Have had inulin in my super shake for 4 years now.
Plus gum arabic
Plus potato starch
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What is the health rationale behind the gum arabic and potato starch?
Potato Starch
How it Works as a Prebiotic
- Feeds Gut Bacteria:
Like other fibers, resistant starch is not digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract but instead ferments in the colon.
- Promotes Beneficial Bacteria:
This fermentation process provides a food source for beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia, which are known to support gut health.
- Improved Gut Health:
By supporting these good bacteria, resistant potato starch can contribute to improved bowel function and overall gut health.
Where to Find It
- Raw Potato Starch:
Raw, unmodified potato starch contains resistant starch and can be added to foods or smoothies.
- Specialized Ingredients:
Many products on the market are specifically formulated with resistant potato starch, often labeled as “resistant starch” or with specific brand names like Solnul.
Key Considerations
- Resistant Starch is the Key:
It’s the resistant starch within the potato starch that gives it its prebiotic properties, not just any potato starch.
- Dose:
Studies have shown that even relatively low doses of resistant potato starch can have a positive impact on the gut microbiota.
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Gum Arabic -
GA, traditionally a food ingredient, exhibits potential as a health-promoting prebiotic in the human gut.
The potential prebiotic properties of GA have been demonstrated.[11] Beneficial gut bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are encouraged, and harmful bacteria such as Clostridium are inhibited.[12] GA has also been found to have antioxidant,[13] anti-inflammatory,[14] and immunomodulatory properties, which make it a viable agent for promoting gut health.[12] Thus, GA’s prebiotic properties suggest a potential for improving gastrointestinal health.
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Different fibres, soluble and insoluble require/support different bacterium in their fermentation and breakdown processes. That’s why I don’t use just one beneficial fibre in my shake.
My goal is a diverse and healthy gut environment.
I do take probiotics as well and use a variety of “brands”, I’ll take one for 1 for 2 months, then switch to another for 1 to 2 months so my gut receives as wide a variety of probiotics as I can find. No single probiotic I’ve found has all the “good” ones.
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Hmmm… I’d love to add inulin to my stack. Does it go well with coffee? I don’t do shakes right now. Can it be sprinkled on a salad?
It is unnoticeable in coffee, for me at least.
It’s a white powder, so I have.a tough time envisioning it on a salad.
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Coffee it is then. I’ll also add it to my oatmeal when I have it.
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Inulin has no taste in coffee. Just go easy for a while until your system gets used to it. It can produce some gastrointestinal effects, a little gasiness, etc.
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I think you might say yes, but as someone who eats a ton of plants (vegan), is there an added benefit to adding addition fiber … inulin, psyllium husk etc? Is more more?
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It depends… how much fiber do you think you are getting already per day? Also, you are quite small and with low body mass, so that is also a factor…
From GPT5:
Medical experts generally agree that fiber intake is one of the strongest dietary predictors of long-term health and longevity. Here’s what leading authorities recommend:
Global and U.S. Guidelines
-
U.S. Dietary Guidelines / Institute of Medicine (IOM)
- Women: ~25 g/day
-
Men: ~38 g/day
(based on 14 g per 1,000 kcal consumed)
-
World Health Organization (WHO) & Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- At least 25–30 g/day of dietary fiber, preferably from whole foods.
-
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
- Minimum 25 g/day to support normal bowel function and overall health.
Optimal for Longevity (beyond minimums)
Epidemiological and interventional studies suggest benefits at higher intakes:
- 30–40 g/day: Linked to lowest risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers.
- 40–50 g/day: Found in some Blue Zone populations (Okinawa, Sardinia, Nicoya), often from legumes, vegetables, and unrefined grains. These groups also have higher lifespan averages.
- >50 g/day: May provide added benefit in people with high energy needs or plant-heavy diets, though excessive intake (>70 g/day) can cause bloating or mineral absorption issues.
Types of Fiber & Specific Benefits
- Soluble fiber (oats, beans, fruits): Lowers LDL cholesterol, improves glycemic control.
- Insoluble fiber (whole grains, vegetables, nuts): Improves bowel regularity, reduces diverticulitis risk.
- Fermentable fibers (inulin, resistant starch, pectin): Feed gut microbiota, increase SCFA (butyrate) production, linked to reduced inflammation and improved metabolic health.
Expert Consensus
- 25–30 g/day = minimum for health.
- 30–40+ g/day = optimal for longevity, metabolic health, and disease prevention, especially when coming from diverse sources (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts/seeds).
- Quality matters: whole-food fibers consistently outperform isolated supplements.
Bottom line:
For optimal health and longevity, most experts recommend aiming for 30–40 g/day of fiber from a variety of whole foods, rather than just meeting the 25–30 g/day baseline.
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Good question! I didn’t know this answer, so this was a good exercise for me (all of you really up my game!).
I don’t use cronometer often, so I can’t get an truly accurate gauge, but in checking out 7 random days, I see my worst day was 25, most days were 35-40, and my best day was around 50.
Now that I see your goal is around 70, and I wanna be like you, I guess I do add some additional sources.
And interesting that potato starch might be healthy @Steve_Combi. I have come across recipes that use it (usually to crisp up tofu), but I’ve only made those things a handful of times thinking that if all else is equal, starch would be best avoided.
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Speaking of potatoes, one of the best resistant starch we discovered on our recent trips to Japan( specially Okinawa) is Japanese sweet potato and then purple yam.
We just put lace them with refined olive oil and out them air fryer!
It is so creamy and delicious! We all love it including our 75 lb labdoodle!
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Great tip, thx! I eat sweet potatoes but didn’t really know why :).
I learned from the Blue Zones documentary that purple stokes are a good choice, so I buy those when I see them and chop them up into little disks and roast them. I use EVO, salt, and usually some Diaspora Tandoori Masala (one of my fav spices to put on potatoes or chickpeas before roasting them… it makes them more interesting and supposedly the more spices we can use the better?). I keep them in the fridge and add them to salads which makes them feel heartier.
I sadly don’t have an air fryer but I hear they are phenomenal (I have too many kitchen gadgets and feel too guilty to add one more!) .
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Yes, besides the palate your gut buddies(microbiome) love those resistant starch!!
Wow…we do same with purple stokes except just learnt with tikka masaala recipe from you. Will be trying them tonight and then might try with chaat masaala too. Thx.
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I love how many great tips we can all learn from each other!!!
The whole of rapamycin.news is better than it’s parts 
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Keep in mind that resistant potato starch loses its “resistant” property once you cook or fry it : it then becomes digestible starch. Same is true for corn starch.
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Thats a great call-out. I should have added (which is what I do soreflexively), if cooked sweet potatoes are cooled after cooking, some of the starch undergoes a process called retrogradation, transforming back into a new type of resistant starch (known as RS3). This resistant starch formed during the cooling phase is less sensitive to being broken down during reheating, and can even increase slightly if the food is reheated after cooling. So, we cool it down by putting it back in fridge. Then, we generally eat over next few days by taking it out.
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I usually eat a lot of sweet potatoes. They’re really popular and delicious in Okinawa. They really know how to prepare them there! Fortunately, my mother-in-law knows how to prepare them properly and they are mouthwatering yummy!
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