Editing Inulin (section)

==Metabolism ''in vivo''==
Inulin is indigestible by the human [[enzyme]]s [[ptyalin]] and [[amylase]] which are adapted to digest starch and as a result, it passes through much of the [[digestive system]] intact. Only in the [[colon (anatomy)|colon]] do bacteria [[metabolism|metabolise]] inulin with the release of significant quantities of [[carbon dioxide]], [[hydrogen]], and/or [[methane]]. Inulin-containing foods can be rather gassy, especially for those unaccustomed to inulin and these foods should be consumed in moderation at first.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

Inulin is a soluble fiber, one of three types of dietary fiber including [[soluble fiber|soluble]], [[insoluble fiber|insoluble]] and [[resistant starch]]. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gelatinous material. Some soluble fibers may help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McRorie |first1=Johnson W. |last2=McKeown |first2=Nicola M. |title=Understanding the Physics of Functional Fibers in the Gastrointestinal Tract: An Evidence-Based Approach to Resolving Enduring Misconceptions about Insoluble and Soluble Fiber |journal=Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics |date=1 February 2017 |volume=117 |issue=2 |pages=251–264 |doi=10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.021|pmid=27863994 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Because normal [[digestion]] does not break inulin down into [[monosaccharide]]s, it does not elevate blood sugar levels and may therefore be helpful in the management of diabetes. Inulin also stimulates the growth of bacteria in the [[Gut (zoology)|gut]].<ref name=I1 />
Inulin passes through the [[stomach]] and [[duodenum]] undigested and is highly available to the gut [[bacterial flora]]. This makes it similar to resistant starches and other fermentable carbohydrates.{{Cn|date=March 2021}}

Some traditional diets contain over 20g per day of inulin or fructo-oligosaccharides. The diet of the prehistoric hunter-forager in the Chihuahuan Desert has been estimated to include 135 g per day of inulin-type fructans.<ref>{{cite journal | journal = Br. J. Nutr. | volume = 103 | issue = 11 | pages = 1558–61 | year = 2010 | pmid = 20416127 | doi = 10.1017/S0007114510000966 | author-link1=Jeff D. Leach |last1 = Leach | first1 = J. D. | last2 = Sobolik | first2 = K. D. | title = High dietary intake of prebiotic inulin-type fructans in the prehistoric Chihuahuan Desert | doi-access = free }}</ref>  Many foods naturally high in inulin or fructo-oligosaccharides such as chicory, garlic, and [[leek]] have been seen as "stimulants of good health" for centuries.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Coussement P. | title = Inulin and oligofructose: safe intakes and legal status | journal = J. Nutr. | volume = 129 | issue = 7 Suppl | pages = 1412S–1417S | year = 1999 | pmid = 10395609| doi = 10.1093/jn/129.7.1412S | doi-access = free |url=http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/129/7/1412S#SEC1}}</ref>

As of 2013, no regulatory authority had permitted health claims in the marketing of prebiotics as a class.  Inulin's health effects had been studied in small clinical trials which showed that it causes gastrointestinal adverse effects such as bloating and flatulence and it does not affect [[Triglyceride|triglyceride levels]] or development of [[fatty liver]]. It may also help to prevent [[travelers' diarrhea]] and may help increase calcium absorption in adolescents.<ref name=slavin/>