We have a house rule that if you want to indulge in potty-talk, you have to do it in the bathroom. So I’m going to violate my own rule and talk about things that would make my boys giggle. All in the name of helping another person avoid the gas, bloating, and belly pain I used to have.
Several years ago, these chocolate-drizzled, fiber-enriched Fiber One bars were something I’d pick up occasionally to satisfy my sweet tooth. Then one day, I was chatting with a friend. and the topic of these bars came up. “I can’t eat those,” she said. “They make me bloated and gassy.”
Light-bulb moment!
I did a little research and learned that chicory root extract, the first ingredient in these bars, causes some people issues such as bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. I also realized that the whole grain Kashi cereal I’d been eating every morning contained it too.
What is Chicory Root?
Chicory root is a plant that’s commonly used as added fiber in many products.
While other fibers are broken down more slowly, chicory root is broken down quickly and completely by bacteria in the large intestine, which can trigger symptoms like gas, belly bloat, abdominal pain, and gut rumbling. Some people tolerate it just fine, but others (like me and my friend) don’t. People with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) may be especially sensitive to chicory root.
What is Inulin?
If you think you might have trouble with chicory root, you should also check labels for “inulin”. Inulin is the kind of fiber that’s found in chicory root, as well as in asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, and garlic. Inulin is known as a “prebiotic”, which means it helps feed the healthy bacteria in your gut–which is a good thing, unless you’re sensitive to it like I am!
Inulin is used widely in products that are fortified with fiber, such as gluten-free and low-carb products, protein powders, and bars and cereals like the ones I mentioned. It not only offers extra fiber but also adds sweetness, so manufacturers can use less sugar. And inulin has a creamy “mouthfeel” (as they say in the food processing biz!), so it’s helpful to companies when making things like fiber-fortified ice cream and yogurt.
What foods contain inulin?
Leeks, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, and garlic all contain inulin naturally. But as I discovered, supplemental inulin and chicory root are also added to a surprising number of processed foods to increase the fiber content, especially those billed as low carb or high in fiber. The following foods may have inulin or chicory root on the ingredient list, so if you think you’re sensitive to it, check labels.
- Protein powders such as Orgain and Vega
- Some high-fiber cereals such as Kashi GOLEAN
- Fiber bars such as Fiber One
- Granola bars such as varieties of KIND and Nature Valley
- Bread products labeled “low carb” like ThinSlim
- Low-calorie ice cream such as Halo Top and Arctic Zero (chicory root is listed as “prebiotic fiber”)
- Some yogurts such as Oikos Triple Zero
- Fiber supplements, including gummies and powders
Which KIND bars Don’t Contain Inulin?
This is question I’ve gotten from a few people, so I reached out to the folks at KIND for the answer. There is NO inulin/chicory root in the following KIND bar varieties: Pressed by KIND (non-chocolate flavors), KIND Healthy Grains, and KIND Sweet & Spicy Bars.
How can you tell how much inulin is in foods?
Right now you can’t, but the ingredient list and Nutrition Facts Panel offer some clues. If you see “chicory root” or “inulin” listed in the first few ingredients (as in the Fiber One bars) you can assume it contains a decent amount, since ingredients are listed in order by weight.
If it’s a food product that doesn’t normally contain fiber (like yogurt or juice), look at the total fiber on the Nutrition Facts Panel. For example, if a yogurt contains inulin (and doesn’t have any other added fibers) and lists 3 grams of fiber, it likely has 3 grams of inulin in it.
Is inulin Healthy?
Yes. Inulin is a fiber, and both adults and kids get about half of what they need every day. Fibers like inulin can also help keep you regular, and constipation is a major issue for children and grown-ups.
Because inulin is a prebiotic, it can also help boost the amount of beneficial bacteria in your gut–and a well-balanced microbiome (the trillions of bacteria in your GI tract) can mean better overall health.
There’s also some research showing that chicory root may help curb overeating and even help the body soak up more calcium.
How much inulin causes gas?
That likely varies by person. In some research, up to 20 grams a day is well tolerated. But in one study, adults did well with amounts up to 10 grams, but more triggered gas and bloating for some. Me? I’m bothered by the 10 grams in a single Fiber One bar. At a sponsored conference I recently attended, representatives from the Beneo Institute (they make supplemental fibers, including those containing chicory root) said you can build up a tolerance to inulin if you consistently consume it over time. They suggested starting with 5 grams a day (split into two 2.5 grams doses in the morning and evening) using a supplement form of inulin, such as a powder you stir into drinks.
Personally, since I get a lot of fiber in my diet anyway from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (and have a pretty sensitive GI tract in general) I simply avoid products containing inulin or chicory root.
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I figured this one out a few years ago, much like your friend did! I am still on the hunt for “safe” and tasty bars, so I would love to hear any suggestions of alternatives!
Hi Megan–thanks for your comment. I like Larabars a lot (some have just 3-4 ingredients) and KIND bars (look for ones without inulin or chicory root). Here is a blog post all about bars from a fellow RD who I’m pretty sure avoids chicory root too: http://candidrd.com/2015/05/kind-bars-arent-healthy-and-my-top-nine-snack-bar-picks.html
Yes, years ago when Fiber Bars became popular I bought them and instantly noticed they didn’t work with my body and I thought I was the only one!
Amy–Guess you’re one of the sensitive types too! 🙂
I was trying to bulk up on fiber to counteract carbs and had an immediate reaction to Oikos Triple Zero yogurt, which included very obvious belly rumbling. I suppose you would recommend plain yogurt with fruit or a crunchy, healthy topping not including chicory root. we were traveling and hubby had a bad reaction to a similar fiber bar. Guess there is such a thing as too much of a good thing! I’ll try your recommendation for Larabars or Kind bars.
Carolyn–many fruits have a lot of fiber, especially raspberries and pears. You could put frozen raspberries on your yogurt plus some slivered almonds for natural fiber. Just make sure you read ingredient labels on the KIND bars because some do contain chicory root/inulin.
Thanks! Also, have you written about lactose intolerance or have any resources? (I haven’t been diagnosed but sometimes have questionable symptoms.)
Hi Carolyn–I haven’t written about it on this blog before. Here’s a reliable resource: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/digestive-diseases/lactose-intolerance/Pages/facts.aspx
There is a test you can take (a breath hydrogen test) so as a dietitian, I think it’s important to get a diagnosis before cutting out all dairy products so you’re not eliminating a major source of calcium/vitamin D.
I also notice similar symptoms from eating foods (especially yogurt) that contains pectin. I couldn’t figure out why I would feel bloating and gas pains from some yogurts but not others, and then I linked it to that ingredient
Michelle–I haven’t heard of pectin intolerance, but there are so many kinds of sensitivities and figuring out what does and doesn’t work with your system is so important for quality of life!
yes, yes, yes! I discuss this with shoppers all the time at work when we talk about fiber and label reading.
Julie–that’s great to hear. People want to do something “good” by eating fiber but sometimes it works against them! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this! I will be removing these ingredients from our diets! My husband has complained about these bars in the past. Also, I recently put myself on a low-fodmap diet to figure out the cause of my IBS symptoms and inulin and chicory root are on the “do not eat” list. Like I said, they will stay there.
Leia–I’ve been considering going on a low-FODMAPS diet myself. I think it would help me a lot. If you’re interested in following a dietitian who does a low-FODMAPS diet, I recommend Gina from CandidRD: http://candidrd.com She’s been on a low-FODMAPS diet for years and has a lot of good practical info and recipes.
Thank you for the website! The diet isn’t easy and it took a while to stop making mistakes but I now know that I am very lactose intolerant. I am very upset that none of the doctors even suggested that. I am now on my second challenge and have 4 more to go after that so we’ll see if there are any other problems. I am following Patsy Catsos’ book, “IBS-Free At Last,” and highly recommend it.
Yes, that book is super helpful! I have a copy myself. I hope you get everything figured out and feel better! 🙂
At my house, we call the Fiber One brand bars “fart bars”…. (We don’t have the potty talk only in the bathroom rule… maybe we should start it!!).
I never realized it was the TYPE of fiber though, I just thought it was because it was high fiber. Makes a lot more sense, now that I think about it, because high fiber breads or veggies don’t have the same effect 🙂
This is really coming as a surprise to people when the box says Fiber One in big red letters?
The issue I’m addressing is the specific form of added fiber, not the fact that it’s a high fiber food.
Thank you for this information. My husband and I both had reactions to Triple Zero Yogurt and decided it must be the chicory root fiber and stopped it and the symptoms went away. Today I noticed the KIND bars also have it in the ones we eat (less than 5 grams of sugar). I will be eliminating these too due to the chicory root fiber. I saw on another website to watch for those that have allergies when eating chicory root, which my husband and I both do, as it is in the family with ragweed. It really pays to read your labels! PS – 4 grams of sugar is equal to 1 teaspoon of sugar!!
I noticed the 000 yogurts giving me bloating and abdominal pain and found it was the chicory root. Recently I have been experiencing the same symptoms and found my herbal tea has roasted chicory, which I blend with Apple cider vinegar and ginger. Could the tea be causing the same effects as the yogurt?
Nadia–yes, it sounds like you are among the population (as I am) who is sensitive to chicory!
Ha! Yes, Sally, I figured this out the hard way when I was pregnant. I used to carry the fiber bars around in my purse for a quick snack, yet repeatedly felt terrible afterwards. It took me some time but figured it out. I totally steer clear these days! Great post.
Please do your research:
Prebiotics are simply a specific type of soluble fiber that people cannot digest, but the friendly bacteria in our guts can. In other words, prebiotics are food for “probiotics,” or the health-promoting bacteria that live in our intestines and help protect us from diarrhea-causing pathogenic bacteria. As probiotic bacteria grow and thrive while they feast on prebiotics, they throw off all sorts of beneficial digestive by-products called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Lots of research into the health benefits of these SCFAs is emerging, and they are being credited with outcomes ranging from regularity to colon cancer prevention to inducing remissions in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases like Ulcerative Colitis. It’s exciting stuff, to be sure, but don’t let your zeal for digestive nirvana send you into a prebiotic feeding frenzy just yet. After all, things that your gut bacteria digest for you produce gas as a by-product. Go slow and you shall reap the rewards without suffering a flatulent fate.
There are many types of fiber that act as prebiotics, but the most common one you’re likely to come across is called inulin. While there’s a modest amount of it in onions and asparagus, the two biggest food sources of inulin are Jerusalem artichokes and Chicory root.
Teresa–I have done my research, including interviewing one of the leading experts on fiber (Joanne Slavin at UMN) and reading research in major academic journals such as American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that state a certain percentage of the population is sensitive to inulin. As a dietitian, I understand what probiotics and prebiotics are but thank you for the information.
Holy Cow! Did I learn this the hard way! I was trying to eat healthier, so I bought a bunch of different flavored Kind bars to eat when I had a craving for candy. Then I began trying to substitute Teeccino for coffee. Teeccino tastes great, but…… After going through weeks of horrible pain, bloating, and gas, and wondering one evening if my stomach was seriously going to explode, I took a look at those ingredients. Chicory root, inulin (390 mg of inulin in one teabag of Teeccino)….oh, that’s what it is! All but one of the Kind bar flavors contained chicory root as well. When I complained, Caroline from Teeccino, tried to lecture me, just as Teresa did you, about what inulin was. She even told me that if I took probiotics, that would solve my problem. Um, no. I’ve been taking probiotics for many years, thank you very much. Some people are simply sensitive to inulin, and no amount of probiotics in the world will make a difference. Thanks!
Vicki–Yes, some of us are just sensitive to inulin and need to avoid it. It’s nice to have figured it out because the pain and bloating is horrible! Glad you are feeling better now too.
I have been suffering from bloating and constipation. I have been eating a lot of KIND bars, I think they may be the culprit?
Many varieties of KIND bars do contain chicory root, though a few don’t. I would try switching to another bar or a chicory-root-free version of KIND bar and see if it improves.
Thank you thank you thank you! I started eating these and Oikos triple zero the same week and didn’t know why I had such bloating. I literally had to wear pants 2 sizes larger than usual. I thought maybe I had a thyroid issue or an ovarian issue. So glad I put the puzzle together and found your info!
Jill–I’m so glad you found the post and that you were able to figure out the source of the issue!
Thank you so much for this info! I, too, was experiencing gas after eating Oikos Triple Zero yogurt. I didn’t know why THAT particular yogurt would cause that symptom when other yogurts did not. So now I know, thanks to you!! What brand of yogurt do you recommend?
With appreciation,
Mitzi Fields
Oh my gosh, I just figured this out as well. I’d been eating a Fiber One bar in the afternoon to satisfy a sweet tooth but would go home gassy. Ha! I’d been continually bloated for a few weeks while eating those bars probably 3 times a week.
Then I ran out of those bars (the bloating went down but I didn’t put the two together) and the hubs picked up Nature Valley Protein with nuts and chocolate. I decided to grab one today and about 20 minutes later I’m back to what I call “bubble guts”. I decided to look at the ingredients list and saw it!! Chicory Root Extract is the first ingredient in both bars. I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for this ingredient. Doesn’t seem to like me 🙂
Thanks for the write up on it!
Michelle–Glad you figured it out! That ingredient doesn’t like me either so I really stay away from it. Not worth the gross feeling. 🙂
I think that in addition to avoiding chicory root extract or inulin, those of us who suffer from this problem should start writing to these companies to complain. If they get enough comments, they may reverse the trend of putting that stuff into more and more products.to
It causes me so much intestinal distress that I have felt like my gut was going to rupture.
Thanks for posting this! I too have shared Kind bars with friends and a couple have remarked at how gassy they were afterwards. I contacted Kind directly and mentioned that there are those of us who don’t tolerate chicory well and asked if would they consider producing a chicory free version. The reply I got was that their Sweet and Spicy bars don’t contain chicory.
None of my local grocery stores carry that product, though. I googled Kind bars knock offs and found a couple of good recipes for similar tasting bars. They’re easy enough to make and though the ingredients are expensive, so are Kind bars, and I can control what’s in them.
Is it possible that we have problems with inulin because we don’t have the right kind of probiotics, or enough of the right ones in our guts?
Also, I don’t seem to have trouble with a small amount of chicory root, because for several years, I’ve been adding 1 tbs & 1.5 tsp (that’s the size of a scoop I have) of Dandy Blend to my big mug of decaf coffee. It has chicory root plus 4 other ingredients. I tried replacing the coffee (regular coffee back then) completely with Dandy Blend, but if I had any more than the one scoop, I’d get gassy. I like having a big mug in the morning, so a small 8 oz cup wasn’t enough. So I ended up switching to decaf and adding DB (I like the flavor) to it. No problems.
Fast forward a few years to today. Last week I started adding roasted chicory root grounds to my coffee in an effort to replace the coffee completely. I’ve still been adding the Dandy Blend to it. And I still drink a big mug of it, also adding coconut oil and grass-fed butter to it. Well, the last couple of days, as I lowered the amount of coffee grounds and increased the amount of pure chicory root grounds, I’ve had terrible gas again. I just put it together, googled chicory root & gas and found your blog. I didn’t know that was the ingredient in Dandy Blend that caused the problems.
Do you know if increasing the amount of chicory root very slowly can desensitize someone to it, especially if a small amount doesn’t bother?
Hi Diane! Glad you found my post. In researching this, my understanding is that some people can tolerate small amounts of it but not larger amounts, but it’s hard to know how much a product contains (though its place on the ingredient list can offer clues). I am doing additional research to add to this post and will look into your question about sensitization!
I learned of Chicory root the hard way. I ate a big bowl of Kashi on the first day starting a new job. My gut was exploding – it was very embarrassing visiting the men’s room multiple times in a short span.. I apparantly have a very low tolerance to inulin. I ate a yogurt this morning and my gut has been exploding – read the label and sure enough, chicory root fiber…