Probiotics not only help smooth flow but also have 7 major effects! How to choose and when is the right time to eat? Different strains have much different effects
With the rise of health awareness, Taiwanese people are more willing to pursue good physical and mental activities and nutritional supplements. How to enhance protection through diet has become an important health issue in recent years. Among them, “Probiotics” can increase the number of good bacteria in the body and help form a natural barrier to resist the invasion of external evils. Their role in promoting overall health is increasingly valued.
However, there are a wide variety of probiotics available on the market, and different strains of probiotics have different effects. For example, probiotics can be divided into single strains and multiple strains according to the number of strains. The supplementary dosage ranges from 1 billion to 10 billion CFU (colony forming units), and there are research results in different literature. After all, how to choose probiotics to meet your own health needs? How can probiotics help people’s bodies?
What are probiotics and prebiotics? What are the effects? What are the health benefits?
Probiotics can generally refer to “strains that are beneficial to the human body.” Among the strains that are currently widely used, when it comes to probiotics in the past, the two most important categories are Lactobacillus acidophilus (commonly known as Lactobacillus) and Bifidobacteria. ). Probiotics were first used in the processing and fermentation of dairy products to produce a large amount of short-chain fatty acids such as yogurt, cheese and other foods. It was not until the 19th century that probiotics were first discovered to be used to maintain digestive tract health. In recent years, more and more evidence has supported the benefits of probiotics, such as regulating physiological functions, enhancing protection, and adjusting body constitution.
As for prebiotics and postbiotics, which have similar names to probiotics. Prebiotics, also known as “prebiotics,” are foods that probiotics like to eat and can help probiotics obtain nutrients in the digestive tract. Postbiotics are inert metabolic by-products of probiotics. Prebiotics are not easily digested by the human body, but play a key role in stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria; postbiotics can enhance the barrier function for self-protection.
Not only helps with defecation? Understand the 7 major effects of probiotics at once
What are the physiological effects of probiotics on the human body? According to research, probiotics can shorten the time food stays in the body by up to 25%; and can promote food fermentation. Probiotics also have a protective effect, maintaining an ecological balance of good and bad bacteria and maintaining good digestive tract function. In general, probiotics have the following 7 effects:
Probiotic effect 1: Change the flora ecology
Many microorganisms coexist in the human body, including probiotics that are involved in metabolism, digestion and absorption, and bad bacteria that affect health. Probiotics can make the coexisting flora more stable and prevent bad bacteria from disrupting the balance of the digestive tract environment.
Probiotic effect 2: Help smooth bowel movements
Probiotics can adjust the function of the digestive tract. If the daily diet is combined with dietary fiber and sufficient drinking water, it will be more helpful to the health of the digestive tract and smooth defecation.
Probiotic effect 3: Help adjust physical fitness
A healthy digestive tract is critical to protection, as it connects many parts of the body and regulates various reactions. A key factor affecting digestive tract health is the balance of flora.
Probiotic effect 4: Maintain private health
Private health is closely related to protection. If the flora species are imbalanced, private troubles may easily occur.
Probiotic effect 5: Promote nutrient absorption
Proper absorption of the nutrients contained in food depends on the health of your digestion. And probiotics make good nutrients more easily available to the body.
Probiotic effect 6: Promote metabolism
Modern people eat out a lot, and problems with excessive oil, saltiness, and additives will add to the burden. A greasy environment is not conducive to the colonization and growth of good bacteria. Probiotics can compete with bad bacteria, promote metabolism, reduce digestive burden, and prevent big fish and meat from affecting health.
Probiotic effect 7: prenatal/postpartum and post-illness nourishment
When the body experiences periods of greater stress, such as before and after childbirth and after illness, it will affect health maintenance and the original flora ecology. Probiotics can help the body adjust its bacterial phase and return to balance.
How to choose probiotic products? Are more strains more effective?
There are so many probiotics to grow, how should ordinary people choose the right probiotics? Many people think that choosing probiotics depends on the “strain”. In fact, different strains have different health benefits, and the selection should be based on the “strain” used in the research to be effective. When purchasing probiotics, you should give priority to diversified, research-proven and patented strains to fully meet your health needs.
Is the difference in the efficacy of probiotics based on the number of bacteria? More is better?
Another common question is “the more probiotics, the better”? There are literature recommendations for supplementary amounts ranging from 1 billion to 10 billion bacterial CFU. Taking lactic acid bacteria as an example, normal healthy adults contain approximately 1,000 to 10 million lactic acid bacteria per gram of colony forming units (103-107 CFU/g). However, the amount of supplementary bacteria currently used in research is approximately tens of millions per supplement. to one billion, too much probiotics may not be good for the body.
Do probiotics need to be refrigerated? Will it affect the efficacy of probiotics?
There is a rumor on the Internet that probiotics must be “refrigerated” to be effective? Probiotics can increase their activity after reaching the body through more advanced manufacturing technology. Combined with packaging processing, the probiotics can pass through gastric acid and bile salts, increasing the survival rate of probiotics. Therefore, the need for refrigeration is no longer the only indicator of probiotic activity.
However, although probiotics can be stored at room temperature, in order to maintain activity it is recommended to store them in a cool place and avoid placing them around household appliances that emit heat or in places exposed to sunlight.
Which probiotics should different ethnic groups take? Are women, children, middle-aged and elderly people very different?
Depending on the age group and lifestyle, diet, life, stress regulation and environmental adaptation needs are different. Different probiotic strains and formulas should be selected to achieve better health promotion. Dayan Biomedical designs exclusive supplementary probiotics for different groups and needs:
1. Female group, improve privacy protection
Specialist Dr. Weng Zi Min Min recommends Jingmilo Mannose Cranberry Probiotics, which comes from Italian UTcare proprietary probiotics, including strains such as LCR01, LP14, LF15, LF11 and CRL1328, combined with sufficient amounts of D-mannose and cranberries. , help maintain private health balance, refresh and get rid of burdens.
2. Children and adults can improve their sensitivity
Specialist Zhang Yihao recommends Shumin Probiotic Capsules, which have been clinically verified by humans and have the corresponding strains AP86+AP88+AP31 to adjust the body constitution. It is a probiotic specially designed for Asians and can lay the foundation for children’s health. Help adults enhance comfort and improve protection.
3. Elderly and adult groups, improve digestive health
Specialist Dr. Chen Jiewen recommends Smooth Enzyme Probiotic Powder Pack, which contains probiotics from the AP66 patented strain and 11 types of complex multifunctional active lactic acid bacteria. It is combined with vegetable and fruit extracts and exclusive Smooth enzymes to help smooth metabolism and reduce the burden on the body.
What are the precautions for consuming probiotics? Eat more prebiotics and a balanced diet to be effective
Existing research shows that it is safe for adults, the elderly, infants and pregnant women to consume probiotics. Only for groups with specific diseases, such as pancreatic problems and incomplete innate protection, there are potential concerns about supplementing specific microflora. If it is a special situation and probiotic supplementation is considered, it should be evaluated by professional medical personnel, follow regular treatment and professional nutritional planning, and do not buy products from unknown sources.
Supplementing good bacteria is not something that can be achieved overnight. For probiotics to be effective, continuous supplementation is required for three to six months. It is recommended to consume it on an empty stomach with cold water and not with hot drinks, medicines, coffee, tea and other irritating liquids. In addition, you should usually consume more natural plant foods such as whole grains, beans, seaweeds, mushrooms, roots, fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits. Supplementing with prebiotics can help probiotics survive and increase fiber intake.
Experts remind that the impact of microbial strains on organisms is complex and extensive. Whether you are supplementing probiotics from food or nutritional supplements, in addition to paying attention to the strains, ingredients, and bacterial counts, you should also adjust your lifestyle and eating habits simultaneously to achieve the desired results. Ideal healthy balance.
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