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Consuming 15g of inulin with a meal stimulates significant colonic fermentation, producing approximately 137mmol of acetate, 20mmol of butyrate, and 11mmol of propionate over 12 hours in healthy adults.

To boost your gut's production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like acetate and butyrate, consume 15 grams of inulin (a type of soluble fiber found in foods like chicory root, onions, and garlic) with your breakfast. This amount is sufficient to stimulate significant fermentation in the colon over the next 12 hours, providing energy for colon cells and supporting metabolic health. If you are new to high-fiber foods, start with a smaller dose to avoid digestive discomfort.

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Colonic inulin fermentation was estimated to be 137 ± 75 mmol acetate, 11 ± 9 mmol propionate, and 20 ± 17 mmol butyrate over 12 h, assuming that 40%, 10%, and 5% of colonic derived acetate, propionate, and butyrate enter the systemic circulation.
Eef Boets et al. · Nutrients · 2015

Why this rating

High-quality methodology using stable isotope dilution in a controlled clinical setting with healthy subjects.

Source

Quantification of in Vivo Colonic Short Chain Fatty Acid Production from Inulin

Eef Boets et al. · Nutrients · 2015

DOI 10.3390/nu7115440

crossover · n=12Cited 185×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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