[Prebiotics--promising alimentary preventors of digestion dysfunctions caused by adverse environmental factors]

Prevention and treatment of digestive dysfunction due to hostile environments can be effected by prebiotics i.e. carbohydrates undigestible by the upper GI tract but favorable to selective stimulation of the growth and metabolizing activity of nonpathogenic commensal microflora. There are empiric evidence of the prebiotics positive action on GI cells and tissues, large intestine micro-ecology, mineral and lipid metabolism, and the immune status of humans and animals. Therefore, there is good reason to seek to develop brand new foods that would contain prebiotics, and recommendations on their use in common and extraordinary conditions.