Can the probiotic drinks you drink really regulate your intestinal flora?

The things in this world that are most closely related to you may be the various microorganisms that live with you!

Don't rush to distance yourself from it. In fact, the bacteria in your intestines alone can be called "another you". Because whether in terms of the number of cells or the amount of genetic material contained, it far exceeds you. And when it has problems, you can't expect it to be easy. It is - intestinal flora.

#1 What is Gut Microbiota

As the name implies, intestinal flora is the bacterial community that colonizes the human intestine. It accompanies our diet and daily life, and gradually settles in the intestine, forming a relatively stable bacterial community that affects all aspects of your life. Of course, it should be made clear that not all bacteria are harmful. On the one hand, many bacteria are pathogens, are highly contagious, and can cause various diseases; on the other hand, bacteria also play a positive role in various production and life, such as making yogurt, monosodium glutamate, some antibiotics, and treating wastewater.

Image source: Pixabay

Our bodies are no exception. The first type is the human symbiotic flora, such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli that are often seen in food ingredient lists. These bacteria occupy an absolute dominant position in the healthy human intestinal flora, accounting for more than 99% of the intestinal flora, which can protect our intestines and assume part of the digestive function. The second type is conditional pathogenic flora, such as Escherichia coli. When the intestine is healthy, the symbiotic flora has an overwhelming advantage, and the conditional pathogenic flora is very well-behaved; once there is a problem with the symbiotic flora, the conditional pathogenic flora will come out to "create trouble." The third type is pathogenic bacteria, which do not belong to the intestine. When they enter the body from the outside through the mouth, they will cause vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and fever. Salmonella commonly found in raw eggs belongs to this category.

#2 Survival rules for “outsiders”

Symbiotic bacteria in the human body did not exist from the beginning. At first, they were just a group of "guests" who came to eat for free. They took a fancy to the low oxygen environment and stable energy supply of the intestines. Obviously, the human immune system would not let these freeloaders go, and began to attack these outsiders. However, some metabolites of foreign bacteria contain ingredients that are beneficial to the host, so some "friendly hosts" benefited from it and passed down their genes in the competition for survival. However, those bacteria that are too vicious choose to attack and destroy the host, and ultimately both sides suffer losses.
In this way, a subtle co-evolutionary relationship gradually formed between the host and the bacteria, and some bacteria even became more adapted to the host's physical environment. In order to improve their own living space - the host's intestines, many symbiotic bacteria will use the decomposed short-chain fatty acids to nourish the intestinal wall cells, promote the growth and replacement of intestinal wall cells, and promote the intestinal wall to secrete more digestive enzymes. In addition, they can also decompose complex fibers and polysaccharides that are difficult for the host to digest, and provide the decomposed glucose, vitamins, fats, etc. to the intestines for the host to absorb.

Image source: Pixabay

A large number of bacteria live on the intestinal wall, which is equivalent to putting on a natural protective film for the intestine, preventing the intestinal wall from direct contact with harmful substances. In addition, the symbiotic flora will directly eliminate pathogenic bacteria. Due to the absolute dominant position of symbiotic bacteria in the intestine, once pathogenic bacteria invade, they will be suppressed by the symbiotic bacteria. In this way, the symbiotic bacteria not only protect their own homes, but also protect the health of the host. Correspondingly, the host's body gradually adapts to specific flora in evolution, and the intestinal immune system interacts with the symbiotic flora, thereby developing better, making the intestine more capable of dealing with pathogenic microorganisms, and the strategy for dealing with foreign substances is more mature. It is also more difficult to have allergic reactions to food, and it also speeds up the recovery of the intestinal mucosa.

#3 Do probiotic drinks really work?

Intestinal flora is very important to us. Studies have shown that diseases such as obesity and diabetes are closely related to intestinal flora imbalance. At this time, someone must be asking, the supermarket shelves are full of yogurt and probiotic drinks, can we "eat what you need" to replenish intestinal probiotics? Although under perfect conditions, probiotic drinks can indeed regulate intestinal flora, but before that, we need to clarify the type of drink. Not all yogurt contains live probiotics, and you obviously can't expect the "corpses" to make any contribution. In fact, some yogurt drinks are not fermented, but just flavored milk drinks. There is no essential difference between their nutritional value to the body and cola.

We should also pay attention to the storage and transportation of probiotic drinks. Although merchants claim that the number of live bacteria is in the hundreds of millions, the number of bacteria that can survive after transportation, storage, and sales is still unknown. Moreover, these live bacteria must pass through various digestive juices before reaching the intestines, and the number of live bacteria that can eventually colonize and participate in metabolism and regulate the intestines is even smaller. This means that we'd better choose large regular manufacturers and products with fresh dates to ensure that the nominal information is credible and that there are enough live probiotics.

However, the benefits of probiotic supplementation are often short-lived, because the colonization of these probiotics is usually not long-lasting, and there is no way to form true symbiotic bacteria. Therefore, if you want to regulate the intestines by supplementing probiotics, you need to ensure continuous consumption for a period of time. But this raises a new question, that is, these probiotic drinks are really - very! Sweet! Careful friends may have noticed that for the sake of taste, a considerable number of probiotic drinks have added a lot of sugar. In other words, if you want to regulate the flora by drinking it, you may have to get fat before you succeed. In summary, are probiotic drinks really effective? The answer is yes, but there is only one point.

#4 How to regulate intestinal flora

First of all, we need to have a regular work and rest schedule and diet. In the long-term co-evolution with humans, the intestinal flora has formed its own fixed living habits. Many people have irregular work and rest schedules, stay up late and work too hard; irregular diets, and alternating hunger and fullness can induce abnormal immune activity in the intestines. Over time, the intestinal flora is bound to be out of balance, causing a variety of diseases.

Secondly, you need to have a balanced diet and take in enough fiber-rich foods, such as vegetables and whole grains, which can not only nourish the intestinal flora, but also provide the body with a variety of vitamins and trace elements, and ensure smooth bowel movements.

Finally, and most importantly, long-term use and abuse of antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum antibiotics, will kill pathogenic bacteria while also killing symbiotic bacteria, thus causing serious impacts on intestinal flora and destroying the balance of intestinal flora. Therefore, antibiotics must be used with caution and should be used under the guidance of professional physicians as much as possible.

Source: Chongqing Science and Technology Museum

Author: Tan Hao, dermatologist

Review experts: Huang He, Li Chunli, Chen Tao, Xu Xiaoping

Statement: Except for original content and special notes, some pictures are from the Internet. They are not for commercial purposes and are only used as popular science materials. The copyright belongs to the original authors. If there is any infringement, please contact us to delete them.