A prebiotic is defined as a selectively fermented ingredient
that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the
gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-being and
health.1 Based on the
Brain-Gut-Skin connection, selectively promoting beneficial bacteria in your
gut microbiome using prebiotics food could lead to a healthier mentality and a
clearer skin.
Not all dietary carbohydrates are prebiotics. There are three criteria are for a food
substance to be qualified as prebiotics: 1) resistance to gastric acidity, to
hydrolysis by mammalian enzymes, and to gastrointestinal absorption; 2)
fermentation by intestinal microflora; and 3) selective stimulation of the growth
and/or activity of those intestinal bacteria that contribute to health and
well-being. Based on these criteria,
there are some food substances with prebiotics activities:
Inulin
Inulin is
a nondigestible oligosaccharide that, for nutritional labeling, classifies as
dietary fiber. Inulin is a generic term
that covers all β (1←2) linear molecules. The selective stimulation of
bacterial growth by inulin has been confirmed by numerous In vitro studies. In addition, in vivo studies using animal
models have also confirmed the bifidogenic effect of inulin-type fructans. Human trials with oligofructose and inulin with
both adults and formula-fed infants have further confirmed the prebiotic effect
of inulin-type fructans.
Food rich
with inulin include chicory, artichokes, burdock roots (a popular Japanese
food), dandelion roots (which interestingly is used as a herb in the Chinese
Medicine), Yacon (another common Adian food), leeks, onions, garlics, banana,
rye and barley.
Trans-Galactooligosaccharides
(TOS or GOS)
The TOS
are a mixture of oligosaccharides derived from lactose by enzymatic
transglycosylation. They generally consist of oligosaccharides from tri- to
pentasaccharide with β (1→6), β (1→3), and β (1→4) linkages. Several studies using animal models and human
subjects have shown that a TOS-containing diet selectively increases bifidobacteria
and lactobacilli (i.e., beneficial bacteria) and decrease in enterobacteria
(i.e., bad bacteria). Infant formula milk supplemented with a mixture of oligosaccharides
(90% galactooligosaccharides and 10% inulin) has been shown to increase
bifidobacteria in both preterm and term infants.
TOS have been used as
food ingredients in Japan and Europe for at least 30 years. It all started in
Japan, where Japanese companies like Yakult Honsha (Tokyo, Japan) and Nissin
Sugar Manufacturing Company (Tokyo, Japan) produced GOS for food applications.
Later on Snow Brand Milk Products (Tokyo, Japan), FrieslandCampina Domo (ex
Borucolo ingredients and Friesland Foods Domo) in the Netherlands and Clasado
Ltd in the United Kingdom also started to produce GOS. Nowadays, GOS is mostly
used for application in infant nutrition.
Additional
prebiotics
Glucooligosaccharides,
isomaltooligosaccharides, lactosucrose, polydextrose, soybean oligosaccharides,
and xylooligosaccharides are oligosaccharides for which preliminary data
already exist seem to support their prebiotic activity. Other suggested prebiotic food substance
include germinated barley foodstuffs, oligodextrans, gluconic acid,
gentiooligosaccharides, pectic oligosaccharides, mannan oligosaccharides,
lactose, glutamine, and hemicellulose-rich substrate, resistant starch and its
derivatives, oligosaccharides from melibiose, lactoferrin-derived peptide, and
N-acetylchitooligosaccharides.
Yeah, I know—that’s a lot of chemical names in the above
paragraph! The gist is that many of
these compounds are good fibers usually rich in beans, bean sprouts, nuts,
vegetables from onion family (such as leek), legumes, asparagus and other plant
foods. So, your mom is right—eat your
vegetables, science says that they are truly good for you.
1. Roberfroid MB (March 2007). "Prebiotics: The Concept Revisited". J Nutr. 137 (3 Suppl 2): 830S–7S.
Thanks for reading!
Connie
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