There are three prebiotic ingredients in InnerFuel: organic acacia sap, guar fiber (in the form of Taiyo International’s patented Sunfiber), and larch arabinogalactan (in the form of ResistAid by Lonza).
Bulletproof 360 officially launched the product yesterday, making it available to consumers on their website, accompanied with an article by company founder Dave Asprey titled ‘Why prebiotics are more Important than probiotics for your gut.’
“Probiotics are important — but they won’t work without prebiotics,” he wrote. “The right combination of both will make your gut stronger, regulate digestion, and improve your immunity.” (As of now, there are no probiotic products in Bulletproof’s portfolio).
Starting with a prebiotic
Though probiotics have been a popular supplement category on the market for years, there hasn’t been much conversation around prebiotics, opined Karen Huh, VP of brand and product strategy for Bulletproof 360.
“Given the vital role they play in gut health and helping probiotics do their job, we wanted to create a product that in a field that was lacking options for consumers,” she told us.
“We also felt there was a great opportunity to educate people on prebiotics vs. probiotics and help them understand what might be missing from their gut health diet.”
Lacking fiber in the keto diet
Because Bulletproof started as a brand evangelizing the importance of fat, it has been associated with the ketogenic diet, one that calls for extremely low amounts of carbohydrates and a high fat intake.
Much of the company’s audience follow the Keto and Bulletproof diet, and when people go keto, they tend to cut fibrous fruits and vegetables from their diet, Huh said. Fiber is often associated with prebiotic effects, though not all fiber ingredients necessarily have prebiotic effects, which specifically refers to fibers that have been observed to feed probiotic bacteria in the gut.
“While [cutting fruit and vegetables] can have a great effect on other aspects of health, this leads to a deficit of probiotics and prebiotics in diets,” she said.
"People are missing out on the beneficial fiber that comes with the right amount of vegetables and it can be really hard to get that number of servings in every day. Supplements are a key way to make up for these gaps.”
The formulation
InnerFuel is sold in a 13.4 ounce container of unflavored powder, selling for $39.95 online for 20 servings.
The health claims listed on its packaging and website landing page include ‘nourishes good gut bacteria,’ ‘supports healthy digestion,’ and boosts immunity.’
Lonza’s ingredient ResistAid, which is the arabinogalactan from the bark and heartwood of North American larch trees, is marketed primarily as an immune system-support ingredient, though it is also a soluble fiber.
“Its natural fibers contain free-radical fighting polyphenols,” Huh explained.
Meanwhile, Taiyo’s Sunfiber was included to “nourish good gut bacteria” and “[help] you feel full…and keep blood sugar from spiking after meals,” she added.
