For reasons that are still unexplained, inulin has the ability in some children to trigger an increase in hyperactivity, anxiety, thirst, hunger and insomnia in children. These are symptoms that suggest inulin is capable of lowering brain blood pressures. I recommend not exceeding 1/4 – 1/2 of a teaspoon per day of inulin in children as higher doses might trigger these adverse reactions.
Once the awakening occurs, the dose of inulin used is adequate because the sudden improvement in the child’s behavior is evidence that the bacteria have been suppressed. No further increases in inulin dosage are necessary if the awakening occurs.
When first starting your child on the protocol, the recommendation is to begin at 1/8th tsp of inulin and then remain steady on that dose for 6-8 weeks, allowing you to fully assess the impact of that initial dose. nnIf you do not see any noticeable changes at that time, you may increase by another 1/8th tsp. Once you find the dose of inulin that triggers an awakening or other evident signs of recovery, you do not increase inulin further. If at some point inulin stops working, you move on to Rifaximin as increasing inulin will not improve the situation.
No. Unlike fish oil and olive oil, the dose of inulin does not increase with age.
As children age, the inulin becomes less and less effective at controlling bacterial overgrowth. I believe this is due to the natural maturation of the intestinal bacteria as children mature into adulthood. We are not just trying to suppress “gut bacteria” as a singular entity, we are needing to suppress and balance over a thousand distinct species within the large intestine, all of which have their own unique characteristics. nnThe species of bacteria that tend to overgrow in the small intestine of a younger child (let us call them species A) may just tend to be more sensitive to the prebiotic effects of inulin. As a result, inulin is more effective in smaller children.nnAs the child’s intestinal bacteria naturally mature with age, species that are less sensitive to the effects of inulin (let’s call these species B) might be more likely to cause overgrowth and make inulin seem to lose its effectiveness in balancing the intestinal bacteria.
As children age, inulin is less and less effective at controlling the balance of intestinal bacteria. By the age of twenty, I have never witnessed the inulin being effective enough to assist in brain recovery.
‘- Inulin failure occurs when a child had successfully been using inulin for recovery and then it suddenly stops working and is no longer effective. This may be evidence as either a plateau (where recovery has stalled) or by a relapse that does not resolve in a few weeks as expected.n- Inulin intolerance is when a child cannot tolerate even micro doses of inulin without experiencing extreme anxiety or aggression. In the event of inulin intolerance, the child should be switched over to Rifaximin.
If inulin fiber loses its effectiveness over time, or the side effects (hyperactivity, anxiety, aggression) are intolerable, I recommend the use of rifaximin (brand name of Xifaxan® in the U.S.) 550 mg two times daily for 10 days to reduce the excessive colonic bacteria from the small intestine in my patients.
Propionic acid control and brain recovery are long-term processes, and each aspect of the protocol (intestinal balance, olive oil, and fish oil) have different timelines. Since we still can not completely prevent bacterial overgrowth, there will be an ongoing need to maintain the intestinal balance using either inulin or rifaximin. The deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids and excess omega-6 fatty acids are due to the unhealthy food supply. Until there are widespread improvements, regular supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil (at present) and olive oil are most likely a long-term health requirement.
Yes, inulin can be used indefinitely if it seems to be able to control bacterial overgrowth