TITLE:
Can Intestinal Constipation Be Modulated by Prebiotics, Probiotics and Symbiotics?
AUTHORS:
Mônica de Souza Lima Sant’Anna, Célia Lúcia de Luces Fortes Ferreira
KEYWORDS:
Intestinal Microbiota, Fructooligosaccharides, Inulin, Constipation
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.5 No.12,
June
26,
2014
ABSTRACT: The
importance of maintaining a healthy intestinal microbiota in the health of the
host has been increasingly clarified. This microbiota may appear unbalanced in
diseases such as colitis, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.
To rebalance the microbiota and improve the symptoms of constipation, it is
recommended to intake prebiotics, probiotics and symbiotics, which works in the
modulation of a healthy intestinal microbiota and favors the production of
short-chain fatty acids that have a positive effect on intestinal transit. In
addition, some studies indicate that there is a relation between the brain and
the intestine that influences the behavior of individuals with intestinal
dysbiosis. Thus, the reestablishment of the eubiosis in constipated patients
through the functional compounds (prebiotics, probiotics and symbiotics) has
been showing promising results regarding the modulation of constipation and
improvement of the clinical picture. This review will emphasize the relation of
prebiotics, probiotics and symbiotics in the modulation of intestinal
constipation. New food sources of these compounds should be evaluated for their
efficacy, dose and effect to establish a proper management.