According to a new study done at the University of Minnesota at St. Paul, an increasingly popular food additive called Inulin, can cause stomachaches and various types of gastrointestinal discomfort in some people if you eat too much of it. According to Reuters Health:

“Inulin is a carbohydrate fiber that occurs naturally in many foods like bananas, wheat, onions and garlic. Found in high concentrations in chicory root, is can be extracted for industrial use. Unlike more familiar carbohydrates, which are broken down in the small intestines and turned into fuel for the body, inulin passes through the small intestines to the colon where it stimulates the growth of “good bacteria” and is fermented by bacteria. In some people it can cause gas, bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea.”

Joanne Slavin, the director of the St. Paul study explains that inulin is becoming a more popular additive because it can be easily manipulated to taste and feel like many of the “blacklisted” ingredients like fat and sodium to increase a food’s flavor. It is found in a lot of expected foods like cereals and breakfast bars, but I was surprised to learn that inulin is also used in unexpected manufactured foods like ice cream and chocolate. I have a sensitive stomach normally, but this may explain why sometimes the tiniest scoop of ice cream can give me agonizing pain. Since fiber is THE new thing to add to your food, items such as coffee, chewing gum, etc. can cause issues with many of us who have sensitive stomachs.

The problem with additive like inulin is that it is sneaky, has multiple names and therefore can be listed differently on ingredient labels. The most common names for this form of fiber are inulin, chicory root extract, oligosaccharide, or oligofructose. I must note that according to Slavin and her study, most people don’t have a problem with products like inulin and don’t experience any discomfort at all.  However, the number one side effect for those who did have these issues, was gas.

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