Publish Time: 2022-08-10 Origin: Site
The gut is the largest digestive and immune organ in the human body, responsible for 99% of nutrient absorption and 70% of immune work. The amount of food consumed in a lifetime is equivalent to 12 elephants. Why is the gut so capable? Because it has more than 10 trillion bacteria of more than 400 kinds, and diligently maintains people's health, of which probiotics are indispensable.
In recent years, many people have begun to pay attention to the efficacy of probiotics and intentionally add them to their diets, but sometimes they seem to have no effect. What is going on? This is most likely the wrong method.
Probiotics are essential for human health, and their functions are mainly reflected in 6 aspects:
1. Promote digestion and absorption
Food usually stays in the gut for more than 12 hours, during which time probiotics can promote the synthesis of various digestive enzymes to extract various nutrients from food. For example, the short-chain fatty acids decomposed by colonic flora through fermentation can promote the absorption of calcium, magnesium and iron in the colon; another example is Streptococcus thermophilus, which can produce lactase to help the human body digest lactose.
2. Enhance immune cells and protect intestinal mucosa
On the one hand, the structure of probiotics itself, such as peptidoglycan, lipoteichoic acid and other components can enhance the activity and lethality of immune cells; on the other hand, the organic acids, hydrogen peroxide and other substances produced by these beneficial bacteria can reduce the Intestinal mucosa permeability, blocking or inhibiting bacterial invasion of intestinal mucosa.
3. Reduce the risk of cancer
Escherichia coli, Clostridium, Enterococcus, Bacteroides, etc. in the intestine can promote the combination of nitrite and amine in food to form nitrosamine with strong carcinogenic effect. However, probiotics such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus can decompose nitrite into nitrite and amine, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer.
4. Reduce cholesterol absorption
Probiotics participate in the liver-intestinal metabolic cycle, which can control the interference of bacteria in the absorption of cholesterol in food, inhibit the production of liver cholesterol, and promote the excretion of cholesterol in the body.
5. Auxiliary antioxidants in the body, such as oxygen free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals, etc., because of their unstable nature, redox reactions are prone to occur, and excessive amounts may cause oxidative damage. Intestinal probiotics can help to remove the oxides synthesized by the body and maintain the dynamic balance of oxidative metabolism.
6, laxative
Relying on the action of probiotics, normal feces can maintain 70% to 80% of the water content, which is very smooth when excreted. However, if the number of probiotics is too small and the gastrointestinal motility and digestion ability is insufficient, it is easy for the stool to stay in the intestine for too long, and a large amount of water is lost, making it difficult to eliminate.
If supplementing with probiotics doesn't work, it may be the wrong method.
1. The type of probiotics is not right
There are many kinds of probiotics, and each has different functions. If supplemented in a targeted manner, it can play a corresponding effect. For example, bifidobacteria can reach the large intestine, promote peristalsis, help defecation, and regulate intestinal disorders; Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus can improve allergies; Streptococcus thermophilus can enter the small intestine to help the body digest lactose, etc. 70% of probiotics are used in food, you can pay attention to the ingredient list when purchasing, and choose; if you lack a certain kind of probiotics, it is more effective to take special probiotics preparations under the guidance of doctors.
2. Insufficient amount of supplements
To achieve the effect of supplementing probiotics, you need to supplement at least 5 billion to 10 billion each time, and the more active bacteria, the better. This is because probiotics are anaerobic and intolerant of high temperatures, making it difficult for them to reach the gut during consumption. Therefore, every time a sufficient amount of probiotics is ingested, a part of the probiotics can survive in the intestinal tract as much as possible. When drinking probiotic supplements, mix with warm water at around 37°C (the water temperature should not be too high), and drink it as soon as possible to avoid exposure to too much oxygen. The same is true for other foods containing probiotics.
3. Wrong eating time
Probiotics are very sensitive to gastric acid, and the normal pH value of gastric acid is about 1.8, which is not conducive to the survival of probiotics. Stimulated by hunger and food before and after meals, the secretion of gastric acid is large, which is not suitable for supplementation. Probiotics should be taken when the pH value of gastric acid is relatively high. After 30 to 60 minutes after a meal, the feeling of fullness is strong, the secretion of gastric acid is reduced, and most of the food still stays in the stomach, which can neutralize the gastric acid, and it is suitable to supplement probiotics at this time. It can also be replenished between meals.
4. Improper storage method
Foods containing probiotics should be sealed and stored at low temperature, and once opened, they should be consumed as soon as possible. Because air contains water molecules, it can activate probiotics, but oxygen will kill anaerobic probiotics. Choose dry probiotics in individual small packages, or sealed, fresh dairy products, which are easier to store and easier to absorb.
5. Appropriate supplementation of prebiotics
International studies have shown that for people whose gastrointestinal flora balance has been severely disrupted, supplementing with probiotics may be less effective. Therefore, for patients with certain gastrointestinal diseases, it is better to supplement with prebiotics appropriately.
Prebiotics are a nutritional source of probiotics that promote an increase in the number of probiotics. In addition, when prebiotics pass through the upper gastrointestinal tract, most of them are not digested, and can directly reach the intestinal tract to be absorbed by the flora. Foods rich in prebiotics mainly include: fresh vegetables and fruits with high soluble dietary fiber content; soybeans and soy products; inulin, spirulina, etc. It can be supplemented selectively under the guidance of a physician.
Some studies have pointed out that the proportion of beneficial bacteria in the intestines of healthy people reaches 70%, while the proportion of ordinary people is 25%. The proportion of constipated people is reduced to 15%, while the proportion of probiotic bacteria in the intestines of cancer patients is only 10%. Therefore, in the long run, proper supplementation of some probiotic-rich foods is of great significance for maintaining intestinal health. There are several categories of people who need special supplementation:
1. Acute infectious gastroenteritis When a foreign pathogen causes acute inflammation, the intestinal immune function becomes poor, and it is easy to have frequent diarrhea, resulting in a serious reduction in the scale of probiotics. At this time, probiotic preparations such as rhamnosus bacteria and Saccharomyces boulardii may slightly shorten the duration of diarrhea and reduce the degree of diarrhea.
2. After taking antibacterial drugs, due to the serious damage to intestinal flora caused by antibacterial drugs, it is difficult to recover by oneself at this time, and additional probiotics need to be supplemented to help the intestinal microecology restore balance.
3. Research on the elderly with poor digestion shows that the number of probiotics in the human body will decrease with age, and the elderly usually only have 11%.
4. People with low immunity As we said earlier, the gut is responsible for about 70% of the immune function of the human body, and probiotics are an important element of immune activity. Therefore, people who suffer from frequent colds all the year round, have chronic inflammation, have low immunity, and are prone to gastrointestinal diseases during the changing seasons can be suitable for supplementing some foods rich in probiotics.