ANSWER

There are few unique properties of Inulin and FOS that contribute to weight management.

A. Low Calorie Value

• Inulin also acts as dietary fiber, yielding about 1.5 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram for fully digestible carbohydrates like sugar and 9 calories per gram for fat (USDA Agriculture Research Service, 2013).

B. Satiety and Appetite Control

• Dietary fibres are related to impact on satiation (satisfaction of appetite) and satiety (inhibition of hunger) due to their properties of adding bulk (satiation) and producing viscosity (satiety) (Slavin, & Green, 2007).

• The bulking and textural properties of functional fibres make them an attractive ingredient for enhancing satiation and help to reduce food intake. The short chain fatty acid production positively influences satiety regulation and the subsequent food intake (Beneo, 2013).

C. Energy Intake Reduction

• Functional fibres help to reduce the food intake. Studies show that Oligofructose have consistently helps people to eat less over time (Beneo, 2013).

• These functional fibres are excellent fat replacer in water continuous phase products.

D. Modulation of Lipid Metabolism

• Inulin-type fructan helps to regulate lipid metabolism by promoting glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) production in colon.

• It enhanced triglyceride-rich lipoprotein catabolism causing less deposit of fat tissue in body (Urias-Silvas et al., 2008).

References

Beneo. 2013. Benefits: Weight Management.

Slavin, J. & Green, H. (2007). Dietary Fibre and Satiety. British Nutrition Foundation Nutrition Bulletin, 32(1), 32-42.

Urias-Silvas, J. E., Cani, P. D., Delmee, E., Neyrinck, A., Lopez, M. G. & Delzenne, N. M. (2008). Physiological effects of dietary fructans extracted from Agave tequilana Gto. and Dasylirion spp. British Journal Nutrition, 99(2), 254-261.

USDA Agriculture Research Service (2013). Fat Substitute Boosts Calcium Absorption. Food and Nutrition Research Briefs.