Prebiotic
<p ><b>Prebiotics</b> are non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or activity of bacteria in the digestive system in ways claimed to be beneficial to health. They were first identified and named by Marcel Roberfroid in 1995.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic_(nutrition)#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup> As a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_food" title="Functional food" >functional food</a>component, prebiotics, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotics" title="Probiotics" class="mw-redirect" >probiotics</a>, are conceptually intermediate between foods and drugs. Depending on the jurisdiction, they typically receive an intermediate level of regulatory scrutiny, in particular of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_claims_on_food_labels" title="Health claims on food labels" >health claims</a> made concerning them.</p>
<p>
Roberfroid offered a refined definition in the 2007 Journal of Nutrition<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic_(nutrition)#cite_note-1" >[2]</a></sup> stating:</p>
<blockquote >
<p >A prebiotic is 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"
</p>
</blockquote>
<p >Additionally, in his 2007 revisit of Prebiotics, Roberfroid stated that only two particular <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructooligosaccharide" title="Fructooligosaccharide" >fructooligosaccharides</a> fully meet this definition:<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligofructose" title="Oligofructose" class="mw-redirect" >oligofructose</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inulin" title="Inulin" >inulin</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-ReferenceA_2-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic_(nutrition)#cite_note-ReferenceA-2" >[3]</a></sup> Other authorities also classify <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactooligosaccharides" title="Galactooligosaccharides" class="mw-redirect" >galactooligosaccharides</a> (GOS) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactulose" title="Lactulose" >lactulose</a> as prebiotics. </p>
<p>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannan_Oligosaccharide_based_nutritional_supplements_(MOS)" title="Mannan Oligosaccharide based nutritional supplements (MOS)" class="mw-redirect" >Mannan Oligosaccharides</a> (MOS) have been termed as prebiotics but would more correctly be termed immunosaccharides</p>
<p>
Researchers now also focus on the distinction between short-chain, long-chain, and full-spectrum prebiotics. </p>
<p>
"Short-chain" prebiotics, e.g. oligofructose, contain 2-8 links per saccharide molecule and are typically fermented more quickly in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascending_colon" title="Ascending colon" >right-side</a> of the colon providing nourishment to the bacteria in that area. </p>
<p>
Longer-chain prebiotics, e.g. inulin, contain 9-64 links per saccharide molecule, and tend to be fermented more slowly, nourishing bacteria predominantly in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descending_colon" title="Descending colon" >left-side colon</a>. </p>
<p>
Full-spectrum prebiotics provide the full range of molecular link-lengths from 2-64 links per molecule, and nourish bacteria throughout the colon, e.g. Oligofructose-Enriched Inulin (OEI). </p>
<p>
The majority of research done on prebiotics is based on full-spectrum prebiotics, typically using OEI as the research substance.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic(nutrition)#cite_note-3" >[4]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic(nutrition)#cite_note-4" >[5]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic(nutrition)#cite_note-5" >[6]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic(nutrition)#cite_note-6" >[7]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic_(nutrition)#cite_note-7" >[8]</a></sup></p>