The Japanese coined the word “functional foods” to describe certain substances occurring naturally in foods, other than the known nutrients, and have certain health benefits.  The Japanese were the first to recognize that foods have a greater role to play in our health, than just providing nutrients. And , not surprisingly, the first officially stamped functional foods, called FOSHU (Foods of specified health use) were available in Japan .

Functional foods have been called “designer foods” “neutraceuticals”, “medicinal foods” or superfoods in different markets, but they all refer to the foods that offer health benefits.

Both prebiotics and probiotics fall under the category of functional foods. Probiotics have been very much in the spotlight with probiotics drinks, ice creams, dahi and yoghurt. These are foods to which live cultures of certain living organisms are added such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which help growth of other beneficial bacteria in the colon and promote health.

Prebiotics are not that popular yet! These are compounds found naturally in some foods that stimulate growth of good bacteria because they are fermented in the intestine.  These offer a host of health benefits. There are many foods that have prebiotic foods, but the best amongst these are from Non Digestible Oligosaccharides or NDO.  These are resistant to digestion in the intestine and get fermented by intestinal bacteria.  Fruco-oligosaccharides are a type of NDO, that is available in Japan as a functional food.  Another important type of NDO, are the fructans.  Fructans are found in foods like asparagus, onion, leek, artichoke, garlic , banana, chicory, bamboo shoots, wheat grass and wheat bran.  Artichokes are the richest source of fructans.  In India  however, moderate amounts of fructans can be obtained by eating raw white and pink onions, banana, and using fresh whole wheat instead of processed flours.

Fructans have the following health benefits:

1. They help beneficial bacteria grown in the intestine,  and decrease the concentrations of harmful ones (E. Coli, clostridia – which cause serious infections and multiply easily when the immunity is weak, such as in cancer, chemotherapy, or diabetes).  In other words, fructans act like antiobiotics, but in a much safer, healthier way , with no side effects.

2. Increase calcium, magnesium absorption, so that more of these minerals are available from the foods we eat. Both calcium and magnesium are bone health minerals, necessary for strength and growth of bones.

3. Fructans decrease fasting glucose levels in the blood.  This is because they are not digested or absorbed quickly in the intestine, and get cleared very slowly from the stomach.

4. Triglycerides, and consequently cholesterol (LDL) levels are lowered by fructans

Processing and cooking break up the fructans and decrease the health benefits. Many countries have added fructans to foods like ice creams or yoghurt. Fructans are not the same as fructose (which is a simple sugar like glucose) or fructose syrup (high fructose corn syrup) found in many sweet foods.  If you see fructo-oligosaccharides or “fructans” in the label, it means there is some health benefit in that food.