PubMed · 2026-05-14
A natural plant fiber called inulin changes how the gut fungus Candida albicans behaves — suppressing its aggressive, invasive growth form and making it easier for the immune system to control. The findings suggest that diets rich in inulin-containing plants may lower the risk of Candida infections in healthy people.
Inulin blocked Candida albicans from switching into its hyphal (thread-like, invasive) form — the growth mode directly linked to active infection
Inulin reduced exposure of immune-triggering molecules on the fungal cell wall (β-glucan and chitin), altering how human immune cells detected and responded to the fungus
Inulin measurably attenuated C. albicans virulence in a live invertebrate infection model, providing whole-organism evidence of a protective effect