Foods that claim to improve digestive health are now commonplace on the supermarket shelves. These days, it’s not as simple as adding ‘fibre’ – many more exotic sounding ingredients such as resistant starchStarch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large num..., inulin, oligosaccharidesA carbohydrate made up of a small number of sugar sub-units,... and polydextrose are used, not to mention the lactic acid bacteriaSingle cell microorganisms. that are added to yogurts and yogurt drinks.

Inulin, for example, is a carbohydrateCompounds that contain the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxy... that acts as a prebiotic soluble fibreThe indigestible part of plants which aids the passage of fo.... It may help reduce the risk of some infections and relieve the symptoms of inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. As a prebiotic fibreThe indigestible part of plants which aids the passage of fo..., it helps promote the growth of the ‘friendly’ bacteriaSingle cell microorganisms. that live in the intestinal tract and play an important role in the digestive process.

In recent years, probiotic bacteriaSingle cell microorganisms. have become popular ingredients in foods designed to promote digestive health. The most common of these are lactobacillus and bifidobacteria. The idea is to maintain a healthy balance of these bacteriaSingle cell microorganisms. in the gut, because their numbers can be reduced by illness, stress, poor nutrition and antibiotics. Claims have been made that they can help strengthen the immune system, and reduce the impact of some diseases.