Ingredient-level evidence · Human studies first · Null results included

25 published studies cited
6 reviews and meta-analyses
8 benefit areas measured
100% linked to the source

How we read the evidence

Four rules we hold ourselves to.

Supplement marketing usually cites research the reader is not expected to check. We would rather you checked.

  1. Human first Twenty-four of the twenty-five studies are in people. The one laboratory study is labelled as such, because bench work cannot stand in for a human result.
  2. Ingredient level Each study tested a single ingredient, not BIOMEWARD. A result for one fibre does not transfer to a blend containing it.
  3. Dose stated We publish the dose each study used, because an effect at 15 g a day says nothing about a smaller amount.
  4. Nulls included Where a study found nothing, or found it only in people who were unwell to begin with, we say so. A page listing only wins is not a research page.

Starting point

Most Australian adults fall short on fibre.

The NHMRC sets an Adequate Intake for dietary fibre of 25 g a day for women and 30 g a day for men. National dietary surveys have repeatedly found average intakes below those figures.

That gap is the reason a fibre supplement exists at all. It is not a reason to expect a supplement to replace food. Whole grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables remain the best source of fibre, and a daily scoop is a top-up rather than a substitute.

NHMRC Nutrient Reference Values

At a glance

Where each ingredient sits.

Our reading is an editorial judgement of how solid each ingredient's human evidence is, not a regulatory classification. Strongest means large pooled trials, strong means consistent randomised trials, and moderate means the human evidence leans on related ingredients or on doses well above a daily scoop. Every study is listed and linked below.

Ingredient Share of blend Studies Strongest evidence for Our reading
PHGG 35% 5 Gut microbiome and regularity Strong
Psyllium 25% 5 Blood lipids and satiety Strongest
Resistant potato starch 17.5% 5 Gut microbiome at low doses Moderate
Acacia 15% 5 Dose-dependent prebiotic effect Moderate
Inulin 7.5% 5 Bifidobacteria and bowel function Strongest

Seen enough? Shop BIOMEWARD — or keep reading for all twenty-five studies.

Ingredient by ingredient

Twenty-five studies, in detail.

Every entry names the journal, the year, the people studied and the dose, and links to the published record.

01

PHGG

Partially hydrolysed guar gum

Role
Base fibre of the blend · 35% of the pouch
Studies
Five, all in humans
Doses
5–6 g daily
Measured
Microbiome, regularity, cognition, sleep, immune response

What it is

A soluble prebiotic fibre made by breaking guar gum into shorter chains. That processing is what lets it dissolve into a drink without the thickness raw guar gum produces, which is why it works as the base of a daily scoop.

The studies

  1. Gut microbiome

    Prebiotic effects of PHGG on the composition and function of the human microbiota — the PAGODA trial

    Nutrients, 2020 · 20 healthy adults · 5 g up to three times daily · three-week intervention

    “In healthy subjects, PHGG had significant effects on stool frequency and consistency.”

    The trial also profiled the microbiome by 16S sequencing to see which bacteria responded.

    PubMed 32354152
  2. Digestive regularity

    Effect of repeated consumption of PHGG on faecal characteristics and gut microbiota

    Nutrients, 2019 · randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled · 44 healthy volunteers · three months

    Stool form improved significantly against placebo on the Bristol Stool Scale, stool frequency was unchanged, and Bifidobacterium increased.

    PubMed 31509971
  3. Gut microbiome

    Consumption of PHGG stimulates bifidobacteria and butyrate-producing bacteria in the human large intestine

    Beneficial Microbes, 2015 · 10 healthy volunteers · 6 g daily for two weeks

    Faecal DNA analysis identified which bacteria actually ferment PHGG, finding higher Bifidobacterium and butyrate-producing groups.

    PubMed 25519526
  4. Brain and sleep

    Effectiveness of PHGG on cognitive function and sleep efficiency in healthy elderly subjects

    Nutrients, 2024 · randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled · 5 g daily for 12 weeks

    Visual memory scores and sleepiness-on-rising scores improved against placebo. Mood measures showed no difference between the groups.

    PubMed 38674901
  5. Immune response

    Continuous PHGG intake reduces cold-like symptoms

    Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci, 2022 · randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled · 96 healthy adults · 5.2 g daily for 12 weeks

    Participants recorded more symptom-free days and lower symptom severity than placebo, alongside higher faecal short-chain fatty acids.

    PubMed 35916813

02

Psyllium

Plantago ovata husk

Role
Second fibre source · 25% of the pouch
Studies
Five in humans, three of them pooled analyses
Doses
3.4–23 g daily
Measured
Microbiome, blood lipids, appetite, blood sugar

What it is

The husk of the Plantago ovata seed. Unlike the other fibres here it is gel-forming and largely unfermented, so it holds water as it travels rather than being eaten by bacteria. That makes it the one ingredient in the blend that works by physics as much as by biology.

The studies

  1. Gut microbiome

    The effect of psyllium husk on intestinal microbiota in constipated patients and healthy controls

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2019 · two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials · 8 healthy volunteers and 16 patients · 7 days

    In healthy adults psyllium produced a small but significant shift in microbial composition. Across both groups, increases in three butyrate-producing genera — Lachnospira, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium — tracked with increased stool water.

    PubMed 30669509
  2. Heart and circulation

    Effect of psyllium fiber on LDL cholesterol and alternative lipid targets

    American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2018 · systematic review and meta-analysis · 28 randomised trials, 1,924 participants · median 10.2 g daily

    Pooled results showed significant reductions in LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. The evidence was graded moderate quality for the first two and high quality for apolipoprotein B.

    PubMed 30239559
  3. Appetite

    Satiety effects of psyllium in healthy volunteers

    Appetite, 2016 · two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trials · 3.4, 6.8 and 10.2 g before meals for 3 days

    Participants reported less hunger, less desire to eat and more fullness between meals than on placebo. The 6.8 g dose gave the most consistent effect, and side effects matched placebo.

    PubMed 27166077
  4. Blood sugar

    A psyllium fibre-enriched meal strongly attenuates postprandial gastrointestinal peptide release

    The Journal of Nutrition, 2010 · randomised cross-over · 16 healthy non-obese volunteers · 23 g in a test meal

    Meals enriched with psyllium lowered the glucose, insulin and ghrelin response after eating. Reported appetite afterwards was mostly similar between meals, so the hormonal change did not translate into a felt difference here.

    PubMed 20147463
  5. Null result

    Psyllium fibre improves glycemic control proportional to loss of glycemic control

    American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2015 · eight meta-analyses drawn from 35 randomised controlled trials

    Benefit scaled with how poor blood sugar control was to begin with, and no significant glucose lowering was seen in people whose blood sugar was already normal. Worth knowing if you are healthy: this is not what psyllium will do for you.

    PubMed 26561625

03

Resistant potato starch

A fermentable resistant starch

Role
Resistant starch source · 17.5% of the pouch
Studies
Five, all in humans
Doses
3.5–48 g daily
Measured
Microbiome, short-chain fatty acids, stool output, blood sugar

What it is

A starch that resists digestion in the small intestine and arrives in the large bowel largely intact, where gut bacteria can ferment it. It behaves more like a fibre than a starch.

The studies

  1. Gut microbiome

    Consumption of Solnul resistant potato starch produces a prebiotic effect

    Nutrients, 2023 · three-arm randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled · 3.5 g and 7 g daily for four weeks

    “Participants consuming 3.5 g/day of RPS experienced significantly greater changes in Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia compared to the placebo.”

    The lower dose performed as well as the higher one, and both irregular-stool categories were recorded less often than in the placebo group.

    PubMed 37049425
  2. Gut microbiome

    Precision microbiome modulation with discrete dietary fibre structures directs short-chain fatty acid production

    Cell Host & Microbe, 2020 · dose-response trial in healthy humans · three type-4 resistant starches

    Different starch structures produced highly specific microbiome shifts, steering output toward either propionate or butyrate. Effects plateaued at 35 g a day.

    PubMed 32004499
  3. Digestive regularity

    Digestion and physiological properties of resistant starch in the human large bowel

    British Journal of Nutrition, 1996 · 12 healthy volunteers · controlled diets · 17–30 g daily across 15-day periods

    Potato resistant starch increased stool wet weight, and every form tested raised faecal short-chain fatty acids. The potato-derived starch produced proportionally more acetate.

    PubMed 8695600
  4. Blood sugar

    Resistant starch type 2 from wheat reduces postprandial glycaemic response with concurrent alterations in gut microbiota

    Nutrients, 2021 · double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled crossover · one week per arm

    Post-meal glucose and insulin were lower than with conventional wheat, alongside increases in Ruminococcus and Gemmiger. This one tested wheat-derived starch, not potato.

    PubMed 33671147
  5. Gut microbiome

    Metagenomic insights into the degradation of resistant starch by human gut microbiota

    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2018 · 12 participants · 48 g and 3 g daily · crossover

    Mapped which bacteria do the work: Ruminococcus bromii starts the breakdown and feeds the butyrate producers downstream.

    PubMed 30266729

04

Acacia

Fermentable soluble fibre

Role
Fourth fibre source · 15% of the pouch
Studies
Four in humans, one in the laboratory
Doses
5–40 g daily
Measured
Microbiome, tolerance, blood sugar, cardiovascular markers

What it is

A soluble fibre tapped from acacia trees. It ferments slowly and further along the bowel than some fibres, which is the usual explanation for why it tends to be well tolerated.

The studies

  1. Gut microbiome

    Gum arabic as a bifidogenic, well-tolerated dietary fibre

    Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, 2003 · healthy participants · 10 g or 15 g daily for 10 days

    “GUM is a very well tolerated dietary fibre with bifidogenic properties believed to benefit intestinal health.”
    doi.org/10.1080/08910600310014377
  2. Gut microbiome

    Gum arabic establishes prebiotic functionality in healthy human volunteers in a dose-dependent manner

    British Journal of Nutrition, 2008 · 5, 10, 20 and 40 g daily for up to four weeks · water and inulin controls

    Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli were significantly higher than control after four weeks, and the optimal dose landed around 10 g a day rather than the largest one tested.

    PubMed 18466655
  3. Blood sugar

    Acacia gum is well tolerated while lowering peak blood glucose response in healthy human subjects

    Nutrients, 2021 · 48 subjects · 0, 20 and 40 g with breakfast

    Blood glucose at 30 minutes was significantly lower with 20 g than control. Tolerance scores stayed low overall, though at the 40 g dose participants reported more bloating and flatulence than control.

    PubMed 33672963
  4. Heart and circulation

    The effect of gum arabic on cardiovascular risk factors in adults at risk of metabolic syndrome

    Nutrients, 2021 · single-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled · 80 participants · 20 g daily for 12 weeks

    A twelve-week trial measuring HbA1c, fasting glucose and blood lipids against a pectin placebo. Read the paper for the endpoint results.

    PubMed 33435475
  5. Laboratory mechanism

    Cooperative degradation of gum arabic by Bifidobacterium longum surface enzymes

    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2022 · laboratory study, not in people

    Identified the specific surface enzymes Bifidobacterium longum uses to break gum arabic down, which is the mechanism behind the bifidogenic effect seen in the human trials above.

    PubMed 35108084

05

Inulin

A classic prebiotic fibre

Role
Bifidobacteria feeder · 7.5% of the pouch
Studies
One trial, four pooled analyses and reviews
Doses
3–20 g daily
Measured
Microbiome, bowel function, blood lipids, calcium absorption

What it is

The fibre that defined the word prebiotic. Inulin is fermented readily and early in the bowel, which makes it the fastest-acting feeder in the blend and the reason it sits at the smallest inclusion — it is also the one most likely to produce gas if you overdo it.

The studies

  1. Gut microbiome

    Effect of chicory-derived inulin-type fructans on abundance of Bifidobacterium and on bowel function

    Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2023 · systematic review with meta-analyses · 50 studies, 2,525 participants · 3–20 g daily

    Inulin-type fructans significantly increased Bifidobacterium abundance across ages 0 to 83. Beneficial effects on bowel function were seen specifically in healthy people.

    PubMed 35833477
  2. Digestive regularity

    Prebiotic inulin-type fructans induce specific changes in the human gut microbiota

    Gut, 2017 · double-blind, randomised, cross-over trial in healthy adults

    Inulin shifted three genera in particular — Anaerostipes, Bilophila and Bifidobacterium — and the drop in Bilophila tracked with softer stools. Faecal metabolite profiles were not significantly altered.

    PubMed 28213610
  3. Background review

    The prebiotic potential of inulin-type fructans: a systematic review

    Advances in Nutrition, 2022 · systematic review of human clinical trials in healthy adults

    Across healthy-adult trials, inulin promoted Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Reported effects included improved laxation, better intestinal barrier function, increased calcium and magnesium absorption and increased satiety.

    PubMed 34555168
  4. Mineral absorption

    Effects of inulin on calcium metabolism and bone health

    International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 2023 · review · 8–10 g daily

    Inulin improves calcium absorption through several mechanisms, including raising calcium solubility and expanding the absorptive surface of the colon. This is a benefit no other ingredient in the blend offers.

    PubMed 33611985
  5. Heart and circulation

    The effects of inulin-type fructans on cardiovascular disease risk factors

    American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2024 · systematic review and meta-analysis · 55 randomised trials, 2,518 participants

    Pooled results showed reductions in LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, with little effect on other markers. The authors graded the certainty of this evidence as low to very low, so treat it as a direction rather than a finding.

    PubMed 38309832

The honest part

What this evidence does not show.

Claims we will not make

  • Treats constipation or relieves IBS
  • Stops bloating or heals the gut
  • Detoxes the body or promotes weight loss
  • Clinically proven or guaranteed results

Dose is the open question

Each study used a specific daily amount of a single ingredient. A blend that includes five ingredients cannot deliver every one of those amounts in a single scoop. Where our per-serve dose sits below a studied dose, the result from that study does not carry across, and we will publish the final per-serve amounts here once the formula is locked.

Individual response varies

Fibre responses depend on the microbiome you already have, your current fibre intake and the rest of your diet. Ingredient research describes averages across a group. It does not forecast what will happen for any one person, including you.

Plain English

The words the studies use.

Prebiotic

A food component your own body cannot digest, but the beneficial bacteria in your large bowel can use as fuel.

Microbiome

The community of bacteria and other microbes living in your gut. Its make-up differs from person to person.

Short-chain fatty acids

Compounds produced when gut bacteria ferment fibre. They are the main output researchers measure when testing a prebiotic.

Bifidogenic

Increases bifidobacteria, a bacterial group widely used as a marker that a prebiotic is doing something.

Randomised controlled trial

Participants are assigned by chance to the active ingredient or a placebo. The strongest common design for testing an effect.

Systematic review

A structured survey of all studies meeting set criteria. Broader than one trial, but only as reliable as the studies it gathers.

Sources

Check any of it yourself.

Every study above carries its PubMed identifier or DOI. Paste it into any search engine, or follow the link, and you will reach the published record with the full citation, the authors and the complete method.

  1. All 25 studies · PubMed and DOI links, inline above pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Dietary fibre Adequate Intake · NHMRC eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values

The studies above examined individual ingredients, not the finished BIOMEWARD product. They are published here so you can judge the evidence for yourself. BIOMEWARD is a dietary fibre supplement, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet. If you have a diagnosed digestive condition, are pregnant or are taking medication, speak to your doctor before adding a fibre supplement.

The product

Five sources.
One daily scoop.

A refreshing lemon blend that helps nourish the beneficial bacteria already living in your gut, with the research above behind every ingredient in it.

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