There is an increasing incidence in non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome all over the world, despite of the governmental investments in healthy policies. Some of these diseases represent a high economic burden to individuals and society, demanding urgency in the identification of risk factors and appropriate solutions. Inadequate nutrition habits are an important risk factor for developing these diseases, and the consumption of functional foods such as prebiotics, probiotics, and phenolic compounds may contribute to mitigate them. It has been reported that the consumption of prebiotics can cause positive changes in the intestinal microbiota. The healthy microbiota, consisting mainly of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, ferment prebiotics producing compounds that appear to play a protective role against metabolic diseases. Despite the growing number of publications on the effects of regular consumption of prebiotics in experimental models, additional studies on their effects on humans are needed to bring more subsidies to public health programs. This manuscript aims to review the literature on the possible benefits of ingestion of prebiotics in the control of obesity.

尽管政府对健康政策进行了投资，但世界各地的肥胖，糖尿病和代谢综合症等非传染性疾病（NCD）的发病率仍在上升。其中一些疾病给个人和社会带来了沉重的经济负担，因此迫切需要确定风险因素并采取适当的解决方案。营养习惯不足是导致这些疾病的重要危险因素，食用益生元，益生菌和酚类化合物等功能性食物可能有助于缓解这些疾病。据报道，食用益生元可以引起肠道菌群的积极变化。健康的菌群，主要由双歧杆菌和乳杆菌组成，发酵产生的益生元似乎对代谢性疾病起保护作用。尽管在实验模型中有关经常食用益生元的影响的出版物越来越多，但仍需要进一步研究其对人类的影响，以向公共卫生计划提供更多补贴。该手稿旨在回顾有关摄入益生元对控制肥胖症可能带来的益处的文献。