Inulin? What is it? Do I want it?

If you've ever eaten a Fiber One bar and been gassy a few hours later, inulin is probably the cultprit!  Inulin occurs naturally in plants, commonly extracted from chicory root ("chicory root extract" on ingredient labels), but in the extracted version, it is no longer in its natural form.  If a product is pumped up with high fiber labeling (such as fiber bars, packaged oatmeal, cereals, crackers), there is a good chance this is due to inulin additions.

The Big Question--- Does it matter if fiber is from natural whole food sources, or from added sources?

To date, science has not yet determined if added fibers are as beneficial as natural whole fiber foods in the diet.  In general it is recommended to derive fiber intake from natural food sources, and those choices generally will be full of more nutrients.  Look for the word "whole" on labels (oats, wheat, cornmeal, etc; example- "whole cornmeal" v. "corn fiber").  If you don't see the world "whole" in the ingredient list on a high fiber product, it is probably replete with added fibers such as inulin.  Not bad, but maybe not full of all the benefits you are hoping for!