Inulin as an Appetite Suppressant

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by Bfranke

Hey, and a weight drop too????? Wow, I could use that. Tomorrow I will go to Walmart, and continue the inulin and carry the fiber tabs. I think the increase in the inulin is helping this evening. No munchies!! Yea!
Bette

That's good to hear, Bette!
I suspected that some people would need more or less depending on their metabolism of the inulin, but now we have some confirmation.
Did you have any intestinal issues with 2 tsp of inulin? That's about 8g of fibre. I wouldn't have a problem with that much myself, but some people might.

[Charski]

Originally Posted by Bev-Ann

My stomach still felt very empty, but the actual rumbling had stopped and I just didn't care about it.

That's the same effect I get. It's kinda like the time I asked my sister (a dentist) about using nitrous oxide anesthesia - I asked her if it kept it from hurting, and her answer was, "No, but you don't give a sh*t!" LOL!

It's the same - my tummy feels empty, but it stops rumbling and I don't care at that point. I eat when I get ready to instead of gnawing down the refrigerator door to get to my lunch!

[Bfranke]

Beb-Ann, no intestinal issues. I did well last night. I will give this a rerun today. I have had this Inulin like forever, and at least I am going to use it up.
Bette

[Buffy45]

I haven't received my yacon syrup yet but along with your ideas on fiber, I added extra fiber to my protein shakes I had for b/fast and lunch. I usually have no problems with overeating during the day, so couldn't tell much then, but did do better during the evening when I usually want to eat anything and everything all evening long. I did have a small snack, but smaller than normal and I might have been able to even get by without that. When this fiber is gone, I will look for the inulin and the wafers. I would like the pills or wafers to use when I am out and about.

[Charski]

Well DH ate one too many yesterday - gave him some intestinal "distress" shall we say - and this from a guy who usually eats a concoction of raw wheat bran, flaxmeal, and psyllium husk twice daily! Just goes to show you - one form of fiber does not necessarily react with your body the same as the next form will!

I think he's gonna slack off it today. We'll see what he says about his hunger levels when he gets home.

Me, I'm stickin' with 2 a day for the first week. So far no bad effects though and my weight was 131.4 this morning.

Char

[Bev-Ann]

I've been looking more into the phenomenon of inulin not making my stomach feel full, but instead telling my brain I don't want food even when my stomach is empty.
I think we've all experienced the sensation of feeling full after a hi-fibre meal. Inulin is a soluble fibre that doesn't give me that stomach-fullness, but is much better at stopping my cravings. Hi-fibre meals did nothing to even reduce my cravings.
What I found is that, unlike other fibres, inulin doesn't swell in the stomach to create the sense of fullness, instead it modulates peptides in the gut that tell your brain you are hungry.

Here's a quote from http://www.caloriecontrol.org/prebiotics_more1.html:

Research on inulin and oligofructose is extending these days towards the modulation of gut hormones that act on the gut-brain axis that involves the signaling of the feeling of hunger vs. satiety. It appears that the rapid fermentation of oligofructose induces the release of gut hormones such as GLP-1 and reduces plasma levels of ghrelin (Cani et al., 2004). In continuation with the data from animal studies a pilot study in human volunteers is currently in the press. (Cani et al., in press). In addition, inulin and oligofructose have an impact on lipid metabolism (Fiordaliso et al., 1995; Daubioul et al., 2002) and modulate triglycerides and cholesterol levels in plasma (Letexier et al., 2003; Jackson et al., 1999) In this way inulin and oligofructose are promising agents in the search for strategies to prevent or treat obesity and related chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Here's a quote from http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/...uctose-satiety regarding a preliminary human trial. The study was on a very small number of people and it was commissioned by a manufacturer of inulin products, but the results are still very interesting.

The new placebo-controlled cross-over trial comes on the back of earlier animal studies which showed that rats fed either Beneo P95 or Beneo Synergyl for three weeks had a lower energy intake than a control group, resulting in a 30 percent decrease in body fat mass.

The human pilot intervention study involved ten healthy men and women aged 21 to 39 years, all with normal body mass index values. After breakfast and dinner they took either 8g of Beneo P95 or a placebo (maltodextrin).

After both meals the Beneo P95 was seen to significantly increase satiety. Hunger was also reduced, as were prospective food consumption and total energy intake during the day.

The feeling of satiety is believed to be due to hormones induced by the fermentation of the oligofructose in the colon. These hormones send signals to the brain that influence satiety and, as a consequence, food intake.

In the rat trial, those that consumed Beneo P95 and Beneo Syergyl had higher plasma levels of the hunger-repressing gut peptide GLP-1 in the portal vein compared to the control group, and lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

[Bfranke]

Very interesting. Guess I am going to be my own lab rat for awhile and check this out thoroughly. I took 1 1/2 t again with lunch. I will use it again with supper. Not having the munchies is nice!
Bette

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by Bfranke

Very interesting. Guess I am going to be my own lab rat for awhile and check this out thoroughly. I took 1 1/2 t again with lunch. I will use it again with supper. Not having the munchies is nice!
Bette

Bette, I find it interesting that the human trial I mentioned used 8g just as you did to get their results. It doesn't say why they decided that 8g was the amount to use, though.
1/2 tsp (2g or 1 wafer) is all I need so we've established that not everyone is going to react to the same dosages.

Hey, I wonder if we could get Orafti to sponsor our very unscientific experiments by giving us free samples of their inulin? I mean, we're basically doing the same trials without all the costly lab stuff.

[Bfranke]

Bev-Ann, that is a great idea!! We would not cost them big money....just some inulin and keep a diary!

On my bottle of inulin (NOW) brand, it says 1 tsp is 2.1g, and that is 5 calories, 2.1g carbs, 2.1g fiber. According to what you just posted, I think I am taking just a little more than you are!
Bette

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by Bfranke

Bev-Ann, that is a great idea!! We would not cost them big money....just some inulin and keep a diary!

On my bottle of inulin (NOW) brand, it says 1 tsp is 2.1g, and that is 5 calories, 2.1g carbs, 2.1g fiber. According to what you just posted, I think I am taking just a little more than you are!
Bette

I rounded my 1/2 tsp to 2g, but yes if you're taking 1.5 tsp, you're taking 3 times what I do.

[Charski]

Wow, Bev, thanks for posting the results of your search - I am gonna pass that on to DH, he'll find it interesting I'm sure!

Yeah, they should GIVE us the product! LOL! I'm a good journaler!

[sherlynn9]

I'd become a good journaler if I got it free. Here's my results so far today.

Made a yogurt shake for breakfast and added 1.5 tsp inulin. Mornings at work are my worst time for munching, so this morning all I've had is the shake (well and the Diet Pepsi I'm currently consuming). Not full but not having the munchies today. Of course, I will need to do this for several days to be sure it is the inulin. I'll also have another 1.5 tsps while I'm fixing dinner.

Thanks for posting all of that information, Bev-Ann.

Sheryl

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by Bev-Ann

I rounded my 1/2 tsp to 2g, but yes if you're taking 1.5 tsp, you're taking 3 times what I do.

I should have said "my kitchen scale rounded my 1/2 tsp to 2g". There's no nutrition facts on my bottle of Chicolin, so I had to weigh it myself.
This makes me wonder if there's some difference in the effects of the brands? I use Chicolin which is oligofructose, a more refined form of inulin. When I checked on Netrition for the NOW brand, it says inulin with Other Ingredients: Fructose. Have they added fructose to the inulin?
The Chicolin has almost no flavour. Bette, what does the NOW brand taste like?

[sherlynn9]

Hmm, still have my old container with the label, I'll check that against the NOW brand I just received. Never thought to check the label. Unfortunately, the store I used to buy my Inulin at is closed (or moved to some location I don't know about).

Sheryl

[gotogirl]

I just found out I have to go to a meeting that will last until 7:00 pm. The only food there will be chips and several kinds of dips. Big no-nos for me. I have some of the FiberChoice with calcium tabs. If I take 2 now (nearly 4 pm), should it help me wait until after 7 to eat? (As long as I don't have any gut issues...lol...I don't want to clear the room.) I just bought the tabs and haven't tried them.

[Bfranke]

The Now Inulin does say 'Other ingredients: Fructose
However, it must be a mightly small amount, as the calories say 5, with carbs 2.1g
It is not bad tasting, and I am just mixing it in a bit of water and drinking it.
Bette

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by Bfranke

The Now Inulin does say 'Other ingredients: Fructose
However, it must be a mightly small amount, as the calories say 5, with carbs 2.1g
It is not bad tasting, and I am just mixing it in a bit of water and drinking it.
Bette

I don't think you need to worry if they have added fructose. It looks like it doesn't change the carb count at all.
Does it taste sweet or more flavourless? I'm wondering if they might have added fructose so it could be used as a sweetener? Chicolin has almost no flavour. The label says to add a 28g (1 oz.) container of stevia extract powder to the full jar and shake well to mix for use as a sweetener.

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by gotogirl

I just found out I have to go to a meeting that will last until 7:00 pm. The only food there will be chips and several kinds of dips. Big no-nos for me. I have some of the FiberChoice with calcium tabs. If I take 2 now (nearly 4 pm), should it help me wait until after 7 to eat? (As long as I don't have any gut issues...lol...I don't want to clear the room.) I just bought the tabs and haven't tried them.

The effect lasts several hours for me. Let us know how it went for you.

[Bfranke]

Bev-Ann, actually, it does have a mildly sweet taste, not enough to sweeten tea though.
Bette

[Teresa123]

I bought the Fiber Sure powder type product. It says take 1 heaping teaspoon and it has 6 carbs and 5 grams are soluable fiber. The ingredients are "Inulin (100% natural vegetable fiber)" and nothing else. It says you can take up to 3 times a day but that sounds like a lot. I wonder if this is one of those products that you will have to start increasing the dose after awhile to get the same affect....? I'm trying it for the first time right now, will let you know if it works for me.

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by Bfranke

Bev-Ann, actually, it does have a mildly sweet taste, not enough to sweeten tea though.
Bette

Hmmm, then I don't think the fructose is for flavour. A mystery, I guess.

[Charski]

Originally Posted by gotogirl

I just found out I have to go to a meeting that will last until 7:00 pm. The only food there will be chips and several kinds of dips. Big no-nos for me. I have some of the FiberChoice with calcium tabs. If I take 2 now (nearly 4 pm), should it help me wait until after 7 to eat? (As long as I don't have any gut issues...lol...I don't want to clear the room.) I just bought the tabs and haven't tried them.

It's probably too late for this bit of advice but I'd certainly not take 2 of them right off the bat! I started with 1/2 a tab, then went to 1 full tab, now I take 1 tab twice a day - will probably increase to 3 tabs a day over the next few days.

I got a LITTLE "gaseous reaction" to 2 tablets but not bad. DH, OTOH, ate 4 or 5 of them yesterday and to say he was "full of hot air" is an understatement!

[Nigel]

[theislandgirl]

Originally Posted by Bfranke

The Now Inulin does say 'Other ingredients: Fructose
However, it must be a mightly small amount, as the calories say 5, with carbs 2.1g
It is not bad tasting, and I am just mixing it in a bit of water and drinking it.
Bette

Does "your" inulin dissolve relatively quickly? It is a first cousin of polydextrose, but I've noticed the inulin I have doesn't have nearly the issues of the PDX for dissolving in liquid.

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by Charski

It's probably too late for this bit of advice but I'd certainly not take 2 of them right off the bat! I started with 1/2 a tab, then went to 1 full tab, now I take 1 tab twice a day - will probably increase to 3 tabs a day over the next few days.

I got a LITTLE "gaseous reaction" to 2 tablets but not bad. DH, OTOH, ate 4 or 5 of them yesterday and to say he was "full of hot air" is an understatement!

Yes, unless you're used to a lot of soluble fibre in your diet, you should start out slowly and work your way up. Your system will adjust to the fibre over time so that reaction should subside.
Something that will help is to take probiotics (everyone should be doing this anyway ). Inulin is what is called a prebiotic meaning that it's food for the good bacteria in the gut. The gassy reaction is due to the inulin fermenting instead of being eaten by the gut's bacteria.

[gotogirl]

Sounds like it's good I lost my nerve and only took 1. It didn't cause any problems and it seemed to work...maybe just the power of suggestion. Anyway, it was very easy to ignore the chips and dips and when I got home, I fixed a turkey sandwich on artisan bread and had a great evening. Thanks for the advice. I'll continue to up the dosage until I get to 2 because I know I need more fiber in my diet.

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by theislandgirl

Does "your" inulin dissolve relatively quickly? It is a first cousin of polydextrose, but I've noticed the inulin I have doesn't have nearly the issues of the PDX for dissolving in liquid.

I wish polyd worked like inulin. It's a lot cheaper!

[moonchild]

To quote netrition:

"Its taste is comparable to sugar and can be used as a sugar replacer."

That may be why they added the fructose.

BTW, it is on sale at netrition for half price right now. Only $4.99 for an 8oz bottle. (106 tsp.)

I will definately have to try some of this. DH has been getting the munchies a lot lately so I will order some for him.

Btw, any luck with making the candy yet? I would love to make some to send along with my Christmas cards for my friends here who signed up for the Christmas Card Exchange. I bet some lemon drops or butterscothch would be great! Especially the butterscotch for me ... I miss those.

[sherlynn9]

Anyone familiar with the vitaplus inulin? That's the brand I had but the label doesn't give any other info. I will say that it seemed to dissolve a little better than the NOW brand (had a couple of little clumps in my yogurt). Found a Stevia/inulin blend at the health food store Monday. My only try with Stevia I didn't like so didn't buy it. But for those who use Stevia, thought I'd mention it.

Whether the inulin helps with the urge to eat or not, I will continue using it for the probiotic benefits.

Sheryl

[Bev-Ann]

Originally Posted by moonchild

Btw, any luck with making the candy yet? I would love to make some to send along with my Christmas cards for my friends here who signed up for the Christmas Card Exchange. I bet some lemon drops or butterscothch would be great! Especially the butterscotch for me ... I miss those.

I just ordered some hard candy molds online. They're called Break Up Hard Candy Mold (see pic below). Unfortunately, it could take at least 2 weeks for them arrive from the U.S. (I'm in Canada). But as soon as they get here, I'm going to try making some butterscoth. I'll post the recipe when I get a good batch.