FOS Syrup

What is FOS?

• Fructooligosaccharides (contained in FOS syrup), a naturally occurring carbohydrate found in very low concentration levels in natural foods like beets, Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, bananas. FOS, when consumed daily, promotes the growth of “friendly bacteria” in the intestinal tract. These bacteria, in turn, maintain intestinal health and fight off “bad bacteria” such as E. coli, Clostridium and salmonella. FOS has the same sweet taste and texture of commonly used sugar with sweetening ability around half of that of sugar but has only around 10 per cent of calories.
• Although FOS is only now assuming increasingly popularity in the West, it has been used as a dietary supplement in Japan for many years. The Japanese take these friendly bacteria very seriously and they enjoy widespread acceptance in Japan as a food additive and “functional” health-promoting food.
• FOS from FOS syrup is a super nutrient which does more than rebuilding intestinal flora.
• FOS stimulates the production of short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyrate, the ‘fuel’ of the colon. By increasing butyrate levels from intestinal fermentation, FOS helps maintain a healthy intestinal mucous membrane. This also has a tendency to reduce the colon’s pH, which is linked to the production of short chain fatty acids. This decrease in pH helps maintain the colon in a healthy state.
• Apart from being a food for bacteria, since it is not digestible, FOS is also a soluble fiber that draws water into the colon and prevents constipation. Improving the health of the friendly bacteria also improves our digestive health that also promotes regularity.

Reference: Prebiotics in the gastrointestinal tract; S. MACFARLANE, G. T. MACFARLANE, J. H. CUMMINGS; Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics; Volume 24, Issue 5, pages 701–714, September 2006.

Benefits of FOS syrup

• Strengthens Immune System;
• Improves Calcium and Magnesium Absorption;
• Lowers Cholesterol;
• Promotes Healthy Skin.

Recommendation

• Digestive problems;
• Malnutrition;
• If looking to lose weight;
• If feeling weak/tired.

Dosage

• One to two sachets of FOS syrup a day (10 ml each) for adults.

Note: Due to the normal adjustment process this product may initially cause discomfort in the abdomen. The body returns to normal after regular consumption of the product when the intestine is cleansed and becomes healthier and refreshed.

In this context, one should know

All of us are dependent on our intestine as a primary organ for assimilating nutrients and eliminating toxins. It’s true that good health begins in the colon. According to health sources, up to 90% of all toxins that enter the body do so through the intestines. This includes the section of intestines known as the colon.

What determines whether your colon is promoting good health or creating conditions that can cause health problems? In a word, bacteria.

Bacteria can be either good or bad and the colon is a major repository of both. Bad bacteria encourages disease states. Good bacteria also called beneficial bacteria are the foundation of a healthy digestive system. Since 80% of our immune system is in our digestive tract, it’s easy to understand why a healthy digestive system is “the root of good health.”

Interesting facts about intestinal bacteria

1. We share our intestine with 100 trillion microorganisms. There are 500 different species of bacteria comprising that population;
2. The ratio of good to bad bacteria is a critical measure in determining your overall health. The ideal balance is 85 per cent good and 15 per cent bad;
3. One of the jobs of good bacteria is to control the growth of bad bacteria by competing for nutrition and attachment sites in your colon.

Three very positive changes occur when your good-to-bad intestinal bacteria ratio is brought into balance:

1. Symptoms of digestive problem diminish or disappear;
2. Your body begins to use all the good food and nutritional supplements you feed it;
3. Your immune system de-stresses and is better equipped to fight off disease.

The good bacteria in the intestine is our front line defence against disease-causing organisms, combating premature ageing caused by toxins producing bacteria and fungi that reside in our intestines.

When eaten at the rate of 1 gram per day, FOS has been shown to decrease undesirables and to create a fivefold increase in beneficial, health-creating intestinal flora.

TIENS uses the power of FOS syrup to balance good-to-bad intestinal bacteria ratio.