Is Benefiber a prebiotic?
Yes, Benefiber is 100% a prebiotic made up of natural prebiotic fiber which is claimed to be both clear and taste free.
Being a prebiotic, Benefiber resists digestion after consumption. Instead it travels down to your colon completely intact where it ferments and feeds your gut’s microflora.
If you’re looking for the best prebiotic that we’ve seen on the market currently, check out our Performance Lab Prebiotic review.
Or if you wish to see our Best Prebiotics you can see those here.
What prebiotic fiber is in Benefiber?
Benefiber contains wheat dextrin, which is a kind of wheat starch. It also contains hydrolyzed guar gum.
Wheat dextrin is commonly used in the food industry, and is a dietary fiber which is used to help improve digestion on the count of it being a prebiotic. It has many uses, along with several health benefits.
The dextrin if made from hydrolyzed starch which comes from numerous starches such as corn, rice, potato, tapioca and more. Wheat starch on the other hand comes from extracting gluten from wheat. After it has been extracted, the wheat starch is sprayed with an acid and then suspended in water.
After this process the wheat starch is put in a roaster to dry where it stirred and heated. The dextrin that comes from this is extracted from the roaster and cooled and then humidified to avoid it from getting lumpy. The end result is wheat dextrin – a prebiotic fiber which is used in Benefiber.
Outside of Benefiber, you can find wheat dextrin being used to thicken foods such as low calorie foods and sauces. This makes it a good thickening alternative to fat which would have more calories.
Health Benefits of Benefiber’s Prebiotic Fiber
Benefiber’s wheat dextrin, a prebiotic fiber, is water soluble and has been seen to help reduce cholesterol levels.
There’s also some research that shows that it may help your immune system as well as improve your body’s absorption of minerals.
In one study, 10 subjects supplemented wheat dextrin over 31 days. After the 31 days of taking the prebiotic fiber, they had improved absorption and retention of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, as well as better digestive health when it came to issues such as constipation.
Side Effects of Benefiber’s Prebiotic Fiber
Benefiber’s wheat dextrin is not without it’s flaws. Some people may experience stomach pain, bloating and gas from using it. It is technically gluten free because of the extraction process but there may be some residual amounts left in there.
For your safety, we suggest that you do not use Benefiber if you are suffering from celiac disease on the off-chance that there is some gluten in the product.
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- Can Probiotics Make You Constipated?
- How long does it take to repopulate the gut with good bacteria?
- Is Benefiber a Prebiotic?
- When to take Probiotics Morning or Evening?
- Can Probiotics Give You Diarrhea?
- Why do Probiotics Sometimes Cause Gas?
- How often should you take a probiotic?
- Performance Lab Prebiotic Review | Does it Beat Probiotics? Our #1 For Digestive Health
Hi, I’m Pablo Garduno. I am a biohacking enthusiast, and Head Writer of SanDiegoHealth.org. I write the majority of the content on this site, and appreciate you taking the time to read my work.