Inulin Impacts Aging Via

• Microbiome Dysbiosis
• Deregulated Nutrient Sensing

Inulin is a type of dietary fiber found in various fruits, vegetables, and herbs, including bananas, artichokes, onions, and garlic. It is also known as a type of prebiotic, which helps to encourage the growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms in the gut. Inulin achieves this by staying in the gut. Scientists have discovered the link between inulin and several health benefits, such as improving the body’s microbiome, regulating metabolism, and improving digestive health.

The role of Inulin in aging and longevity

Digestion and metabolism slow down during the natural aging process. This can be caused by food moving through the gastrointestinal tract at a slower pace, as the muscles lining the gastrointestinal tract become weaker and less efficient. During aging, the microbiome composition in the gut also experiences a shift, known as microbiome dysbiosis, characterized by a decrease in the diversity of microorganisms in the gut – affecting digestive health and absorption of essential nutrients from food.

Inulin is often used as a supplement to boost digestion as it is known for health benefits such as promoting good digestive health, influencing metabolism, and encouraging the growth of good microorganisms in the gut as you age.

Impact of Inulin on metabolic and digestive health

The body’s metabolism and digestion naturally decline during the aging process, this slowdown can lead to a significantly increased risk of various age-related diseases, including metabolic diseases such as Type-2 Diabetes.

A clinical trial conducted on healthy adults found that inulin supplementation for 8 weeks helped to boost metabolic health by increasing the levels of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is a hormone that is released in response to food and regulates appetite and insulin levels. (Kietsiriroje et al., 2018)

Inulin also helps to boost metabolic health by maintaining insulin sensitivity in adults. Researchers measured determinants of insulin sensitivity and found improvements after 42 days of inulin supplementation (Chambers et. Al., 2019)

Another clinical trial conducted in 2022 found that boosting inulin consumption for three months, along with increased physical activity in adults showed improvements in metabolic health through decreased cholesterol level and improved glucose tolerance. This same study also found that inulin may improve digestive health by altering the gut microbiome composition. (Rodriguez et al., 2022)

Impact of Inulin on microbiome health

The gut microbiome is increasingly becoming an area of focus in the aging process. Studies have shown that the gut microbiome changes during aging and affects the progression of age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. (Kim and Benayoun, 2020)

A systematic review across nine different clinical trials found that inulin supplementation had a beneficial effect on the human gut microbiome. Notably, there was an increase in Bifidobacterium, a good bacteria that is found in the gut. Bifidobacterium species are known to protect the gut from infections and are involved in the metabolism of important vitamins, including vitamin K and B6. The studies also found that inulin supplementation led to an increase in relative abundance of Anaerostipes, Faecalibacterium, and Lactobacillus, which are beneficial bacteria known to confer health benefits like anti-inflammation. (Le Bastard et al., 2020)

Other clinical trials conducted on healthy adults also found similar benefits on the gut microbiome composition. In one study, researchers found evidence of these benefits when study participants went through an inulin-rich vegetable diet for 14 days. (Hiel, et al., 2019) Researchers who studied the gut microbiome composition in older adults who underwent two months of inulin supplementation also found similar results. (Kiewiet et al., 2021)

These beneficial changes in gut microbiome composition are consistent with more recent clinical trials published in 2023, where researchers found that inulin supplementation after five weeks beneficially altered the gut microbial composition of healthy adults. (Jackson et al., 2023) These researchers found an increase in microorganisms beneficial to digestive health, including Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Roseburia, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.

Inulin vs cellulose

Cellulose is another common dietary fiber also known to have a beneficial impact on our digestive health. However, when compared to inulin over 42 days, cellulose has lesser impact on metabolic health and has minimal effect on gut microbiome composition. (Chambers et al., 2019)

NOVOS VITAL & Inulin

References

Chambers, E. S., Byrne, C. S., Morrison, D. J., Murphy, K. G., Preston, T., Tedford, C., Garcia-Perez, I., Fountana, S., Serrano-Contreras, J. I., Holmes, E., Reynolds, C. J., Roberts, J. F., Boyton, R. J., Altmann, D. M., McDonald, J. A. K., Marchesi, J. R., Akbar, A. N., Riddell, N. E., Wallis, G. A., & Frost, G. S. (2019). Dietary supplementation with inulin-propionate ester or inulin improves insulin sensitivity in adults with overweight and obesity with distinct effects on the gut microbiota, plasma metabolome and systemic inflammatory responses: a randomised cross-over trial. Gut, 68(8), 1430–1438. 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318424

Hiel, S., Bindels, L. B., Pachikian, B. D., Kalala, G., Broers, V., Zamariola, G., Chang, B. P. I., Kambashi, B., Rodriguez, J., Cani, P. D., Neyrinck, A. M., Thissen, J. P., Luminet, O., Bindelle, J., & Delzenne, N. M. (2019). Effects of a diet based on inulin-rich vegetables on gut health and nutritional behavior in healthy humans. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 109(6), 1683–1695. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz001

Jackson, P. P., Wijeyesekera, A., Williams, C. M., Theis, S., van Harsselaar, J., & Rastall, R. A. (2023). Inulin-type fructans and 2’fucosyllactose alter both microbial composition and appear to alleviate stress-induced mood state in a working population compared to placebo (maltodextrin): the EFFICAD Trial, a randomized, controlled trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 118(5), 938–955.

Kietsiriroje, N., Kanjanahirun, K., Kwankaew, J., Ponrak, R., & Soonthornpun, S. (2018). Phytosterols and inulin-enriched soymilk increases glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion in healthy men: double-blind randomized controlled trial, subgroup study. BMC research notes, 11(1), 844. https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-018-3958-5

Kiewiet, M. B. G., Elderman, M. E., El Aidy, S., Burgerhof, J. G. M., Visser, H., Vaughan, E. E., Faas, M. M., & de Vos, P. (2021). Flexibility of Gut Microbiota in Ageing Individuals during Dietary Fiber Long-Chain Inulin Intake. Molecular nutrition & food research, 65(4), e2000390. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.202000390

Kim, M., & Benayoun, B. A. (2020). The microbiome: an emerging key player in aging and longevity. Translational medicine of aging, 4, 103–116.

Le Bastard, Q., Chapelet, G., Javaudin, F., Lepelletier, D., Batard, E., & Montassier, E. (2020). The effects of inulin on gut microbial composition: a systematic review of evidence from human studies. European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology, 39(3), 403–413. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31707507/

Rodriguez, J., Neyrinck, A. M., Van Kerckhoven, M., Gianfrancesco, M. A., Renguet, E., Bertrand, L., Cani, P. D., Lanthier, N., Cnop, M., Paquot, N., Thissen, J. P., Bindels, L. B., & Delzenne, N. M. (2022). Physical activity enhances the improvement of body mass index and metabolism by inulin: a multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trial performed in obese individuals. BMC medicine, 20(1), 110. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02299-z

Xie, Q., Mu, K., Chen, C., Gu, S., Luo, D., Fu, W., & Xue, W. (2023). The high dose of inulin exacerbated food allergy through the excess accumulation of short-chain fatty acids in a BABL/c mouse model. International journal of biological macromolecules, 230, 123234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123234