Inulin supplementation and blood and stool chemicals in people with alcohol use disorder
What it found
In people with alcohol use disorder stopping drinking, 17 days of inulin changed specific fats and other chemicals in the blood and stool compared to a placebo.
It did not change short-chain fatty acids in the stool.
What they found
Studies in people
Stool chemical changes
Inulin lowered 12 chemicals in the stool compared to the placebo, including certain bile acids and amino acid derivatives. It raised two chemicals, including one called N8-acetylspermidine.
Blood fat changes
In the blood, inulin raised levels of long-chain fatty acids like DHA and DPA. It also raised certain phospholipids and sphingomyelins compared to the placebo.
Short-chain fatty acids unchanged
Levels of short-chain fatty acids in the stool, such as acetate, propionate and butyrate, were about the same in both groups.
Links to liver markers
A blood fat called sphingomyelin SM 36:2 was higher with inulin. Higher levels of this fat tracked with lower scores on tests that reflect liver damage.
Gut bacteria links
The rise in Bifidobacterium seen with inulin tracked with higher levels of two stool chemicals. Changes in several other gut bacteria also tracked with the altered chemicals.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that three weeks of inulin during alcohol withdrawal caused specific changes in blood and stool chemicals in these patients.
- They note that some of the chemicals altered by inulin tracked with measures of liver function.
- They call for larger studies to confirm these findings and to explore how different types of fiber might help manage alcohol use disorder.
How it was done
People with alcohol use disorder often have imbalanced gut bacteria and eat too little fiber. The authors wanted to see if adding inulin during alcohol withdrawal would change chemicals made by gut bacteria that might affect metabolism and behavior.
Fifty adults hospitalized for a three-week alcohol withdrawal program took part. Half received inulin and half received a placebo called maltodextrin for 17 days. The inulin dose increased gradually from 4 g to 16 g per day.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial only studied people with severe alcohol use disorder who were stopping drinking. It cannot show what inulin does in healthy shoppers or people without this condition.
- The study lasted 17 days, so it cannot show whether these chemical changes last over months or years.
- Some findings are correlations between chemicals and liver markers, which do not prove that one directly causes the other.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of competing interest VK, OK and KH are founders of Afekta Technologies Ltd. The other authors report no financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium; Université de Bordeaux, France; University of Turku, Finland
The paper
- Title
- Effect of inulin supplementation on fecal and blood metabolome in alcohol use disorder patients: A randomised, controlled dietary intervention
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Amadieu C, Ahmed H, Leclercq S, et al (2025). Effect of inulin supplementation on fecal and blood metabolome in alcohol use disorder patients: A randomised, controlled dietary intervention. Clinical nutrition ESPEN. doi:10.1016/j.clnesp.2025.01.046Free full textPubMed 39864520DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error