Estimating Inulin Intake and Its Contribution to Total Fibre Intake in UK School-Aged Children: A Pilot Feasibility Study.

Abstract

Inulin is a prebiotic fructan-type fibre found in vegetables, cereals, and fruits, while isolated inulin is used as a sugar replacement additive. Children in the UK do not meet dietary fibre recommendations, and inulin could contribute to increased fibre intake. However, inulin intake is not routinely assessed. We tested the feasibility of identifying dietary sources of inulin in school-aged children and estimated the impact of inulin on their fibre intake. In a pilot cross-sectional study in 154 healthy school-aged children (median age 7 years old, IQR: 5-12), diet was assessed using one 24-hour recall. A list of foods reporting inulin content was collated from the literature and food labels. Inulin consumed from homemade and takeaway food was calculated using the mean of three standard recipes. AOAC fibre was estimated using Nutritics software. The UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) was used for comparisons with the estimated fibre-plus-inulin intake. Median fibre-plus-inulin intake was 16.3 g/day, IQR: 0.9-46.5; AOAC: 985.29 fibre was 14 g/day, IQR: 0.8-45.4 and median inulin intake was 1.3 g/day, IQR: 0.1-7. Fibre-plus-inulin estimates were higher than total fibre reported by NDNS in children aged 4-10 years (13.8 g/day). Cereal and cereal products were the main inulin contributors to percentage of total intake of group (58.1%). Next were mixed composite dishes (7.4%), vegetable, potatoes, beans group (7.4%), and fruits (8.5%). In conclusion, it is feasible to include inulin in the estimation of total dietary fibre. If inulin intake is assessed, total fibre consumption in children could increase by 8%, suggesting it is important to include inulin and fructans in fibre estimates of representative populations.