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Is Benefiber a Non Fermenting Fiber?

Dietary fiber, in general, provides bulk to the digestive tract. Fiber is either soluble in water or insoluble. It's the soluble fibers that ferment in the human gut. Benefiber was originally made from guar gum, derived from the cluster bean, which ferments in the gut. Since 2006, Benefiber has been made from wheat dextrin and will ferment in the gut, though perhaps less than guar gum. It is not a non-fermenting fiber.

  1. The Benefits of Gut Fermentation

    • Fermentation is good in people with healthy digestive tracts. Beneficial bacteria in the large intestine degrade dietary fiber, which frees short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs are very good in aiding healthy digestion and elimination. The gases that are also produced by fermentation, however, may be problematic for people with digestive ailments, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and Celiac's disease.

    The Original Benefiber

    • Benefiber was introduced as a new fiber supplement in 2002. Its main difference from fiber products of the time was that it did not thicken in liquids and was, therefore, a tasteless, non-gritty means to getting additional dietary fiber into a daily diet. The reason for Benefiber's unique characteristics was that the guar gum was partially hydrolyzed. Benefiber guar gum provided 3g of soluble fiber per 1 tbsp.

    Benefiber after mid-2006

    • As of July 2006, the primary ingredient in Benefiber was no longer partially hydrolized guar gum. Benefiber, henceforth, has been made from wheat dextrin. The reason for this change was two-fold. Wheat dextrin afforded more dietary fiber in lesser amounts, and it created a higher profit margin for Novartis, the manufacturer of Benefiber. Benefiber from wheat dextrin provides 1.5g of soluble fiber per 1 tsp., a 50 percent increase in fiber content. According to a "Molecular Nutrition and Food Research" article, "Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) and wheat dextrin had similar fermentation patterns from 0-8 h."

    Consequences for Health

    • The book "The Truth About Fiber in Your Food" postulated in 1976 the benefits of increased fiber intake. Since that time, as much as 75 percent of U.S. hospitalizations have been for illnesses either immediately involving the digestive system or related to digestive impairment. Improving the health of the digestive tract, which includes the bacterial balance that fermentation in the gut augments, can have far-reaching results.

    About Novartis

    • Novartis, the manufacturer of Benefiber, came into being in 1996 with the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz. Ciba-Geigy was a merger of its name's two companies in 1970. Sandoz was another Swiss company altogether and introduced saccharin in 1899. The companies, alone and combined, have produced pharmaceuticals, herbicides and dietary supplements for centuries. In 1996, the merger was one of the largest to date. Benefiber became the No. 2-selling fiber supplement by 2008.

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