Study: Inulin may be helpful against IBS symptoms

[Hua Kul]

I had heard that inulin (a soluble fiber extracted from the root of Jerusalem Artichoke) may be helpful for symptoms of IBS. I found this study done at the San Giovanni Battista Hospital in Turin, Italy.

http://www.minervamedica.it/en/journals ... 06N04A0359

The treatment group subjects taking the inulin for 6 months had reductions of 62% in abdominal pain (P<0.0001), 55% (P<0.0001) in abdominal distension, 58% (P=0.05) in constipation, 33% (P=0.3) in diarrhea, and 62% (P=0.01) in alternating constipation and diarrhea. The control group had no statistical reduction in symptoms.

The product used also contained other ingredients so I really can't say if it was the inulin or some combination of that and the other ingredients, but it might be worth looking into. The other ingredients were "L-tryptophan, angelica, vegetal charcoal, vitamin PP, group B vitamins (B1, B2, B6) and probiotics (Lactobacillus sporogenes, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus)." I have no idea what vitamin PP is, maybe something got lost in the translation.

--Hua Kul

[trob25]

This was just added to my Culturelle! I was worried about it having an adverse effect on me, but maybe I should keep taking the version I have with inulin in it.

I think Culturelle either added this line or they are replacing their main product with one that contains the Lacto GG of the original with the inulin.

[beth22]

Travis - I was going to try and take Culturelle again. The package I have is old and has expired. It was a yellow box and now I see they sell a green box. Is this the same in different packaging or is it entirely different. Also, Whole Foods had it refrigerated, but the pharmacy did not. What do you do??

Also, I got some primadophilus Reuteri which is also a new formula - this one has a prebiotic added to it, NutraFlora scFOS. Those of you that recommended it - have you tried the new formula and does it affect you the same way as the old? If the new ingredient is fructose based, with SIBO that is not too good to take, so if anyone knows what the NutraFlora is please post. In parentheis it says (short-chain fructooligosaccharides.


Beth

[Hua Kul]

Here's what Wikipedia says about FOS and inulin.

fructooligosaccharide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructooligosaccharide

inulin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inulin

--Hua Kul

[trob25]

Travis - I was going to try and take Culturelle again. The package I have is old and has expired. It was a yellow box and now I see they sell a green box. Is this the same in different packaging or is it entirely different. Also, Whole Foods had it refrigerated, but the pharmacy did not. What do you do??

Culturelle has a few different products, one is all natural capsules, I guess made with plant matter and lactose free or some such, it's usually sold in Whole Foods and in a green box. The Yellow box is the old regular Culturelle, with just 10 billion Lactobacillus GG per capsule. The one with inulin in it is also in a yellow box, except the front says something about the inulin and if you flip it over, the ingredients list both inulin and Lacto.

As for refrigeration, the company indicates it simply needs to be kept at room temperature, but that means under 80 degrees. So I always keep mine in the fridge as it gets a lot hotter than that in the summer. You don't have to buy yours from a refrigerator, but I usually get mine in a pharmacy or supermarket, where it is air conditioned and usually on the lowest shelf, and thus cooler, then I put it in one of the drawers in my fridge because my home is not air conditioned.

[beth22]

Thanks, Travis. I will try the one in the green box then, as I had problems with the other. Maybe this one will not give me the intestinal upset.