafti, Inc.
P: 973-867-2140
Email: Orafti-us@beneo-orafti.com
BB-12® is a registered trademark of Chr. Hansen