By now, most people are aware of the many benefits of probiotic supplementation, including improved digestive health. However, a relatively new area of study regarding the digestive system concerns prebiotics, which are non-digestible fibers found in certain foods. These carbohydrates, oligosaccharides, provide a food source for the beneficial gut flora (probiotics such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) and help promote their growth in the colon. To be classified as a prebiotic, the fibers such as oligofructose or inulin must demonstrate that they are fermented by gastrointestinal microflora, they stimulate the growth of probiotics, they are beneficial to...
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