Is that what lactulose syrup is made from (sugars that absorb water and, being indigestible, pull it into the colon)?
It is a disaccharide formed from one molecule each of the simple sugars (monosaccharides) fructose and galactose. Lactulose is not normally present in raw milk, but is a product of heat processes:[23] the greater the heat, the greater amount of this substance (from 3.5 mg/l in low-temperature pasteurized milk to 744 mg/l in in-container sterilized milk).[24] It is produced commercially by isomerization of lactose.
Lactulose is metabolized in the colon by bacterial flora to short-chain fatty acids, including lactic acid and acetic acid. These partially dissociate, acidifying the colonic contents (increasing the H+ concentration in the gut).[16] This favors the formation of the nonabsorbable NH+
4 from NH3, trapping NH3 in the colon and effectively reducing plasma NH3 concentrations. Lactulose is therefore effective in treating hepatic encephalopathy.[25][needs update] Specifically, it is effective as secondary prevention of hepatic encephalopathy in people with cirrhosis.[26] Moreover, research showed improved cognitive functions and health-related quality of life in people with cirrhosis with minimal hepatic encephalopathy treated with lactulose.[27]