Enzyme Supplement Eases Bloating and Pain from High-Fiber Foods

TL;DR

Fructanase reduced several gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue after a high-inulin meal in healthy adults, despite no measurable change in breath hydrogen or methane.

Key Finding

Fructanase supplementation reduced abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, burping, and fatigue after a high-fructan meal, even though measurable gut gas production was not significantly changed.

Summary

This study tested whether taking a fructanase enzyme supplement (an enzyme that breaks down a type of dietary fiber called fructans) could reduce digestive discomfort in healthy adults. Thirty participants ate a high-fructan meal with either the enzyme capsule or a placebo in a randomized crossover trial. Those who took fructanase reported less abdominal pain, bloating, gas, burping, and fatigue compared to placebo, though breath measurements of hydrogen and methane gas — markers of gut fermentation — did not differ significantly between groups.

Practical Takeaway

This study is not directly about hydrogen water, but it is relevant because gut fermentation of fibers produces hydrogen gas. The results suggest that fructanase enzymes may help people who experience digestive discomfort from fructan-containing foods. This was a small study in healthy adults, so findings may not apply to people with irritable bowel syndrome or other digestive conditions — the researchers themselves call for further trials in those groups.

Abstract (excerpt)

Background: Fructanase, an enzyme that hydrolyzes dietary fructans to fructose in vitro, may reduce gastrointestinal (GI) microbial fermentation in vivo by breaking down fructans before transit to the colon. Objectives: This study evaluated the effects of a microbial fructanase on GI symptoms…

Read the full abstract via DOI