# Taking Mannan Oligosaccharides with probiotics..?



## PumpIron (Apr 2, 2010)

***In case you haven't heard of MOS; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannan_Oligosaccharide_based_nutritional_supplements/\ It seems very promising. On the product page for "_Jarrow Formulas Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS_"; http://www.jarrow.com/product/265/Saccharomyces_Boulardii_MOS it says it _can be taken with probiotics_. But can MOS's really differentiate "good" bacteria from "bad" bacteria??? *Edit* Absolutely not. There is no way MOS alone can differentiate good and bad bacteria. Maybe it's the combination of S. Boulardii or other yeasts WITH MOS's that could create this effect. It seems to me that MOS would interfere with ANY excess bacteria binding to the intestinal walls. Good or bad. What are your thoughts?Has anyone tried using MOS and probiotics together?


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

In theory, people with normal guts who consume these prebiotics seem to have higher numbers of probiotics than people who do not.The problem in IBSers is they are often very sensitive to gas levels and if you don't have a good population of probiotics (enough your fart frequency has gone down significantly) the prebiotics of any kind may find the small increases in gas that most people wouldn't notice end up increase the gas enough to bother some IBSers.So I would, for IBSers, generally recommend avoiding the added prebiotics if you think any other gassy food makes you more uncomfortable. After your fart frequency is way down you may or may not want to see if it helps maintain the population, but a lot depends on how much gas bothers you.


----------



## PumpIron (Apr 2, 2010)

Kathleen M. said:


> In theory, people with normal guts who consume these prebiotics seem to have higher numbers of probiotics than people who do not.The problem in IBSers is they are often very sensitive to gas levels and if you don't have a good population of probiotics (enough your fart frequency has gone down significantly) the prebiotics of any kind may find the small increases in gas that most people wouldn't notice end up increase the gas enough to bother some IBSers.So I would, for IBSers, generally recommend avoiding the added prebiotics if you think any other gassy food makes you more uncomfortable. After your fart frequency is way down you may or may not want to see if it helps maintain the population, but a lot depends on how much gas bothers you.


MOS isn't a prebiotic in the same sense that inulin-FOS is. MOS helps inhibit binding of bacteria to epithelium cells.I am trying to find out if I can take the MOS and VSL 3 at the same time. Hopefully this supplement can differentiate between "bad bacteria" and "good bacteria".


----------

