Goodbye sugar: hello chicory fiber!

There is more and more talk about the importance of taking care of our intestinal microbiota, at the same time that there are more and more studies on this subject. It has a key influence on our health, and the most direct thing we can do to take care of it is to watch our diet . Among the foods that help protect and regenerate the intestinal flora is fiber, and one of the stars is chicory.

Chicory is a plant that is cultivated in different parts of the world, and to which it has been given various uses (cattle feed, they sweeten, to prepare a substitute drink for coffee , home remedies…). However, each part of the plant has a different property.

The root of the issue

The root of this plant provides beneficial substances for us (phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, fiber …), which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, anticancer effects, among others. That is, only the root has innumerable properties. However, many companies decide not to process it , so much of the product is lost.

Given this, the most important thing is to look at the nutritional labels of the products to verify what part of the chicory they contain. Those that contain chicory root are healthier, and of course you have to pay attention that they do not have added sugar. The best option is to choose those that have a version as natural as possible , those that are made with the fiber of chicory. That will not only serve as a sweetener, but it will provide all the properties.

Why is it so widely used?

One of the reasons that most draws attention to this plant is the list of components that it has with a sweetening function. In other words, its composition makes it possible to sweeten products in a natural way, beneficial for our microbiota and our health in general. One of the main elements is inulin , which is a non-digestible and prebiotic carbohydrate, naturally present in chicory root. It is low in calories, which is why it is considered a good substitute for sugar and is recommended in diabetic nutrition. In addition, it is a source of soluble fiber.

All this makes inulin a beneficial component for nutrition, and it is what has led to it being used as a functional additive by some food industries that want to improve the quality of their products. For example, it is a key ingredient for the manufacture of natural products that do not contain added sugar but require sweetness: from chocolates, to bars or nut creams.

Insulin, itself, is a probiotic. What does this mean? That helps protect the health of our gut, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘second brain’. prebiotics, like the inulin present in chicory fiber, help us in this, as they are the ideal food for bacteria ‘good’ from our intestines.

The list of benefits is extensive:

  •  Kills ‘bad’ bacteria
  •  Prevent constipation
  •  They reduce the risk of suffering from osteoporosis because they favor the absorption of essential minerals, such as calcium
  •  They improve the health of the arteries, avoiding the formation of plugs known as atherosclerosis
  •  They favor the control of inflammatory bowel diseases

They help, in general, the health of the entire digestive system in its various aspects

That key part that the chicory fiber contains, inulin, makes the fiber provided have a different and more beneficial structure. It is a “long chain linear fructan structure”. This means that, being longer, it takes longer to digest than the rest of the others, so slows the absorption of glucose and its levels in the blood even more after consuming it .

This is key. If we put aside the refined sugar products that cause glucose peaks, and substitute them with natural sweeteners, we will obtain a healthier product. But, if among those substitutes, we choose products made with chicory fiber, we will be able to greatly reduce the glycemia caused by the consumption of sweet. In the end, the story leads us to the same conclusion: back to nature . Although it is true that the current lifestyle sometimes forces us to consume industrialized foods , and does not allow us to have 100% fresh products so close at hand.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *