Enzyme Supplement Eases Bloating and Pain from High-Fiber Foods
- Authors
- Eunice Mah, Colleen F McKenna, Traci M Blonquist, Valerie N Kaden, Aditi M Shah, Yunyao Qu, Caroline J Tuck, Rikard Landberg, Chad M Cook, Sean M Garvey
- Journal
- Journal of Nutrition
- Year
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101782
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Neutral
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- United States
- Health Condition
- Fructan Sensitivity
- Body System
- Gastrointestinal
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
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 and intestinal fermentation in males and females after inulin-type fructan ingestion. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, crossover study design was used with 30 healthy adults [mean (standard deviation) age: 38.6 (7.3) y and body mass index: 24.5 (3.0) kg/m2] who consumed 25 g inulin mixed into 40 g oatmeal with either 1 capsule containing fructanase or placebo maltodextrin. GI symptoms and fatigue were assessed using visual analog scales at baseline and postprandially for 24 h. Breath hydrogen and methane concentrations were measured postprandially hourly for 8 h. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare paired differences between fructanase and placebo conditions. Results: The maximum 0 to 8 h overall abdominal symptom score was not statistically significant (P = 0.13) between groups. Compared with placebo, fructanase coadministration with inulin reduced abdominal pain (P = 0.044) and fatigue (P < 0.001). Rank-based repeated-measures analysis showed that fructanase reduced burping (P = 0.040) during the 0 to 8 h period. Over the 8 to 24 h period, fructanase reduced overall abdominal symptoms (P = 0.030), bloating (P = 0.011), abdominal pain (P = 0.019), and flatulence (P = 0.044). Breath hydrogen and methane outcomes did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions: Fructanase coadministration with inulin reduced GI symptoms in healthy adults, suggesting that it may be a useful dietary supplement for fructan sensitivity. Further trials in a cohort with GI symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome are warranted. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT06628869 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06628869).