Today, Uncle Ning is here to talk to you about a topic that has been very popular recently - intestinal flora.
At present, there are all kinds of probiotics, prebiotics, and active bacteria on the market, each of which claims to be able to bring benefits to the intestines, enhance immunity, and even say that it can prevent cancer and fight diseases. Let's explore today, is this intestinal flora so amazing?
Intestinal bacteria are not actually "bad"
Bacteria aren't all bad. Many people may think that bacteria are not clean and may cause diseases, so they always think about disinfection and sterilization. But in fact, there are a large number of bacteria living in our human body, which coexist peacefully with us and are also good for our health. These good bacteria are not only found in our skin, respiratory tract, but also digestive tract and other places. Especially in the gut, the variety and number of bacteria is simply staggering.
Scientific studies have shown that the number of bacteria in our gut is even greater than the total number of cells in our body. These bacteria spend most of their time in the gut quietly, and instead of causing disease, they can bring us many benefits.
Gut bacteria are associated with many diseases
Let's talk about the relationship between gut bacteria and disease. The bacteria in the gut, they can help us break down the nutrients in food, but also help us resist the invasion of some germs, and even break down some toxic substances. With the advancement of science, researchers have found that the intestinal flora is closely related to many diseases, not only digestive diseases, such as diabetes, rheumatism, heart disease, etc.
Many people may have experienced that after taking antibiotics, they find themselves prone to constipation. This is because antibiotics affect the balance of intestinal flora, leading to a series of problems. Although the mechanism behind this is not fully understood, it also proves that the gut microbiota is closely related to our health.
"Cure" the intestinal bacteria and treat the disease
In fact, humans have long discovered ways to treat diseases by regulating the intestinal flora. The most classic example is the fermentation of foods, such as yogurt. Yogurt contains a lot of bacteria that are beneficial to the human body, which can help us break down lactose and improve intestinal health. Modern scientific research has also proven that regular consumption of dairy products such as yogurt and cheese can reduce the risk of intestinal diseases. Probiotics can also be made into drugs, which can be screened and cultivated, and become an important means of treating diseases.
Recently, there is another new concept that has gradually attracted everyone's attention, and that is intestinal microbiota transplantation. Transplanting healthy gut flora into patients has shown miraculous results in the treatment of many diseases. This also proves that the treatment of diseases by regulating the intestinal microbiota is very effective.
Don't exaggerate the role of gut bacteria
Although the intestinal flora can treat certain diseases, it does not mean that we can achieve health benefits by supplementing with probiotics.
For example, the probiotics in yogurt are good for us, drinking yogurt not only improves digestion, but also improves nutrient absorption. However, the health benefits of yogurt mainly come from the nutrition of the milk itself, rather than the probiotics in it. And, for healthy people, supplementing with probiotics may not have much effect.
Probiotics only help us maintain a normal structure of the gut microbiota, and whether they can be active in our bodies for a long time is still a question mark. Therefore, the vast majority of health products on the market can only correct abnormal intestinal flora, and have no special effect on healthy people.
Can intestinal flora be anti-aging?
In recent years, studies have indeed found that intestinal flora disorders are related to some diseases that accelerate aging, and some studies have even found that certain bacteria can help doctors predict the risk of cancer or the status of blood sugar and blood lipids. However, these are still in the research stage, and there are no clear conclusions yet. We hope that more research will support this idea in the future.
So, do ordinary people need to specifically test their gut microbiota? If they don't feel particularly uncomfortable, there's no need to pay too much attention to the state of the gut microbiota. At present, this kind of test is mainly used in the field of scientific research, and ordinary people do not need to do it in particular. If you feel unwell, it is best to seek professional help from the hospital.
How to avoid intestinal bacteria "messing up"
Finally, I would like to share with you how to avoid the risk of intestinal flora disorders.
First of all, our diet is a major factor in influencing the intestinal flora. In addition to proper intake of healthy dairy products, maintaining a balanced diet is also important for the gut microbiota.
Secondly, it is also necessary to consume comprehensive nutrients, maintain healthy eating Xi and appropriate exercise, which can help us maintain a healthy bowel frequency and eliminate harmful bacteria in time.
Finally, we should be cautious in the use of antimicrobials and avoid overdose, long-term use or simultaneous use of multiple antimicrobials, so as not to cause intestinal flora disorders.
To sum up, we should pay more attention to establishing a good lifestyle, a scientific and reasonable diet, proper exercise, adequate sleep and maintaining a relaxed and happy state of mind, and at the same time seek help from a doctor in time when encountering problems, which is much more important than paying too much attention to the effect of intestinal flora on longevity.