Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are oligosaccharides that occur naturally in plants such as onion, chicory, garlic, asparagus, banana, artichoke, among many others. They are composed of linear chains of fructose units, linked by β (2-1) bonds. The number of fructose units ranges from 2 to 60 and often terminate in a glucose unit. Dietary FOS are not hydrolyzed by small intestinal glycosidases and reach the cecum structurally unchanged. There, they are metabolized by the intestinal microflora to form short-chain carboxylic acids, L -lactate, CO₂, hydrogen and other metabolites. FOS have a number of interesting properties, including a low sweetness intensity; they are also calorie free, non-cariogenic and are considered as soluble dietary fibre. Furthermore, FOS have important beneficial physiological effects such as low carcinogenicity, a prebiotic effect, improved mineral absorption and decreased levels of serum cholesterol, triacylglycerols and phospholipids. Currently FOS are increasingly included in food products and infant formulas due to their prebiotic effect stimulate the growth of nonpathogenic intestinal microflora. Their consumption increases fecal bolus and the frequency of depositions, while a dose of 4–15 g/day given to healthy subjects will reduce constipation, considered one of the growing problems of modern society, and newborns during the first months of life.

中文翻译：

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膳食低聚果糖和对健康的潜在益处。

低聚果糖 (FOS) 是天然存在于洋葱、菊苣、大蒜、芦笋、香蕉、朝鲜蓟等植物中的低聚糖。它们由果糖单元的线性链组成，通过 β (2-1) 键连接。果糖单位的数量从 2 到 60 不等，通常以葡萄糖单位结尾。膳食 FOS 不会被小肠糖苷酶水解，并且结构不变地到达盲肠。在那里，它们被肠道菌群代谢形成短链羧酸、L-乳酸、CO ₂、氢和其他代谢物。FOS 有许多有趣的特性，包括低甜度；它们还不含卡路里、不生龋，被认为是可溶性膳食纤维。此外，低聚果糖具有重要的有益生理作用，例如低致癌性、益生元作用、改善矿物质吸收和降低血清胆固醇、三酰甘油和磷脂的水平。目前，低聚果糖越来越多地包含在食品和婴儿配方食品中，因为它们的益生元作用会刺激非致病性肠道微生物群的生长。它们的摄入会增加粪便推注和沉积频率，而健康受试者每天服用 4-15 克的剂量将减少便秘（被认为是现代社会日益严重的问题之一）和出生后头几个月的新生儿。