PHGG vs inulin: two prebiotic fibres compared
Both are soluble prebiotic fibres and they behave differently in the gut, especially in the first week. What separates them and why blends often use both.
Ritu Pandey
If a greens powder contains fibre, it is usually one of two: partially hydrolysed guar gum, written PHGG, or chicory root inulin. Both are soluble. Both are fermented by gut bacteria. They are not the same to live with, and the difference shows up fastest in the first week.
What PHGG is
Guar gum comes from the guar bean, grown widely in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Raw guar gum is highly viscous, which is why it is used as a thickener in food. Partial hydrolysis breaks the chains down so the viscosity largely goes, leaving a soluble fibre that dissolves without turning a drink into gel.
The result is close to tasteless, mixes clear, and ferments slowly along the length of the colon rather than rapidly at the start of it.
What inulin is
Inulin is a fructan, most often extracted from chicory root. It is also soluble, faintly sweet, and cheap relative to most functional ingredients, which is part of why it appears so widely.
It ferments faster than PHGG. Fermentation produces gas. In a person not used to the load, or at a large dose introduced suddenly, that is felt as bloating.
PHGG vs inulin compared
| PHGG | Inulin | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Guar bean | Chicory root |
| Taste | Neutral | Slightly sweet |
| Viscosity in water | Low | Low |
| Fermentation speed | Slower, more gradual | Faster |
| Gas at introduction | Generally less | More commonly reported |
| Relative cost | Higher | Lower |
Why blends often use both
Different bacteria ferment different substrates, and fermentation happening across more of the colon rather than all at the front is generally the goal in formulation. Using two fibres with different fermentation profiles covers more ground than doubling one.
The catch is the same one as everywhere else on a label. If both are inside a proprietary blend, you cannot tell whether it is mostly the cheaper one with a token amount of the other. Inulin is cheaper than PHGG, so the incentive runs one way.
Fibre in the first week
Most complaints about greens powders in the first few days are fibre complaints, and they are largely a dose problem rather than a product problem.
Going from very little added fibre to a full scoop overnight gives gut bacteria a sudden new supply. Gas follows. Starting at half a scoop for three or four days and drinking enough water alongside it usually settles things, because the population adjusts.
If symptoms are severe or persist, that is worth raising with a doctor rather than pushing through, and people with diagnosed gut conditions should ask before starting any fermentable fibre.
What to check on a fibre label
- Is the fibre named, or is it just listed as dietary fibre?
- Is the amount given per serving, or hidden in a blend total?
- If two fibres are listed, can you tell the split?
- Does the brand tell you to start at a lower dose, or leave you to find out?
The fibres in SWATVA Daily Greens
Daily Greens uses PHGG alongside chicory inulin, and both are named on the label rather than folded into a blend. The guides say plainly to start at half a scoop for the first few days, because the alternative is people quitting in week one over something avoidable. The full ingredient list is public.
The first batch is 55 pouches. Applying takes four minutes and nothing is charged.
55 seats.
Then it closes.
SWATVA makes two blends with every ingredient printed on the pack. Daily Greens for your everyday base, Signal for focus without caffeine. The first run is 55 pouches, and applying costs nothing.