Guide to probiotic supplements effects and more

Probiotics are a class of active microorganisms that work by improving the balance of the host's intestinal microflora, and can produce definite health effects to improve the host's microecological balance and play a beneficial role. Probiotics are closely related to our human health and longevity. Delicious foods that people have been eating for thousands of years, such as yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, natto, kombucha, etc. are all probiotic foods. The beneficial microorganisms in these foods, Such as yeast, bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, actinomycetes, bacillus subtilis, etc. bring us deliciousness and health.

CFU probiotic effects

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 intestinal tract 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 to make the feces stay in the intestinal tract for too long, and a large amount of water is lost, making it difficult to eliminate.

How to supplement daily probiotic?

1. Milk or dairy products such as yogurt and cheese

yogurt

Most yogurt or yogurt products generally contain only two bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, and do not contain active probiotics. Probiotics are added to yogurt, including Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus reuteri and other species.

Although yogurt is not the best supplementary source of probiotics, yogurt has a series of beneficial metabolites produced during the fermentation of lactic acid bacteria, such as vitamins, enzymes, and rich protein and calcium. It is also a very worthwhile food.

cheese

Some cheeses made by fermentation method contain active probiotics. The commonly used probiotics in cheese are Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium, Propionibacterium and so on. Generally, the longer the fermentation time, the more healthy probiotic metabolites in the cheese. You can usually eat more pure cheese.

2. Fermented foods such as kimchi, miso, and tempeh

You can also eat some fermented foods made of vegetables, water and grains, such as kimchi, miso, tempeh, etc.

Taking fermented kimchi as an example, in addition to probiotics, it also contains some beneficial metabolites, and the dietary fiber and various antioxidants in kimchi itself help the growth and reproduction of probiotics. You can eat this type of fermented food properly at ordinary times, but it is not recommended as the main way to supplement probiotics.

3. Probiotic supplements

At present, there are many types of probiotic products on the market, such as capsules, tablets or solid beverages, not only probiotic food, but also probiotic health products registered and approved under the "blue hat", and even medicines. When shopping for probiotic supplements, keep in mind:

①Choose reliable brands and manufacturers

If the food needs to have the QS logo, whether the health food has the "blue hat" registration that is still valid.

②Choose probiotic supplements that meet your needs

According to the different needs of different people, choose probiotic supplements that can improve related functions, such as relieving diarrhea/constipation, assisting blood lipid lowering or relieving irritable bowel syndrome.

③ Check the specific information of the marked probiotic strain or strain

Check whether the marked strains are in the "List of strains that can be used in food" or "List of probiotic strains that can be used in health food" published by the state. For details, please refer to the official website of the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China.

④ Quantity of labeled probiotics

The Ministry of Health of my country stipulates that the number of viable bacteria per ml/g of live bacteria probiotic health food shall not be less than 1 million (10 to the 6th power) unit (cfu) during its storage period. ) is much higher than this standard. Also, don't buy a product that only lists the weight, but not the number of live probiotics, because weight is not proportional to the number of bacteria.

⑤ Check the shelf life

It is important to check the shelf life of probiotic supplements. Before buying, make sure you can consume your probiotic supplement within the expiration date.

⑥Adding ingredients

Such as prebiotics, vitamins, minerals, etc. Among them, prebiotics play an important role in the proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract.

It is necessary to supplement probiotics, but choosing a good probiotic supplement is not an easy task. You need to choose a suitable strain according to your own situation, and then consider the activity, the number of strains, and the added ingredients.