Everyone needs to eat, including the beneficial bacteria in your gut. These "friendly" bacteria that naturally occur in our digestive, urinary, and genital systems work hard to help keep "bad" bacteria at bay, promoting healthy guts and overall immune system health. All that hard work can really work up an appetite, even in these microscopic bacteria.

What is FOS?

FOS, or Fructooligosaccharides, are short and medium chain sugar molecules that your body can't digest. FOS passes through your stomach and into your intestines, where they feed the beneficial bacteria and yeast. FOS is considered a prebiotic, as it provides nourishment to the probiotics ("good" bacteria) in your gut. The prebiotic FOS feeds the beneficial probiotics, who can continue to work at keeping your immune and digestive systems healthy and strong. FOS is thought to be particularly beneficial in stimulating the growth of Bifidobacteria species of probiotics.

Fructooligosaccharides are naturally present in foods such as:

• Garlic
• Onions
• Leeks
• Chicory root
• Jerusalem artichoke
• Asparagus
• Yacon Root

FOS can be found as both a stand-alone supplement, as well as in combined prebiotic-probiotic formulas. Want to include FOS  with your probiotic routine? Try one of the following:

Pure Encapsulations FOS Capsules

Body Ecology Eco Bloom Prebiotic

Sunbiotic Organic Probiotic Powder - Vanilla

FOS is known as a number of different names, among them inulin, oligofructose, oligosaccharide fructans, prebiotics, Neosugar, Alant Starch, Atlanta Starch, and Diabetic Sugar.

Resources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20119826