Jerusalem artichoke inulin and gut bacteria in a human trial
What it found
Fruit and vegetable shots with Jerusalem artichoke inulin raised levels of bifidobacteria and slightly increased lactobacilli in healthy people.
The extra gas reported stayed mild.
What they found
Studies in people
More bifidobacteria in stool
People drinking either type of shot with Jerusalem artichoke inulin had higher counts of bifidobacteria in their stool than those on the placebo. Three weeks after stopping the shots, levels returned to where they started.
Slight rise in lactobacilli
Both inulin shots led to a small increase in Lactobacillus and Enterococcus bacteria compared with the placebo. Other bacterial groups measured did not change.
No change in fatty acids
Levels of short-chain fatty acids in stool samples stayed about the same across all three groups throughout the trial.
Mild extra flatulence
People taking one of the inulin shots reported slightly more flatulence than those on the placebo. Overall, the extra gas was rated as mild on a scale up to severe.
Stool habits unchanged
How often people went to the toilet and how firm their stools were did not differ between the inulin groups and the placebo group.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that fruit and vegetable shots containing Jerusalem artichoke inulin work as a prebiotic by selectively raising bifidobacteria and slightly increasing lactobacilli in people.
- The authors suggest this combination offers a new food format made from natural ingredients to deliver these bacterial changes.
How it was done
Scientists know that certain gut bacteria like bifidobacteria may help health, and prebiotics can encourage them to grow. Most research has used chicory inulin, so the authors wanted to test whether inulin from Jerusalem artichoke works the same way in people.
Sixty-six healthy adults aged 18 to 50 were split into three groups of twenty-two. For three weeks, two groups drank fruit and vegetable shots providing 5 g of Jerusalem artichoke inulin daily, while the third group drank a placebo shot without inulin. Stool samples and daily diaries tracked gut bacteria and digestion before, during and after the trial.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial lasted only three weeks, so it cannot show what happens when people take Jerusalem artichoke inulin over many months or years.
- The volunteers were healthy adults aged 18 to 50, so the results may not apply to children, older adults or people with gut conditions.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Reading, UK
The paper
- Title
- Prebiotic effect of fruit and vegetable shots containing Jerusalem artichoke inulin: a human intervention study
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Ramnani P, Gaudier E, Bingham M, van Bruggen P, Tuohy KM, Gibson GR (2010). Prebiotic effect of fruit and vegetable shots containing Jerusalem artichoke inulin: a human intervention study. The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1017/S000711451000036XFree full textPubMed 20187995DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error