The invention relates to novel inulin products and compositions thereof, to their manufacture, to their use for modifying and modulating the bacterial flora and the fermentation pattern of inulin in the large intestine of humans, mammals or other vertebrates, to their use for providing improved inulin-associated nutritional effects/benefits, as well as to their use for the manufacture of consumer products and compositions for providing said effects/benefits in healthy, disfunctioned and diseased humans, mammals and other vertebrates. The novel inulin products consist of a particular mixture of an easily fermentable inulin (EFI) component and a hardly fermentable inulin (HFI) component. The nutritional effects/benefits include dietary fibre effects, improved mineral absorption, particularly calcium and magnesium, bone mineral density increase, reduction of bone mineral density loss, modulation of lipid metabolism, stimulation of the immune system, and anti-cancer effects. The novel inulin products are particularly suitable for the manufacture of a composition or a medicament for preventing, for postponing and/or for treating osteoporosis in humans, particularly in post-menopausal women and elderly people.