chicory root fiber (aka inulin) Many packaged foods that market themselves as “high fiber” are likely pumped full of chicory root fiber. It is a soluble fiber that absorbs water and forms a gel in the gut. It is a source of inulin and fructooligosaccharides. By adding fiber like inulin to processed foods it can provide substance and bulk without the calories and also has a sweet taste to it, so no wonder it’s used here. Some people can tolerate inulin and some cannot. This product is considered safe, but we don’t know how many grams of chicory root fiber (vs. tapioca) is in the gummies which makes it challenging to know how many grams you’re consuming. Typically, most people can tolerate 5-10 grams before experiencing gastrointestinal side effects (think bloating, gas, stomach pains) and I’m thinking there is more than 5 grams of inulin in these gummies with their extremely high fiber count.
Many of the Smart Sweet products contain 28 grams of fiber. This may sound like a good thing because we are always hearing how fiber is good for us, but I find this high number in the form of gummies alarming. Daily fiber recommendations is 25-30 grams and most Americans aren’t achieving this number. I would prefer to see people getting in more fiber via fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (not gummies). Natural sources of soluble fiber inulin (high in prebiotics) are Jerusalem artichoke/sunchoke, jicama, artichoke, asparagus, onion (including onion powder), leeks, garlic (including garlic powder), green/unripe bananas, and wheat.
prebiotic soluble fiber from tapioca is another soluble fiber that is nondigestable. This is another fiber used to bulk up these gummies without adding sugar (but it’s adding carbs and might increase blood sugars). See the rest of my rant about fiber above
ALL HAIL THE RED TWISTS QUEEN!!
