Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Brazil.
Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Brazil.
Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2021 Feb;41:68-76. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.11.007. Epub 2020 Dec 7.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are non-caloric and unconventional sugars that are not metabolized by the human body, but can be fermented by the colonic microbiota, leading to some beneficial effects on the absorption of minerals and trace elements. There is, however, a lack of research that describes the continued consumption of FOS in the diet between healthy and ill individuals and their impact. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence behind the role of FOS in the absorption of minerals and trace elements in the human body.
The bibliographic research covered the period from January 2000 to August 2020. Four databases were investigated. We follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA). The systematic review protocol was recorded in PROSPERO (139621). Two reviewers examined and extracted data from qualitative and quantitative studies published in the main databases, through a careful analysis. The risk of bias was assessed by four reviewers.
Of a total of 1494 texts, 30 complete articles composed this review. Two overarching categories represented the results: animal models and human models (randomized crossover design). Regarding human models, the results showed an improvement in minerals, especially the absorption of calcium, magnesium and iron after the ingestion of FOS, and specifically the absorption of minerals and trace elements in postmenopausal women was improved.
The use of FOS to improve the absorption of minerals and trace elements seems to be beneficial with evidence corroborating both in human and animal studies. However, the literature lacks articles exploring the daily dose and duration for FOS benefits, as well as long-term side effects in healthy or unhealthy subjects. Future research should focus on addressing the extent of the functional effect of this fiber and identifying the impact on overall health.
低聚果糖（FOS）是一种无热量的非常规糖，人体无法代谢，但可被结肠微生物发酵，从而对矿物质和微量元素的吸收产生一些有益影响。然而，目前缺乏关于健康和患病个体饮食中持续摄入 FOS 及其影响的研究。本系统评价的目的是评估 FOS 在人体矿物质和微量元素吸收中作用的证据。
文献检索涵盖 2000 年 1 月至 2020 年 8 月期间。调查了四个数据库。我们遵循系统评价和荟萃分析的首选报告项目（PRISMA）。系统评价方案在 PROSPERO（139621）中进行记录。两名审查员通过仔细分析，从主要数据库中发表的定性和定量研究中检查和提取数据。四名审查员评估了偏倚风险。
在总共 1494 篇文献中，有 30 篇完整的文章组成了本次综述。两个总体类别代表了结果：动物模型和人体模型（随机交叉设计）。关于人体模型，结果表明在摄入 FOS 后矿物质，特别是钙、镁和铁的吸收得到改善，特别是绝经后妇女的矿物质和微量元素吸收得到改善。
使用 FOS 改善矿物质和微量元素的吸收似乎是有益的，动物和人体研究都提供了证据支持。然而，文献中缺乏探索 FOS 每日剂量和持续时间以及对健康或不健康个体的长期副作用的文章。未来的研究应侧重于确定这种纤维的功能效果的程度，并确定其对整体健康的影响。
