Fructo-oligosaccharides are made up of plant sugars linked in chains. They are taken from asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, and soybeans, or produced in the laboratory. People use these sugars to make medicine.
Fructo-oligosaccharides are used for constipation, travelers diarrhea, and high cholesterol levels.
Fructo-oligosaccharides are also used as prebiotics. Prebiotics act as food for good bacteria in the intestine. Dont confuse prebiotics with probiotics such as lactobacillus, bifidobacteria, and saccharomyces, which are live organisms that are good for health. People sometimes take probiotics by mouth to increase the number in their intestine.
In foods, fructo-oligosaccharides are used as a sweetener.