Inulin

Inulin is a type of dietary fibre called a fructan. Your body cannot digest it. It travels through your stomach and small intestine intact and arrives in your colon, where the bacteria living there ferment it into short-chain fatty acids like acetate, propionate and butyrate.^[1] Those compounds feed the cells lining your gut. They also influence inflammation and the way your body absorbs minerals.

Prebiotics are the food your gut bacteria eat. Probiotics are the bacteria themselves. If you have heard you should take a prebiotic for digestion or hormonal balance, this page covers the main forms, how much to use and what the research shows.

Sources of inulin

Inulin occurs naturally in many plants. The richest dietary sources are chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, agave, garlic, onion, leek and asparagus. Most supplemental inulin is extracted from chicory root.^[2]

Native chicory inulin is the unfractionated extract. It contains chains of fructose units of mixed length, typically 2 to 60 units long. This is the form used in most clinical trials.

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), also called oligofructose, are shorter chains (2 to 10 units) produced by partially breaking down inulin. They ferment more quickly in the upper colon. They are more likely to cause gas at higher doses.

HP-inulin (long-chain inulin) is the longer fraction (10 to 60 units). It ferments more slowly and reaches further into the colon. Longer chains feed a different bacterial profile than shorter chains.^[2]

How much you need

There is no official recommended intake for inulin specifically. Total dietary fibre guidance from the European Food Safety Authority sits at 25 g per day for adults. Most women in Europe fall short.

Clinical studies on inulin typically use 5 to 10 g per day. Effects on gut bacteria show up within a few weeks. Higher doses (above 15 to 20 g per day) reliably cause bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort in a meaningful share of women, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome. Tolerance varies. Start low. Build up gradually so the gut bacteria have time to adapt.^[2]

The science on women's health

Gut microbiome

A 2022 systematic review in Nutrients looked at 44 human intervention studies on dietary fibres. Inulin was the most studied fibre across the dataset. The review found inulin reliably increased the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the gut. Effects on short-chain fatty acid levels were less consistent. They depended on dose, chain length and the methods used to measure them.^[3]

The biology is well established. When colonic bacteria ferment inulin, they produce butyrate. Butyrate is the main fuel for the cells lining your colon. It supports the gut barrier and lowers local inflammation.^[1]

Calcium absorption and bone health

A 2021 review in the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research drew together the evidence on inulin and calcium metabolism. The authors concluded that 8 to 10 g of inulin per day improved calcium absorption in adolescents and supported bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. The proposed mechanism is fermentation-driven. Short-chain fatty acids lower colonic pH. That keeps calcium soluble and increases passive absorption across the colon wall.^[4]

The strongest single trial in this area used 8 g of an inulin-FOS mix daily for one year in adolescent girls. It increased calcium absorption and bone mineral content compared to placebo. The postmenopausal evidence is smaller but points the same direction.^[4]

EU authorised health claims

Under EU law, the European Food Safety Authority has authorised one health claim for native chicory inulin: it contributes to normal bowel function by increasing stool frequency. The claim requires at least 12 g of native chicory inulin per day.^[5] The inulin dose in nōuxx Bloody Berry and Green Glow sits below this threshold, so the bowel-function claim does not apply to nōuxx and we do not make it on pack.

Research suggests inulin supports gut microbiome diversity and may improve calcium absorption.^[1][4] The trials are mixed and dose-dependent. Until larger trials confirm an effect at the doses delivered in supplements, we do not make formal health claims for inulin.

References

[1] Vinelli V, Biscotti P, Martini D, et al. Effects of dietary fibers on short-chain fatty acids and gut microbiota composition in healthy adults: a systematic review. Nutrients 2022;14(13):2559. doi.org/10.3390/nu14132559

[2] Reimer RA, Theis S, Zanzer YC. The effects of chicory inulin-type fructans supplementation on weight management outcomes: systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2024;120(5):1245-1258. doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.09.019

[3] Vinelli V, Biscotti P, Martini D, et al. Effects of dietary fibers on short-chain fatty acids and gut microbiota composition in healthy adults: a systematic review. Nutrients 2022;14(13):2559. doi.org/10.3390/nu14132559

[4] Bakirhan H, Karabudak E. Effects of inulin on calcium metabolism and bone health. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 2023;93(1):85-96. doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000700

[5] European Food Safety Authority. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to "native chicory inulin" and maintenance of normal defecation by increasing stool frequency pursuant to Article 13.5 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal 2015;13(1):3951. doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.3951

[6] Rao SSC, Brenner DM. Efficacy and safety of over-the-counter therapies for chronic constipation: an updated systematic review. American Journal of Gastroenterology 2021;116(6):1156-1181. doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000001222