Ace the NANP Board Exam 2025 – Unleash Your Natural Health Mojo!

The correct answer is prebiotic. Prebiotics are a specific type of carbohydrate that serve as food for beneficial gut bacteria, promoting their growth and activity. Unlike monosaccharides and disaccharides, which are simpler forms of carbohydrates that provide energy, prebiotics are often more complex and can resist digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract. This allows them to reach the colon intact, where they can then selectively nourish beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.

Polysaccharides, while they can include fibers that may have prebiotic effects, are a broad category that does not exclusively refer to substances that specifically support gut bacteria. Not all polysaccharides function as prebiotics.

Monosaccharides and disaccharides are not associated with promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. They are primarily involved in energy provision and do not possess the selective beneficial properties that prebiotics do. Therefore, prebiotics are distinctly recognized for their role in enhancing gut health by supporting beneficial microbes.