What should I do if the sequelae of COVID-19 cannot be cured? "Acupuncture": Taking "probiotics" for half a year is expected to alleviate symptoms by more than 60%
What should I do if the sequelae of COVID-19 cannot be cured? “Acupuncture”: Taking probiotics may relieve symptoms
The impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on the world is gradually waning, but many confirmed cases in various places are still suffering from the sequelae of “Long Covid”. For this reason, a study published in the authoritative journal “The Lancet Infectious Diseases” pointed out that long-term use of probiotics by people diagnosed with COVID-19 may help to recover from COVID-19 symptoms faster.
The research was initiated by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The research team recruited 463 COVID-19 patients. Each subject experienced at least one COVID-19 symptom, and the symptoms lasted for at least 4 weeks. They were randomly assigned to a placebo group and a probiotic group. The probiotic group needed to take a powder mixture called “SIM01”, which contained 3 probiotic strains: Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium (Bifidobacterium bifidum) and Bifidobacterium longum (Bifidobacterium longum).
In addition, SIM01 also contains three prebiotic compounds including galacto-oligosaccharides, xylo-oligosaccharides and resistant dextrin. After the two groups of horses took placebo and SIM01 respectively for 6 months, the probiotic group reported relief from fatigue, memory loss, inattention, gastrointestinal discomfort and general discomfort; the degree of relief increased by 47% and 56% respectively. %, 62%, 30%, 31%.
Is being diagnosed with COVID-19 more likely to cause irritable bowel syndrome? Patient self-evaluation: improvement after probiotic intervention in half a year
The results of the study also showed that compared with the placebo group, more patients in the probiotic group experienced relief from joint pain, reduced exercise capacity, shortness of breath, insomnia, muscle pain, cough, hair loss, chest pain and mood disorders. It is worth mentioning that both groups had adverse events during the experiment, and the occurrence of the events was not significantly related to taking SIM01.
Regarding the research results, the first author of the study, Raphaela Iris Lau, explained that the gastrointestinal symptoms after infection with the new coronavirus are similar to “post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS)”, which is characterized by chronic gastrointestinal symptoms after infectious gastroenteritis. , such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. Previous studies on people diagnosed with COVID-19 have shown that the incidence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is significantly higher than that of the control group; probiotics can help change the intestinal flora and reduce the risk.
The persistent fatigue caused by the new coronavirus is similar to a chronic disease called “chronic fatigue syndrome (myalgic encephalomyelitis).” According to previous analysis of stool samples from patients with the disease, intestinal flora imbalance and reduced plasma butyrate may be the main causative factors; probiotic intake can reduce intestinal flora imbalance and is an important factor in reducing chronic fatigue. potential reasons.
Is the “bacteria-brain-gut axis” related to reducing COVID-19 symptoms? Can probiotics be used as a treatment tool for COVID-19?
The connection of the “bacteria-brain-gut axis” may be related to reducing the symptoms of COVID-19. Lau said that the intestinal flora communicates with the brain in two directions through multiple pathways, such as the vagus nerve, enteric nervous system, immune system, tryptophan metabolism and microbial short-chain fatty acids, which may be related to neurological or psychiatric symptoms after acute infection. Correlation. Literature has pointed out that probiotics play a role in improving memory and cognition in stressed adults.
Lau also pointed out that human studies have shown that galactooligosaccharides can increase the abundance of different bifidobacteria in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, while xylo-oligosaccharides and indigestible maltodextrin can help promote bifidobacteria and lactobacilli strains. growth. Previous analysis has shown that the diverse species of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are negatively correlated with different symptoms of COVID-19, and positively correlated with Clostridium and Bacteroidetes.
Finally, Lau said that this study did not find significant differences in the quality of life and physical activity levels of the two groups of horses within 6 months. The main research results focus on physical symptoms, which help partially evaluate the quality of life and physical activity time of COVID-19 patients. However, whether probiotics can be used as a treatment tool for patients with COVID-19 still needs to be confirmed through more large-scale studies.
Extended reading: Does eating and drinking too much to relieve stress hurt your “heart”? Study warns: High-fat diet impairs cardiovascular recovery
