Handbook of Prebiotics and Probiotics Ingredients

Book excerpt: While there is little dispute that probiotics and prebiotics, alone and together, have been proven to promote gastrointestinal health and proper immune function, the challenge faced by researchers is finding not only the right combinations, but also finding those that are fully compatible with the formulation, processing, packaging, and distribution of functional foods. This volume comprehensively explores these variables and highlights the most current biological research and applications. It examines the sources of prebiotics and probiotics, describes the physiological functions of both products, and discusses promising applications for a plethora of disorders.