At the heart of gut health is the gut microbiome — the large and complex community of bacteria living mostly in the large intestine. A healthy microbiome is not about having one “good” bacterium in large amounts. It is about balance, variety, and cooperation between many species. Scientists often compare it to a forest. A forest made up of many different plants is stable and self-supporting, while a forest built around a single species is fragile and easily disturbed.

Inulin is a naturally occurring carbohydrate found in plants such as chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, dandelion, and agave. It belongs to a group of soluble dietary fibres known as fructans — long or short chains of fructose molecules that the human body cannot digest (Roberfroid, 2007). Instead of being absorbed in the small intestine, inulin travels to the colon, where it serves as food for beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus

Lactic Acid Bacteria, Bifidobacteria, and Butyrate: Supporting Gut Lining and Intestinal Wall Health