Hello: I wonder if anyone knows the answer to this question. I drink milk for snacks in the Zone. Just recently the brand of low-fat, high-calcium milk that I drink changed their formula, adding what they call "Natural Oligosaccharides" which they say aids in digestion and promotes health. Here is the nutrition information they provide on the carton: Per 100 ml: Energy 197 kJ Protein 3.4 g Fat 1.3 g Carbohydrates 5.1 g Oligosaccharides 0.6g Calcium 207 mg Vitamin A 197 IU Vitamin D3 40 IU Vitamin E 1 IU Non-fat Milk Solids >=8.1% Ingredients list: Skimmed milk, MIlk fat, Natural Oligosaccharides (PB1), Calcium Carbonate, Stabilizer, Vitamin A, D and E. My question is, what are Oligosaccharides (it sounds like sugar of some sort) and is this a problem? Will it knock me out of the Zone or are there any other health concerns with this ingredient? Should I try to switch brands? I live in Asia ,where a lot of people are sensitive to dairy products, and I am guessing that this formula change was meant to address that problem so more people can drink the milk. They have soy milk here too, of course, but all the brands I have seen are heavily sweetened so I never drink it. Thank you in advance for your input. --Kate

Hi! Chemist husband says oligosaccharides are shorter versions of polysaccharides, which are sugars/starches. He's not quite sure why they'd put them in milk (he's not in nutrition science). Is the nutritional information on the package reliable? It sounds like it did not significantly raise the carbohydrate level, but I don't know what the old package said to verify this. So, there is a very vague, non-helpful answer. Sorry. I have no idea if it will knock you out of the zone. Probably the only way to find out is to try it, and see how you feel. Likely, if they were putting in something to help people to digest it, they would add lactase enzymes, which would help break down the milk sugars (lactase) that is not tolerated by many Asian people, as well as my certified American mutt husband. He finds that it doesn't help enough anyway, so doesn't drink milk, but can have some goat cheese and yogurt with lots of bacteria active in it. So I don't know. Good luck with that. :) Ronica

Hi Ronica: Thank you for the reply. Whatever these oligosaccharides are, they seem not to affect the way I feel when I drink the milk. I guess it must be no big deal then. Again, thanks for the input. Take care, Kate

Hi, Kate. Oligosaccharides occur naturally in human milk moreso than in cows'. They are, basically, a sugar molecule that is easier to digest. They also aid in colon health, along the lines of [i:9fc3f13f9d]acidophilus[/i:9fc3f13f9d] found in yogurt. This is a complete guess on my part, but I assume, since Asian people tend to be more lactose-intolerant and do not consume as much dairy as Westerners, the supplementation of small amounts of oligosaccharides to liquid milk is an attempt to make the beverage more easily digestible to dairy-wary China. The supplemented sugars can be fructose-derived (instead of galactose-based), and I would guess it is fruit sugars that are added for purposes of compatibility. The macronutrient breakdown of your favorite brand falls roughly within Zone ratios, and since you report no sensitivity to the minor change in its formula, I would say it would make a fine Zone snack. You might find this reading helpful: [url]http://www.vitacost.com/science/hn/...;/url]