There's something about Inulin

What is Inulin?

If you’ve ever felt confused about why your digestive symptoms appear hours—or even a full day—after eating, you’re not alone. One possible culprit could be inulin, a type of dietary fiber that belongs to a group of carbohydrates called fructans.

Inulin occurs naturally in many foods. It’s especially abundant in garlic, onions, and root vegetables, and it’s also a major component of wheat—meaning it shows up in everyday staples like bread, pasta, and cereals.

What have AIRE 2 users discovered about inulin?

For many people in the FoodMarble community, inulin has proven to be a real digestive challenge. In fact, among all the FODMAPs tested in our Food Intolerance Kits, inulin consistently shows one of the highest positivity rates across almost every country. The only exception is Spain, where it ranks third.

This makes inulin one of the most common triggers identified by AIRE 2 users worldwide.

Why is Inulin such a problem?

The tricky thing about inulin is the way it ferments: slowly.

• When foods ferment quickly in the gut, symptoms tend to appear soon after eating.
• But inulin’s slower fermentation process means symptoms can be delayed until much later in the day—or even the next day.

That delay often makes it hard to connect the dots. People may end up eliminating the wrong foods, while the real culprit—hidden inulin—remains in their diet. This can be frustrating, and it’s why understanding your response to inulin can be such a breakthrough.

Gluten isn’t always the culprit

It’s common for people to blame gluten when they react to wheat-based foods like bread or cereals. But in some cases, the real issue isn’t the gluten—it’s the inulin those foods contain.

This distinction matters. If you cut out gluten unnecessarily, you may be avoiding foods you don’t actually need to, while still struggling with symptoms triggered by inulin.

So how do I find out if inulin is an issue for me?

The empowering news is that you don’t have to keep guessing. With the right tools, you can get a clear picture of how inulin affects you.

• Using your AIRE 2 device, the FoodMarble app, and the Food Intolerance Test Kit, you can directly test your response to inulin (included as one of the four substrates in the kit).
• Pay attention to your Inulin Challenge results. Because inulin ferments slowly, you may notice a late rise in your fermentation levels—sometimes hours after the challenge ends.
• This happens because inulin is a large, complex molecule that takes longer to travel through your system and break down.

By combining your breath test results with symptom tracking in the app, you can get a clearer, more reliable picture of whether inulin plays a role in your digestive discomfort.

Taking the next step

Understanding your unique response to inulin is an important piece of the digestive health puzzle. It can help you:

• Avoid unnecessary food restrictions.
• Identify the real triggers behind your symptoms.
• Make food choices with more confidence and less guesswork.

And remember—you’re not alone in this. Many others in the FoodMarble community have uncovered inulin as a key factor in their digestive symptoms. With the right insights, you can take meaningful steps toward better comfort and control.

For more detail on inulin, check out our help article which explains more.

Updated on: 03/09/2025