Research
Hormonal
FOS and GOS supplementation increases Bifidobacterium abundance but decreases butyrate-producing bacteria (Phascolarctobacterium, Ruminococcus), which correlates with impaired glucose tolerance.
Prebiotics don't just feed 'good' bacteria; they can also suppress other beneficial bacteria that produce butyrate, which is crucial for glucose control. This suggests prebiotics are not universally beneficial for metabolic health.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
A significant increase in the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium was observed both in FOS and GOS group, while the butyrate-producing bacteria like Phascolarctobacterium in FOS group and Ruminococcus in GOS group were decreased.
Why this rating
Supported by 16S rRNA sequencing and SCFA analysis.
Source
Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and Galactooligosaccharide (GOS) Increase Bifidobacterium but Reduce Butyrate Producing Bacteria with Adverse Glycemic Metabolism in healthy young population
Feitong Liu et al. · Scientific Reports · 2017
DOI 10.1038/s41598-017-10722-2
crossover · n=35Cited 297×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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