Prebiotics

Prebiotics are non-digestible and non-absorbable substances that pass through the digestive system serving as food and stimulating the growth of benign intestinal microflora/microbiota, mainly bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, for the intended purpose of improving health. They are found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, nuts, milk and honey. They are complex carbohydrates, such as fiber and resistant starch. They can be non-starch polysaccharides (polymers of fructose, galactose, lactose or xylose) and oligosaccharides. Oral administration. ^{(Cucalón 2020, Gibson 2017, Corzo 2014)}

At the date of the last update, we found no published data on its excretion in breast milk.

Since by definition they are nonabsorbable (no oral bioavailability), they do not represent any problem during lactation.

Breast milk and especially colostrum contain oligosaccharides with a prebiotic effect (12 g/L and 14 g/L, respectively), which are responsible for the high content of bifidobacteria present in the feces of breastfed infants and for the reduction in the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis in premature newborns. ^{(Nolan 2020, Wiciński 2020, Bering 2018, Corzo 2014, Bode 2015 and 2012)}

Definitive evidence of many of its claimed beneficial effects is lacking. The use of prebiotics to improve health should not be a substitute for healthy nutrition and lifestyle. ^{(Gibson 2017)}

Inulin is also used intravenously as a diagnostic agent to measure glomerular filtration rate. It is rapidly eliminated by the kidney without being metabolized and its high molecular weight prevents its passage into breast milk, in addition to not being absorbable by the infant's intestine, so this indication is also compatible with breastfeeding.