Acacia Powder
#369327 - 03/11/13 10:38 AM
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tracyla2
Reged: 03/11/13
Posts: 6
Loc: CA Bay Area
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Hi all-I am brand new to this board, but I have been drinking Heather's Tea for about a month now. I would definitely buy it if I did not have IBS because it is the best mint tea I have ever tasted. Part of my ritual is sniffing the tin as I get ready to put it in my tea infuser!
I am a bit different in that I find one glass of wine helps to calm my cramping and doesn't appear to make my symptoms worse. Also, kefir was one of the first things I found to help my IBS. I make my own and try to use raw milk or if not raw "cream on top" milk.
My question is about Acacia Powder. When I was first diagnosed my MD suggested Inulin. I find this to make things worse. Also metamucil and psyllium fiber makes it worse. So I am concerned about trying the Acacia Powder.
TIA,
Tracy
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Hi Tracy - so glad you like the tea! I confess, I sniff the peppermint too. 
Acacia, metamucil (psyllium) and inulin are all very different fibers. In a nutshell, psyllium is about 1/3 insoluble, which can cause problems. Inulin ferments very rapidly in the gut, which can cause tremendous bloating and gas. Inulin is getting increasingly common as a fiber supplement because it is so readily available as a by-product from other manufacturing uses, and it's dirt cheap.
Acacia is 100% soluble (no insoluble fiber at all) and it ferments very slowly in the gut. This creates the prebiotic effect, but it also makes it very unlikely to cause bloating and gas. It's not the by-product of other processing, it is literally a whole food that is nothing but the natural gum of the acacia senegal tree.
So, bad experiences with psyllium and inulin wouldn't mean you'd have the same reaction to acacia at all.
But, with any fiber, including acacia, you need to start at a low dose (try just 1/2 tsp twice daily) and gradually increase. Too much too fast can overwhelm your gut, as fiber is literally indigestible. That's why you start low and go slow, to give your gut time to learn to deal with extra fiber.
Best,
H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Thank you Heather. I will order the travel 2 pack on my next Amazon Prime order. My niece's Birthday is St. Patty's day. I have her Peppermint Teal Bulk loose tea pouch and tea infuser already wrapped up. She loves mint teas too and has IBS. We can both see how we do with the Acacia powder.
Tracy
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--------------------
Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Quote:
Hi Tracy - so glad you like the tea! I confess, I sniff the peppermint too.
Acacia, metamucil (psyllium) and inulin are all very different fibers. In a nutshell, psyllium is about 1/3 insoluble, which can cause problems. Inulin ferments very rapidly in the gut, which can cause tremendous bloating and gas. Inulin is getting increasingly common as a fiber supplement because it is so readily available as a by-product from other manufacturing uses, and it's dirt cheap.
Acacia is 100% soluble (no insoluble fiber at all) and it ferments very slowly in the gut. This creates the prebiotic effect, but it also makes it very unlikely to cause bloating and gas. It's not the by-product of other processing, it is literally a whole food that is nothing but the natural gum of the acacia senegal tree.
So, bad experiences with psyllium and inulin wouldn't mean you'd have the same reaction to acacia at all.
But, with any fiber, including acacia, you need to start at a low dose (try just 1/2 tsp twice daily) and gradually increase. Too much too fast can overwhelm your gut, as fiber is literally indigestible. That's why you start low and go slow, to give your gut time to learn to deal with extra fiber.
Best,
H
The last sentence above addresses where some might be increasing the acacia soluble fiber too quickly, if that's the case.
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