Abbott Laboratories Corporation

Margaret Ione Dohnalek

Milo Duane Hilty

Karin M Ostrom

A method is provided for reducing the incidence of otitis media in infants and young children by enterally administering indigestible fructooligosaccharides. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for reducing the incidence of otitis media comprising administering to humans an indigestible fructooligosaccharide selected from the group consisting of 1-kestose, nystose and 1-.sup.F -B-fructofuranosyl nystose . The indigestible fructooligosaccharides can be produced through enzymatic synthesis, chemical techniques or isolated from plant materials and are administered in the form of a nutritional product, candy, tablets, chewing gums, lozenges, milk products, yogurts and the like. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the fructooligosaccharides have a DP of 2 to 20 and still more preferably are the fructooligosaccharides FG.sub.2, GF.sub.3, and GF.sub.4.

Use of indigestible oligosaccharides to reduce the incidence of otitis

A method is provided for reducing the duration of diarrhea and recurrent episodes of diarrhea in humans by enterally administering indigestible oligosaccharides prophylactically. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method using indigestible oligosaccharides or fructooligosaccharides (FOS) to reduce the duration and recurrence of diarrhea in a human wherein between 0.5 grams and 5 grams of at least one FOS selected from the group consisting of 1-kestose, nystose, and 1.sup.F -.beta.-fructofuranosyl nystose is administered to said human per day. The indigestible oligosaccharides can be produced through enzymatic synthesis, chemical techniques or isolated from plant materials and are administered in the form of a nutritional product, candy, tablets, chewing gum, lozenges, milk, yogurts, fermented products and the like.

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Worthington, OH, United States of America

Margaret Ione Dohnalek