There are more than 400 kinds of flora in human intestine, with the total number exceeding 100 trillion. These data show that bacteria play an important role in the operation and function of the intestine. There are more than 400 kinds of bacteria in our intestines, totaling about1000 trillion bacteria, which are divided into three types: probiotics, neutral bacteria and harmful bacteria.
What are the functions of probiotics? Under normal circumstances, most bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract are beneficial to the human body, that is, "probiotics" that can help digest lactose, decompose and excrete excess cholesterol, provide vitamin B group and enhance immune function. Probiotics and intestinal mucosa together constitute a barrier against various exotic pathogenic microorganisms. When the proportion of probiotics in human intestine is higher and the microecological environment is better, the intestine will be younger and more energetic, thus reducing the production of toxins in the body and reducing the burden of liver detoxification.
When the three kinds of flora in human intestine keep dynamic balance, the intestine is in a healthy state, but if there are abdominal distension, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel and frequent exhaust, it means that the number of probiotics in the intestine is reduced and lost to harmful flora.
The amount of probiotics in the intestine varies according to the physical condition and age of the individual. A clinical study shows that the proportion of probiotics in the intestines of healthy people is 70%, while that of ordinary people is only 25%. As for constipation, the proportion of probiotics in the intestine decreased to 15%, while the proportion of cancer patients was even lower, only 10%.
With the increase of age, weakened immunity, bad lifestyle and eating habits, the proportion of probiotics in the intestine will gradually decrease. Another temporary study shows that the proportion of probiotics in the intestines of young people is only half of that of newborn babies, but less than 30% in middle age, and the average proportion of probiotics in the intestines of old people is only 1/9 of that of newborn babies.
Facing the imbalance of intestinal flora, the explosion of neutral flora and harmful flora, and the sharp decline of probiotics, it is necessary to supplement probiotics in an appropriate amount to reduce the cholesterol concentration in serum, assist in regulating blood sugar, and even help strengthen brain function.
Selection of three conditions for supplementing intestinal probiotics In order to achieve the above-mentioned effect of supplementing probiotics, three conditions must be met:
First, select high-quality strains:
Oral probiotics reach the intestine through gastric acid in the stomach and bile in the gallbladder, which requires quite high-quality strains. At present, there are many kinds of bacteria on the market, but generally speaking, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus (Bifidobacterium) and Streptococcus are the best.
Second, the flora remains active and rich:
In order to protect the intestinal tract, sufficient probiotics should be supplemented, with an average of at least 50 ~ 654.38+0 billion CFU (strain forming unit) each time. Moreover, raw bacteria are anaerobic and not resistant to high temperature. When exposed to the air for a period of time or when the ambient temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, most of them will lose their activity. Probiotics have physiological functions only if they are live bacteria, so we must pay attention to using them during the effective eating period.
There are many probiotic products on the market that claim to contain billions of CFU probiotics, but in fact they are all in quantity when they are produced and packaged. After the transportation exhibition, the activity and quantity will be greatly reduced. According to the regulations of American Yogurt Nutrition Control Association, each gram of yogurt culture bacteria should contain more than 654.38 billion CFU. Generally yogurt is 150 ~ 200g, containing about100 ~ 200 billion CFU；; ; Ordinary supplements (diamond packaging), each containing 200,000-700,000 CFU.
Third, the flora can stay in the intestine for a long time:
Probiotics can still remain in the intestine after taking it for a period of time, thus playing its due role in protecting the intestine and fighting against bad bacteria. Many yoghurts or supplements on the market are rich in probiotics, but they can't stay in the intestines, so even if they can promote digestion, their effects are quite limited.