The Importance of Prebiotics in Functional Foods and Clinical Practice

Abstract

Prebiotics are substances that can promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms, mainly in the intestinal tract, and will modify the colonic microbiota. The following health benefits are attributed to prebiotics: relief from poor digestion of lactose, increased resistance to bacterial infection, better immune response and possible protection against cancer, reduction of the risk of diseases such as intestinal disease, cardiovascular disease, non-insulin dependent diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis. This article presents a discussion of prebiotics, with descriptions of the concepts and its use in clinical practice, and a review of some recent research showing the benefits that these ingredients provide to human health and providing data on the recommended intakes for consumption

Development of a Novel Carrot-based Synbiotic Beverage using Lactobacillus casei 431®

“…They can be found in chicory, onion, garlic, asparagus, artichoke, leeks, bananas, tomatoes and many other plants (Grajek et al, 2005;Sousa et al, 2011).…”

Probiotics - the versatile functional food ingredients

“…The concept of functional foods was introduced in Japan during the 1980s (De Sousa et al 2011), and it is connected with considering food not only as a means of providing basic nutrition (Alissa and Ferns 2012) which is necessary for living but also as a source of mental and physical well-being, contributing to the prevention and reduction of risk factors responsible for several diseases or enhancing certain physiological functions (Lobo et al 2010) like immuno-potentiation, the improvement of system circulation, and control of aging (AlSheraji et al 2013). Thus, a food can be regarded as functional if it satisfactorily demonstrates to beneficially affect either one or more target functions in the body beyond adequate nutritional effects; in a way that is relevant to maintenance or promotion of a state of well being and health or reduction in the risk of a disease (Lobo et al 2010).…”

The effect of cryomechanodestruction on activation of heteropolysaccaride-protein nanocomplexes when developing nanotechnologies of plant supplements

“…In addition, there is reduced immunity of the population, caused by general deterioration of ecological situation. According to the literature, the health condition of population, as well as the condition of the human immune system, depends by 80 % on the condition of the intestine [2][3][4]. Functional health foods with probiotic properties, which contain useful microflora in active state, help to maintain the necessary balance of intestinal microflora in the body.…”

“…These products include pickled vegetables (cabbage, carrots, beets), sour-milk drinks (kefir, yoghurt, prostokvasha) and other fermented products. In addition, products that contain "prebiotics" help to support the balance in the body [2][3][4][5]. They stimulate development and metabolic and biological activity of one or more of the groups of their own bacteria in the human body, which make up the intestinal microflora of a human, positively affect the composition of microbiocenosis [4,5].…”