|
|||||
Learn About Inulin
|
WHAT IS INULIN? Inulin, which has been extracted with difficulty from plants for nearly 100 years, belongs in the carbohydrate food group that is usually labeled as giving four (4) calories per gram. However, inulin is specifically a dietary fiber, which gives energy at one-and-one-half (1.5) calories per gram. Most other dietary fibers give no energy. Inulin can be processed and mixed into blends that give short-term energy, intermediate-term energy, and long-term energy. Skillful blending of the inulin can give steady energy for up to twelve hours. The length of time and the level of the energy boost are dependant on the metabolism of each individual. The various molecular weights or degrees of polymerization (DP) of inulin are dependent on the number of fructose molecules with Beta 2-1 bonds linked at one end to a glucose molecule. Inulin is found in many common plants such as: Agave at 15-20%, Garlic at 15-25%, Jerusalem Artichoke at 15-20%, Asparagus Root at 10-15%, and Chicory Root at 15-20% Inulin is a plant healer. When the plant bearing inulin is damaged, inulin rushes to the damaged portion. Inulin also acts like an anti-freeze for the plant. Chicory roots and Jerusalem Artichokes can be held over cold winters and harvested in the spring with only a small decrease in the inulin quality and quantity. Chicory is grown extensively throughout Europe, and its many varieties are harvested and processed into an assortment of products from Belgian endive (the winter salad) and cattle feed to fructose and recently to inulin. Because of its ease of cultivation and harvesting, chicory has become the principal source of inulin today. In the U.S., the FDA has recognized inulin as a food. The governments of nine European countries, Belgium, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland as well as Japan approve inulin as a food additive. Its applications are varied. Despite the approval of inulin as a food or a food additive in many countries, the use of inulin has been limited for seven principal reasons:
|
||||