Fructo-Oligosaccharides Supplement – Prebiotic to Improve Intestinal Flora

Fructo-Oligosaccharides is a sugar beet-sourced dietary fibre supplement produced by a French company using a bioconversion process. It offers confirmed prebiotic effects at doses starting at 5g-10g a day, that’s just 1-2 teaspoons of the supplement.

What are fructo-oligosaccharides?

Fructo-oligosaccharides are plant-source carbohydrate polymers and a source of dietary fibre.

They are compounds which are neither digested nor absorbed in the small intestine and which have at least one of the following effects:

• Increased stool production (without diarrhoea).
• Stimulation of colonic fermentation. Fermentation of fibre helps modify the gut flora and produce a large amount of short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate which is thought to play a role in healthy colonic mucosa function.
• Reduced fasting cholesterolaemia.
• Reduced blood sugar and/or post-prandial insulinaemia .

Many epidemiological and clinical studies have demonstrated the health benefits obtained by significantly increasing consumption of dietary fibre, benefits related primarily to its effects on microbiota balance as well as to the bacterial fermentation it encourages, during which short-chain fatty acids are produced in the gut.

What are the benefits provided by fructo-oligosaccharides?

Fructo-oligosaccharides are not only a source of dietary fibre; they are also prebiotic compounds. A prebiotic is defined as a “non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon” (1), and as such, supports digestive health (2). All prebiotics are considered dietary fibre but not all sources of dietary fibre are prebiotics.

In addition to these prebiotic effects, the supplement Fructo-Oligosaccharides helps provide other benefits:

• increasing the feeling of satiety;
• helping to maintain good cholesterol levels;
• normalising IBS symptoms;
• regulating inflammation markers.

How is the supplement Fructo-Oligosaccharides made?

Fructo-Oligosaccharides is produced by Tereos from sugar beet using a bioconversion process inspired by nature and guaranteed to be GMO-free. As in natural fermentation, the sugar is converted into fibre, by an enzyme produced by a carefully-selected microscopic fungus, Aspergillus niger.

Tereos are pioneers of oligofructose in Europe. Their know-how has enabled them to develop a high-quality product, the prebiotic effect of which has been recognised by the French authorities since 1996.

How should the supplement Fructo-oligosaccharides be used?

We recommend sprinkling a half to two spoonfuls (2.5-10g) of Fructo-oligosaccharides a day on food and drinks (3). If you have a very sensitive stomach, you can start with half a spoonful and gradually increase the dose.

Fructo-oligosaccharides have a chemical structure very close to that of sugar (sucrose): they therefore taste sweet, though their sweetening power is a third of sucrose’s with only 2kcal per gram, half as much as sugar.

In addition, you can slightly and gradually increase your consumption of fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholegrains, all of which are rich in soluble and insoluble fibre. Choose from the excellent sources below:

• Cooked legumes (15g per portion)
• Wheat bran (10g)
• Soya beans (8g)
• Raspberries (5g)
• Artichokes (5g)
• Prunes (5g)
• Unpeeled pears (5g)
• Peas (5g)
• Blackberries (5g)
• Pumpkin (4g)
• Dates (4g)
• Unpeeled potatoes (4g)
• Boiled spinach (4g)
• Sweet potatoes (4g)
• Unpeeled apples (3g)

In general, we recommend consuming 25g-30g of dietary fibre a day. But be aware of the symptoms of eating too much fibre - diarrhoea, flatulence, nausea, bloating, etc – and adjust the amount accordingly.

It’s also worth noting that the effects of dietary fibre are enhanced by good hydration. We recommend drinking at least 1.5 litres of water a day, spread out throughout the day.

Depending on the reason why you’re looking to consume more fibre, the following supplements may also be of interest:

• For maintaining healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels: Super Omega 3.
• For improving digestive health: Bioperine®.
• For probiotic as well as prebiotic effects: Supersmart probiotics.