Jerusalem artichoke is a kind of sunflower that grows in eastern North America that contains inulin-type fructans, which are used to manage insulin responses in humans. | Photo: iStock

It might seem counterintuitive to add another component to an insulin-resistant (IR) horse’s diet. After all, the goal is to keep these horses’ insulin responses low, and lowered responses come from small meals and reduced sugar and starch intake from hays and hard feeds. But one German research team said one supplement is showing promise in getting those sugars out of horses’ systems faster—at least in healthy horses.

The supplement? A prebiotic known as Jerusalem artichoke meal.

“The results of our study on nonobese healthy mares showed a tendency toward better glucose clearance after feeding a low dosage of Jerusalem artichoke meal,” said Maren Glatter, PhD, of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg’s Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences Animal Nutrition Group, in Halle/Saale