Five vegetables rich in 'protective' fiber that guards the body against sugar damage

When doctors say fiber is an important component of a healthy diet, they ain't joking. A new UC Irvine study has highlighted just how vital dietary fiber is for the body by finding one that protects it from sugar damage. Researchers at the UCI School of Medicine found that inulin, a naturally occurring fiber found in vegetables like onions, garlic and artichokes can transform the bacteria in the gut to stop fructose before it even reaches the liver.

Well, as per the findings published in Nature Metabolism the fiber not only aids in digestion but also in how the body handles sugar at a molecular level. Lead researcher Cholsoon Jang, PhD, of UCI’s Nutrient Metabolism & Disease Lab and his team discovered that when people eat fructose, gut bacteria in the small intestine metabolizes it before it reaches the liver. However, without enough fiber, the fructose "spills over" burdening the liver and triggering fat buildup. By feeding the gut bacteria with inulin, researchers found that microbes burn through fructose early, stopping the cycle beforehand. One of these bacteria was even able to reverse signs of fatty liver disease, reducing fat accumulation and boosting the liver’s natural antioxidants.

In a study published in Plants, red onion was found to be a better source of inulin in terms of quality and quantity when compared to yellow onion. The inulin-type fructooligosaccharides in these may exhibit prebiotic properties and effects.

Both globe artichoke and Jerusalem artichoke are packed with inulin. Inulin present in Jerusalem artichokes improved insulin secretion, damaged the liver and reduced levels of blood glucose and serum cholesterol in mice with induced diabetes. A study published in Foods stated that inulin-enriched pasta where the fiber was extracted from artichoke roots, slowed down the release of glucose in the blood.

Garlic is a rich source of inulin as per an article published in Food Science of Animal Resources. The presence of inulin in it helps the root vegetable prevent gut leakage, thus reducing intestinal inflammation by maintaining protein integrity and antioxidant activity against free radicals. Inulin helps here by increasing the amount of friendly bacteria on the mucosal surface.

​Research published in The Review of Diabetic Studies, dandelion roots have up to 45% inulin with beneficial effects such as elimination of pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract, preventing obesity, cancer and osteoporosis.

The roots of this vegetable are also enriched with inulin. A study published in Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre, three Asparagus species, namely A. falcatus, A.racemosus and A.gonacladus had considerably high amounts of inulin in their roots, comparable to that in Chicory tubers.