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Fibruline. chicory inulin is one soluble dietary fiber that is extracted from the chicory roots using natural processes.

It’s a naturally-sourced food ingredient. Fibruline® Instant is an easy to disperse fine granulated white powder, giving mouthfeel to a wide range of food applications.

Belonging to the fructan group, inulin is a non-digestible oligosaccharide built up of fructose units with B2-1 bonds, mostly ending by a glucose unit.

Method of Analysis

FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS

* Natural bulking agent

* Easy to disperse

* White-colored

BROAD RANGE OF SOLUTIONS

* Protein enrichment

* Soy alternative

* Milk substitute

* Non-dairy alternative

* Gluten-free

* Emulsifying capacities

* Clarification

* Glazing agent

Chicory is a plant in the dandelion family that usually has bright blue flowers.

The root of the chicory plant is a common ground to be used as a coffee substitute or additive, or it is filtered into chicory root extract. The leaves and seeds are also used in culinary dishes.

All parts of the chicory plant have been shown to have positive health benefits due to the high levels of polyphenols and soluble dietary fiber contained in the plant.^[1] This article is going to focus on the root of the chicory plant, as it contains soluble fiber which serves as a prebiotic.

Chicory root composition

When dried, fresh chicory root is composed of 68% inulin, 14% sucrose, 6% protein, 5% cellulose, 4% ash, and 3% other materials.^[2] Chicory root extract, however, is composed of 98% inulin and 2% unidentified compounds.^[3] Much of the commercially available inulin extract is actually taken from chicory root.

Most of the health benefits of chicory root have been attributed to the prebiotic-nature of inulin. Inulin is a soluble fiber that cannot be broken down by our digestive enzymes.

How to add it to your diet 

The carbohydrate and fiber content of raw chicory root is highly influenced by the planting and harvesting dates.

Therefore, it is difficult to determine the exact amount of carbohydrate and fiber content in the raw chicory roots that you may purchase in a grocery market.

To reduce sugar intake but get the benefits of the prebiotic from the chicory root (i.e., inulin), it may be best to add chicory root extract to your ketogenic diet rather than raw chicory root.

Chicory root extract should not be included in your daily carbohydrate allotment and therefore, should be considered guilt-free on a ketogenic diet.

9 health benefits of chicory extract

1. Reduces absorption of glucose in the intestines

The sugar glucose is absorbed in the small intestines. Research studies have shown that when glucose is consumed with chicory root extract, glucose absorption in the small intestine is reduced. The reduction in glucose absorption is attributed to the increased viscosity in the intestines from the chicory root extract. 

Therefore, when taking in food that has glucose on a ketogenic diet, it may be beneficial to pair it with chicory root extract to reduce glucose absorption and therefore, an insulin response.

2. Increases beneficial bacteria and reduce pathogenic bacteria

The inulin in chicory root has been shown to stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the large intestines called bifidobacteria.^[4,5] In addition to many health benefits not discussed in this article, bifidobacteria acts as an antigenotoxic in the colon which helps reduce tumor growth there.

Chicory root has also been shown to suppress the growth of bacteria that may be pathogenic, such as Bacteroides/Prevotella and Clostridium histolyticum/C. lituseburense group.

3. Decreases hemoglobin A1C

Hemoglobin A1C is a marker used to identify blood glucose concentrations over a 3-month period. Lower A1C levels indicate lower blood sugar over the past 3-month period. This may be especially important for those struggling to control high blood sugar levels, like type 2 diabetics.

4. Improves adiponectin levels

Adiponectin is a hormone that is secreted from adipose tissue and helps regulate glucose levels. It has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity possibly by increasing fat breakdown/utilization and suppressing glucose production in the liver.

5. Increases serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol

HDL cholesterol is considered “good” cholesterol because it picks up cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream and carries it back to the liver for possible removal.

6. Lowers serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol

LDL cholesterol is typically considered “bad” cholesterol because it may accumulate in the arteries and possibly turn into plaque. Plaque leads to clogged arteries and if too much builds-up, complications may occur like stroke or heart attack.

7. Lowers serum apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-1 ratio

Chicory root extract has been shown to significantly reduce apolipoprotein B (ApoB) which is the primary protein in LDL cholesterol. Apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA1) is the primary protein in HDL cholesterol. The ratio of ApoB: ApoA1 is indicative of risk for coronary artery disease – the lower the ratio, the less risk.

8. Anti-inflammatory properties

Chicory root extract has been shown to reduced inflammation in inflamed human colon cells.

9. Anti-carcinogenic properties

Chicory root extract has shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer. This reduced risk for cancer has been attributed to the increased growth of the beneficial bacteria, bifidobacteria, in the large intestine,

Conclusion

Ultimately, chicory root extract is an excellent prebiotic addition when following a ketogenic diet. Chicory root extract has been shown to improve the gut microbiome as well as other health variables. The gut microbiome and our health are inter-linked—so typically improving the microbiome will also demonstrate downstream health benefits, like many of those mentioned in this article.