What Is Fos In Probiotics

Why Is There Concern About This Ingredient

The research is quite mixed on FOS, with many studies showing seemingly opposing results. While there is definitely strong support showing that FOS does indeed foster Bifidobacterium colony growth, it could also serve as food for less desirable strains of bacteria. Some studies have indicated that inulin encourages the growth of Klebsiella, a bacterium at work in Ankylosing Spondylitis, which causes problems with intestinal permeability. It also feeds E. coli and many Clostridium species, which are inharmonious with gut-friendly bacteria. There is also a concern that some kinds of yeast are able to use inulin/FOS for fuel, thereby possibly leading to overactive yeast production in the body.

Of additional concern is that many microbes are able to adapt to almost any environment and energy source. Some bacteria were shown to be able to break down and use industrial solvents in the soil. This is not their normal food source, but they adapted and utilized what was available to them. There is concern that “bad” bacteria and fungi could begin to use FOS as a fuel source. Scientists do not fully understand the complex interactions between all the microbes in our bodies, and disrupting the natural balance is concerning. As with any ingredient, there is also potential for allergic reaction indeed, there is one documented case of inulin causing an anaphylactic reaction.

Who Should Not Take Prebiotics

Prebiotics are completely natural and widely available in our diet. There are not many individuals for whom prebiotics would be inappropriate, but if you have a serious health condition you should always consult a doctor before taking any natural supplement.

Some people do find theyre particularly sensitive to the effects of certain prebiotics . If you want to try prebiotics but you tend to be very sensitive to foods and supplements, then speak to your doctor or a qualified nutrition professional for advice.

Individuals following a low FODMAP diet may in fact need to avoid prebiotics either in their diet or in supplement form, particularly whilst they are in the initial strictest phase of the diet. The O in FODMAP stands for oligosaccharides, which need to be avoided on this diet, and most commercially available prebiotic supplements contain either fructo- or galacto-oligosaccharides . Prebiotics can usually be phased back into the diet once the maintenance and reintroduction phases are reached. FODMAP diets should always be followed with professional advice and support.

Purification Of Fos Using Bacillus Subtilis

Encapsulation of Bacillus subtilis in Alginate Beads

We encapsulated B. subtilis in alginate beads and added them to FOS solutions with glucose concentrations of 20 and 80 g·l1. Figure 4 shows the concentrations of the major sugar components in the solution after 24 h. The addition of the beads doubled the volume of the solution and thus immediately reduced the concentration of all components by 50%, and these are the values represented by the negative control . We found that the concentration of each sugar declined when treated with the encapsulated cells, and the profile was similar in the positive control treatment with free cells. The monosaccharides were completely consumed in the crude FOS preparation containing 20 g·l1 glucose whereas there was little change in the concentrations of sucrose or FOS. In the crude FOS preparation containing 80 g·l1 glucose, half the glucose was consumed but there was little change in the concentrations of the other components . The pH also decreased during the cultivation, causing the inhibition of cell growth and metabolism by the acidic environment.

Fed-Batch Fermentation With Free Cells for the Purification of FOS

Figure 5. Fed-batch fermentation of B. subtilis in a 3-L stirred-tank bioreactor. Feeding rate of FOS solution = 20 ml·h1, T = 40°C, pH = 6.8, and aeration = 0.5 vvm. Bacillus subtilis growth kinetics and product formation, and purification of FOS during the fermentation.

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What Are The Obtainable Sorts

artichoke

asparagus

yacon root

blue agave FOS is discovered in lots of different plant species in nature, as properly. FOS is damaged down in varied methods, and this leads to completely different finish merchandise which have completely different makes use of and ranging advantages. FOS is available in a number of completely different types, and every could also be used for a particular function. Syrups Some sorts of FOS are damaged down and made into syrup. Widespread examples embody yacon root syrup and blue agave syrup. These will be diluted in water and brought as a complement or will be added full energy to recipes or added to meals and drinks, as a sweetener. Powders Chicory root is the commonest instance of a FOS-containing meals was a powder. Floor chicory root is often used as a espresso different. Mixing a spoonful into heat water offers an analogous style to espresso with out as a lot stimulation. Extracts Many different sorts of FOS are made into extracts of various energy or focus. These could come from a complete meals supply, comparable to artichoke or chicory. They could even be made by way of a chemical course of moderately than by way of a pure one, probably leaving them much less useful.

Why Is Fos The Best Prebiotic

Higher intakes of dietary fiber such as FOS have long been scientifically associated with lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, supporting digestive health and weight management. Also, FOS used in foods are free of calories, offer a mild but favorable sweetness level and do not cause dental caries. Among all the oligosaccharides that act as prebiotics, fructooligosaccharides are one of the most researched, and shown to selectively encourage the growth of health-promoting bacteria in the gut. One study that gave healthy participants 20.1 grams of FOS per day in three divided doses after eating showed that most of the FOS was not absorbed in the small intestine and none was excreted, which means that the FOS that reached the colon was completely fermented by the colonic bacteria.

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Pattern Of Alpha And Beta Diversity In The Studied Gut Microbial Communities

Three popular indices, viz., Shannon , Simpson , and Chao were employed for analysing the effect of prebiotic intake on the overall structure of gut microbial communities in the studied participant cohort. Results of this analysis depicted as trend-lines indicate an unambiguous pattern , wherein prebiotic intake/withdrawal appears to cause a corresponding increase/decrease in overall community diversity, evenness, and/or richness. Intake of FOS at higher dosage particularly appears to cause a marked increase in community richness as compared to other dosage amounts. The LOWESS function in ggplot ver. 2.0 was employed for plotting the trend-lines based on available values that indicated the pattern for the respective diversity indices.

Figure 2Figure 3

The Benefits Of A Prebiotic Shake

If you dont have the time to create a healthy, prebiotic-rich meal, you can always make yourself a nice healthy shake. It is easy to combine both probiotics and prebiotics in the shake.

For best results, prepare the shake with yogurt or kefirthey are both loaded with probiotics and the taste will go nicely with the sweet fruit you add to it.

Remember, when you add one or more types of prebiotics to your shake they will help the probiotics to grow!

A few good prebiotic foods to add to your shakes include:

• Bananas: They are high in fiber and they taste fantastic.
• Apple cider: Only add a smidge of it, because you dont want the shake to taste too sweet.
• Honey: Pure, unpasteurized honey is packed with natural prebiotics and will provide your shake with great taste.

As an added bonus, here is a healthy recipe for your prebiotic shake:

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 tablespoons of orange juice

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until its smooth with no chunks.

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Boost Your Cat’s Gut Health With These Probiotic Supplements

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The Spruce / Chloe Jeong

Have you heard about the many health benefits of taking probiotic supplements? Those benefits arent limited to humans. Theyre also great for promoting your cats optimum health too. Probiotics are healthy gut bacteria and their dormant spores that help the good gut bacteria get and stay established, helping your cat thrive.

Although all cats will benefit from probiotics, they are particularly important for rescued animals, including pregnant and feral mothers and their kittens, because street cats are more likely to have been exposed to disease-causing bacteria. Probiotics come in a variety of forms including powders in sachets or packets, capsules and chewable tablets, pastes, and purées. Look for those that include multiple strains of bacteria. The best ones have live cultures and may need to be refrigerated. Choose a product that youre sure you can dispense easily each day and be sure to check reviews for products that cats will actually eat. Consider those that also include prebiotics that promote the growth and survival of probiotics.

Below are some of the best probiotics for cats readily available today.

Delivery Method: Powder | Life Stage: All | NASC Seal: Yes

What Are The Health Benefits Of Prebiotics

We are reassured that prebiotics help to support our good gut bacteria, but what else do prebiotics do? One of the most common benefits is that prebiotics make you poop! As mentioned, this is due to the positive effects of SCFAs stimulating the gut to improve regularity. But prebiotics benefits extend to more than just SCFA production. In fact, prebiotics have been positively associated with improvements in all of the following health conditions:

• Gut health5
• Satiety14
• Weight loss15

There has been much interest in prebiotics for weight loss, and several scientific studies have yielded promising results. One such study15 involved 42 overweight and obese children. They were given either prebiotic fibre or placebo once a day for 16 weeks. The prebiotic group of children gained less weight in the 4-month intervention period, than those in the placebo group.

Healthcare professionals can find out more about the mechanisms of actions and clinical trials looking at each health area in Dr Aislings blog on the Probiotic Professionals site: The uses of prebiotics.

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Can Fos Help Me Lose Weight

Yes, FOS can help with weight control. Studies show that those who consume higher amounts of fiber have lower body weight. And according to researchers of one study, overall, dietary fiber may prevent obesity by reducing body weight and even appetite control. But not all fibers exert equal action, and among the fibers this team studied, FOS affected satiety at 16 g per day for between 12 and 16 weeks. This is great news because the body needs quality fiber every day.Another trial that gave obese participants FOS-enriched cookies found that the 9 g FOS increased satiety. And in one study that sought to link FOS consumption and satiety, researchers suggested that FOSs satiety effects may be caused by colonic fermentation. They found that FOS is fermented in the colon within 240 minutes after consumption.

Community Composition Using Ordination Analysis

Taxonomic profiles across all time-points and dosage categories were visually analysed using Principal Coordinate Analysis i.e. PCoA . Results of this analysis indicate optimal grouping of microbiome sample profiles into two distinct clusters. The table depicts the proportion of samples in each cluster. If samples from basal phase are considered as belonging to earlier time points, and those from dosage and follow-up phases together are considered as that belonging to later time-points, then the pattern of distribution depicted in Supplementary Fig. indicates the following. Majority of earlier time-point samples are concentrated in Cluster 1. Although a higher proportion of samples from later time-points are observed to still group together with earlier time-point samples in cluster 1, a sizeable subset of samples belonging to later time-points appear to segregate out into cluster 2. In spite of not having quite an overwhelming proportion, the size of the latter subset , as compared to the proportion of early-phase samples within the same cluster , indicates that prebiotic intake does bring about a change in gut microbial community composition in a note-worthy proportion of participants. On a different note, the relatively higher concentration of most samples belonging to the basal and follow-up phases within a single cluster appears to indicate a reversal of the impact of prebiotics post-discontinuation.

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As An Alternative Sweetener And Food

Fructooligosaccharides are listed as dietary ingredients and can improve food taste and texture. Although they are carbohydrates, they are normally listed as a fibre. Because of their subtle sweet flavour, FOS are often used as a low-calorie sugar alternative.

Some types of FOS are made into syrups such as blue agave syrup whereas others can be ground down into a powder and used as a coffee alternative, such as ground chicory root. FOS can be made into extracts of varying concentrations.

Prebiotics Mechanisms For Health Maintenance And Protection Against Disorders

As it was mentioned earlier, the products of prebiotics degradation are mainly SCFAs. These molecules are small enough to diffuse through gut enterocytes and enter blood circulation. Therefore, prebiotics are able to affect not only the gastrointestinal track but also other distant site organs and systems .

Prebiotics effects for health maintenance and protection against disorders. Prebiotics not only have protective effects on the gastrointestinal system but also on other parts of the body, such as the central nervous system, immune system, and cardiovascular system. TAG: triacylglycerol LDL: low-density lipoprotein IBS: irritable bowel syndrome IL-4: interleukin 4 IL-8: interleukin 8 IL-10: interleukin 10 NK cells function: natural killer cells function.

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Prebiotics And Cardiovascular System

According to the statistics, 30% of the deaths in the United States in 2013 were caused by cardiovascular diseases . The main reason for this growing trend is the alteration of peopleâs lifestyles and eating habits . Therefore, many researchers have studied the influence of fibers and prebiotics consumption on CVD. However, the direct beneficial functions of prebiotics in this regard have not been demonstrated yet. In this section, we summarized some of the indirect effects of prebiotics on CVD.

Prebiotics are able to lower the risk of CVD by reducing the inflammatory elements. Several investigations demonstrated an improvement in the lipid profile by consuming prebiotics. In a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial, Letexier et al. treated healthy individuals with 10 g/day inulin for three weeks. They observed that this regimen decreased blood triacylglycerol and liver lipogenesis, but it had no statistically significant effect on the cholesterol level.

To assess the effects of oral L-rhamnose and lactulose on lipid profile in a partially randomized crossover study, Vogt et al. administered 25 g/day of these two prebiotics for four weeks in healthy individuals. They observed a significant reduction in the synthesis and level of TAG but not cholesterol. Opposed to that, the results of another investigation in 1991 suggested that lactulose increased blood cholesterol and B-apolipoprotein .

How To Take Prebiotin

What is the best way to take Prebiotin® Prebiotic Fiber and when should I take it?

Instructions are on your container, but here are some tips:

• Mix Prebiotin® Prebiotic Fiber with your food, coffee, water, or a smoothie. Really, the options are limited only to what you like best it works with everything!
• Begin by taking 1/2 of either a scoop or stick pack in the morning for a few days to a week . Build up slowly.
• Note: The formulas for Regularity and Heart Health, are best mixed with food or blended in a smoothie.
• Then, begin adding the second scoop or stick in the late afternoon or evening. It helps to be consistent when you take it.
• Your goal is to reach a total of at least 8 grams per day of Prebiotin to feed your beneficial gut bacteria.
• For children, it is best to start with very small amounts and build up the daily dose slowly based on the age and weight of the child. It is always helpful to discuss Prebiotin and all supplements with your childs pediatrician.
• As a food product, Prebiotin can be taken with a probiotic or any other supplement.

GRAS designation from the FDA

Prebiotin oligofructose-enriched inulin is derived from pure chicory root, a food consumed for thousands of years. It has been designated Generally Recognized As Safe by the FDA, which allows its use in food and beverages, including infant formula.

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Gut Microbiota Compositional Analysis And Establishment Of The Prediction Model

Fecal samples were collected and stored at 80°C until further processing. The DNA was isolated with DNA automatic extraction machine as we previously described, using the Fecal DNA nucleic acid extraction kit as per the manufacturers instructions. The V4 variable regions of bacterial 16S rRNA gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using forward primers 514F that contained a sample-specific barcode with an Ion A adaptor , while the associated reverse primer 805R contained truncated P1 adaptor . The PCR cycle conditions were described previously. Fecal microbiota composition was assessed using partial 16S rRNA sequences that were determined on a 318 V2 chip using the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine System in Public Health School, Southern Medical University. The raw sequences were preprocessed according to the BIPES protocol.

Which Foods Contain Prebiotics

Prebiotic fibres are completely natural and are found in many dietary sources, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes such as peas and beans. Examples of high-prebiotic foods include:

• Jerusalem artichokes
• Oats
• Dandelion leaves!

Less well-known examples of prebiotic foods include raw, unpasteurised apple cider vinegar, a fermented food containing prebiotics from the apples used to make it. Research is also highlighting a prebiotic role for other nutrients such as polyphenols, antioxidants found in chocolate and berries2, and omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseeds and oily fish3. It appears they support gut health and the gut microbiome.

Another type of dietary prebiotic is found in human breast milk! Human milk oligosaccharides have been shown to have extensive health benefits for babies, so much so that some formula milks are now adding them as an ingredient. For babies and infants breast milk is undoubtedly one of the best prebiotics foods with many health benefits. You can find more information on HMOs in Baby Probiotics.

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