- Maintaining Normal Intestinal Function
The intestine is the body's largest immune organ and its most significant microecological system. The body interacts slowly with the external environment through the gastrointestinal mucosa, promoting the normalization of intestinal bacterial groups through its growth and various metabolic actions. This process inhibits the production of decay substances in the intestine and maintains the normal operation of intestinal function.
- Alleviating Lactose Intolerance Symptoms
Lactose intolerance refers to the lack of an enzyme in the human body that metabolizes lactose, leading to adverse reactions such as bloating and abdominal pain after consuming dairy products. It is estimated that 75% of adults worldwide have reduced activity of lactase, with some Asian countries exceeding 90%. Research has found that lactobacillus and other bacteria with β-galactosidase activity can significantly reduce lactose concentration, producing lactic acid that aids in digestion and absorption.
- Enhancing Human Immunity
Probiotics, once in the intestines, can colonize and maintain a balanced gut microbiota. Additionally, they directly interact with the host's immune system, triggering intestinal immunity and stimulating immune organs like the thymus and spleen. This enhances the activity of macrophages and improves the responsiveness of B and T lymphocytes to antigenic stimulation, thereby enhancing the body's immune function.
- Preventing Cancer and Inhibiting Tumor Growth
Probiotics can produce metabolic byproducts that inhibit tumor growth, such as polysaccharides, bacteriocins, and lactic acid. They inhibit the production of enzymes that convert carcinogens and activate the body's immune system. This includes enhancing the activity of macrophages, NK cells, and B lymphocytes, inhibiting cell mutation, and lowering the pH level in the intestines. These actions stimulate intestinal peristalsis, expelling pathogens and carcinogens from the body and reducing the risk of cancer.
- Relieving Allergic Reactions
Studies have found that the more probiotics present in a person's gut, the lower the chance of developing allergic diseases. Probiotics can induce T cells to produce large amounts of IL-12, which inhibits the production of IgE, effectively preventing allergic reactions.
- Reducing Serum Cholesterol
Probiotics mainly reduce cholesterol levels through synthesis, inhibiting the activity of cholesterol synthesis enzymes (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase), and through the action of bile salt hydrolase, which allows hydrolyzed bile salts in the small intestine to co-precipitate with cholesterol from food. This reduces the body's absorption of cholesterol and promotes its excretion through feces.
- The Role of Probiotics in Obesity
Disruption of the gut microbiota plays a significant role in the development of obesity. Numerous experiments have confirmed that the intake of probiotics can effectively prevent and treat obesity.
- Inhibiting appetite and increasing satiety: Probiotics can stimulate the release of satiety factors like CCK and GLP-1 and reduce the secretion of ghrelin, thus reducing food intake, lowering body weight, and reducing fat accumulation.
- Lowering cholesterol: Probiotics can reduce the absorption of cholesterol through assimilation and co-precipitation.
- Regulating gut microbiota: After entering the intestines, probiotics normalize an imbalanced gut microbiota (reducing Firmicutes and increasing Bacteroidetes), decrease the permeability of intestinal epithelial cells, reduce the content of LPS in the circulation, decrease inflammatory factors, and thereby improve insulin sensitivity.
- Preventing and Treating Diabetes
Research on the role of probiotics in diabetes has found that patients with diabetes also have a disrupted gut microbiota. Probiotics can regulate the gut microbiota, with beneficial bacteria attaching to the intestinal epithelial cells. They absorb glucose into the bacterial cells, reducing the host's absorption, thus lowering blood sugar levels. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, probiotics can reduce the concentration of circulating LPS, decrease inflammatory responses, improve insulin sensitivity, and alleviate insulin resistance, thereby preventing and treating diabetes.
