益生菌的功效與補充

Science onProbiotic Supplement和Probiotic foodsInterest in probiotics is growing due to recent discoveries that they are highly effective in boosting immunity and helping the body fight certain intestinal ailments such as bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. Good and bad bacteria surround us daily, some living outside the body and others within. However, most human bacteria reside in our digestive system, responsible for breaking down food into essential nutrients. Yet, our bodies often lack beneficial bacteria, causing the system to overload itself with harmful bacteria, which can seriously damage our health. Probiotic supplementation is one solution, helping to introduce beneficial bacteria into the body to fight harmful bacteria and maintain a balanced gut microbiota. This article discusses how probiotics can help with bloating or gastrointestinal irritation.

Beneficial bacteria VS Harmful bacteria

Beneficial and harmful bacteria in the human body are constantly at war. For example, beneficial bacteria help improve the digestion and absorption of food. This process helps break down coarse foods and releases enough enzymes to digest complex fibers. Without this chain reaction, we might not be able to obtain enough vitamins and other nutrients from food. On the other hand, because beneficial bacteria exist in the human body, even the presence of harmful bacteria in a healthy person will not cause significant harm. Harmful bacteria cannot properly digest food and may even add toxins during digestion, causing bloating. Harmful bacteria can enter the body through every breath, conversation, or food we eat. They multiply in an alkaline environment, and our stomachs are acidic so that harmful bacteria can be killed before reaching the large intestine.

Therefore, our health is threatened when harmful bacteria outnumber beneficial bacteria. Supplementing with probiotics introduces beneficial bacteria into the body to fight off harmful bacteria, ensuring that beneficial bacteria have complete control over the body.

Factors affecting the growth of harmful bacteria in the body

The reduction of beneficial bacteria in the body is caused by a variety of factors, including medications and our lifestyle habits. For example:

Using antibiotics—antibiotic drugs can destroy beneficial bacteria in the body;
pressure
alcoholism
High-fat diet
Excessive intake of meat and sugar
Hereditary diseases
Drinking water containing chlorine and fluoride

Understanding the types of probiotics

There are different kinds of live organisms used as probiotics, such as bacteria, yeast, or mold. However, "beneficial bacteria" is the most common term used in probiotic supplements. Probiotics consist of many strains, each with specific benefits. When browsing probiotic supplement labels, you're likely to see terms like "Lactobacillus," "Bifidobacterium," "Streptococcus," or "Bacillus." These terms refer to the probiotic strains used in the product that have specific benefits in the body.

How do probiotics work?

probioticsIts primary function is to fight harmful microorganisms and maintain the balance of the gut microbiota. This single function benefits us greatly. For example:

Probiotics can fight harmful microorganisms and enable beneficial bacteria to colonize the digestive system;
Probiotics can ferment food into simpler byproducts, vitamins, or nutrients that the body needs;
Probiotics can regenerate the number of beneficial bacteria killed by antibiotic treatment;
Probiotics can reduce the burden on the digestive system;
Probiotics can reduce flatulence, bloating, occasional constipation, and intestinal discomfort;
Probiotics can reduce the initial attack of harmful compounds on the body, thereby triggering an immune response and enhancing immunity.
Probiotics can improve the utilization of nutrients in daily life.

Application of probiotics in disease treatment

After years of research, scientists have noticed that internal administration...probioticsIt can bring many benefits becauseBenefits of probioticsThese have been used to treat many serious gastrointestinal problems. The confirmed results from these experiments are as follows:

Maintaining gut health: Probiotics have been proven to be effective in treating gastrointestinal disorders such as abdominal pain and bloating. Taking probiotics may help maintain regular bowel movements and adjust the gut flora. This process can alleviate the symptoms of gastrointestinal problems.
Diarrhea: Probiotics can help treat occasional or non-persistent diarrhea, especially traveler's diarrhea or diarrhea in young children.
Food allergies: Probiotics can also help treat food allergies. They can reduce symptoms of lactose intolerance and lower the risk of allergies in older adults.

How can we supplement with probiotics?

Probiotics are found in traditional foods such as beverages, salted fish, yogurt, and various cheeses. However, the best food source for probiotics is naturally fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, kimchi, sourdough bread, and some cheeses. Another source of probiotics is supplements; many probiotic products with different dosages and combinations are available on the market. Probiotics have been proven safe and reliable over time. When purchasing probiotic supplements, it's important to note that not all probiotics are the same; their efficacy varies depending on the strain and dosage. Therefore, it's recommended to consult a healthcare professional before purchasing and carefully read the product label to identify the strain and its effects. Finally, bacterial-derived probiotics should be taken at least 2 hours apart from antibiotics.