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Overview Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are short-chain carbohydrates composed of fructose units (degree of polymerization 2–9) linked by β(2→1) glycosidic bonds, typically with a terminal glucose. They are classified as prebiotics — non-digestible food ingredients that selectively stimulate the…
13 May 2026
Overview Lactobacillus is the most commercially prevalent genus of probiotic bacteria, comprising dozens of clinically studied species used for gastrointestinal health, urogenital support, immune modulation, and metabolic wellness. Following a 2020 reclassification, many classical…
13 May 2026
Overview Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are a class of non-digestible carbohydrates synthesized enzymatically from lactose, consisting of 2–8 galactose units linked predominantly by β(1→4) and β(1→6) glycosidic bonds with a terminal glucose. GOS are found naturally at low concentrations in…
13 May 2026
Overview Postbiotics are defined by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) as "a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host." This 2021 consensus definition formally recognized postbiotics as…
13 May 2026
Overview Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) is a water-soluble dietary fiber derived from guar beans (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) through controlled enzymatic hydrolysis of native guar gum. The hydrolysis process reduces the molecular weight of native guar gum from approximately 1–2 million…
13 May 2026
Overview Saccharomyces boulardii is a tropical probiotic yeast (originally isolated from lychee and mangosteen in Indochina by Henri Boulard in 1923) that has achieved remarkable clinical validation. Unlike bacterial probiotics, S. boulardii is a eukaryote—making it inherently resistant to…
13 May 2026
Overview Resistant starch (RS) is a form of dietary starch that resists digestion in the small intestine and passes largely intact to the colon, where it is fermented by the resident microbiota. It is classified into five subtypes based on physical and chemical properties: RS1 (physically…
13 May 2026
Overview Spore-forming probiotics belong primarily to the Bacillus genus and represent a structurally distinct class from conventional lactic acid bacteria. Their defining feature is the ability to form endospores — dormant, heat-stable structures that survive gastric acid, bile, and ambient…
13 May 2026
Overview A synbiotic is a combination of a probiotic (live microorganism) and a prebiotic (non-digestible substrate) that acts synergistically to confer a health benefit greater than either component alone. The term was coined by Gibson and Roberfroid in 1995, and the ISAPP published a formal…
13 May 2026
Two prescription omega-3s are commonly confused. Lovaza (EPA+DHA) treats severe hypertriglyceridemia; Vascepa (pure EPA) is the only one with cardiovascular outcomes evidence. Plus: where OTC fish oil and krill oil fit, and the dose-dependent atrial fibrillation signal.
11 May 2026
Overview Naltrexone at standard doses (50 mg/day) is an FDA-approved opioid receptor antagonist for addiction. Low-dose naltrexone (LDN, 1–5 mg/day) exploits an entirely different mechanism — transient receptor blockade produces rebound upregulation of endogenous opioid signaling and reduces…
08 May 2026
Overview Lactoferrin is a multifunctional iron-binding glycoprotein found in high concentrations in colostrum and breast milk, and at lower levels in most exocrine secretions. Bovine lactoferrin (bLF) shares ~70% structural homology with human lactoferrin and demonstrates comparable biological…
08 May 2026
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