Prebiotics - A functional food that stimulates the growth of healthy bacteria, helping produce digestive enzymes.:
HomePrebioticProbioticInulinDietary FibreChicory RootHealth BenefitsGlossaryContact UsSite MapLinks
Glossary of Terms
Bifidobacteria
Bifidobacteria are one of the major genera of bacteria that make up the gut flora, the bacteria that reside in the colon. Bifidobacteria aid in digestion and are being used as probiotics.
Bio-culture
Contains living friendly bacteria (lactobacilli) probiotic bacteria, which help maintain a healthy intestinal tract and immune system
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates or saccharides are simple molecules. They are the most abundant biological molecules, and fill numerous roles in living things, such as the storage and transport of energy and structural components. Additionally, carbohydrates and their derivatives play major roles in the working process of the immune system, fertilization, pathogenesis, blood clotting, and development.
Chicory Root
See Chicory Root
Dietary Fibre
See Dietary Fibre
Fructan
A fructan is a polymer of fructose molecules that occur in foods such as artichokes, asparagus, green beans, leeks, onions and wheat.
Gut Flora
The gut flora are the microorganisms that normally live in the digestive tract and can perform a number of useful functions for their hosts.
Healthy Bacteria
Many bacteria can be healthy for the body. They can provide the health benefits including better regularity, calcium absorption, etc.
Hydrolysis
Decomposition in which a compound is split into other compounds by reacting with water
Hydrolyzed
To subject or be subjected to hydrolysis
Intestinal Flora
The intestinal flora are the microorganisms that normally live in the digestive tract and can perform a number of useful functions for their hosts.
Inulin
See Inulin
Lactobacilli
Lactobacilli are a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group, named as such because most of its members convert lactose and other sugars to lactic acid. In humans they are present in the gastrointestinal tract, where they are symbiotic and make up a small portion of the gut flora. The production of lactic acid makes its environment acidic which inhibits the growth of some harmful bacteria.
Metabolic Activity
The chemical processes by which cells produce the substances and energy needed to sustain life. As part of metabolism, organic compounds are broken down to provide heat and energy in the process called catabolism. Simpler molecules are also used to build more complex compounds like proteins for growth and repair of tissues as part of anabolism
Micro Flora
The micro flora are the microorganisms that normally live in the digestive tract and can perform a number of useful functions for their hosts.
Oligomer
In chemistry, an oligomer consists of a finite number of monomer units in contrast to a polymerwhich, at least in principle, consists of an unbounded number of monomers.
Oligosaccharide
An oligosaccharide is a saccharide polymer containing a small number of simple sugars.
Paracellular Transport System
Paracellular transport refers to the transfer of substances between cells of an epithelium.
Pathogens
A pathogen or infectious agent is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host.
Polymer
A polymer is a substance composed of molecules with large molecular mass composed of repeating structural units, or monomers, connected by covalent chemical bonds
Polymerisation
Polymerisation is a process of bonding monomers, or "single units" together to form longer chains named polymers
Prebiotic
See Prebiotic
Prebiotic Effect
See Prebiotic Effect
Probiotic
See Probiotic