Where does inulin travel before being fermented by beneficial gut bacteria?
Answer
To the large intestine without being digested in the upper tract
Inulin possesses the defining characteristic of a non-digestible carbohydrate in the upper GI tract, which is key to its function as a prebiotic. This means that standard digestive enzymes present in the stomach and small intestine are unable to break down the inulin molecule into absorbable monosaccharides for immediate energy use by the body's cells. Consequently, the intact inulin fiber passes through these upper regions untouched. It is only upon reaching the large intestine, or colon, that it encounters the dense population of specialized, beneficial bacteria that possess the necessary enzymatic machinery to ferment this specific type of fiber.
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