Due to the cold weather in winter, to maintain body temperature and feel warmer, people consume many heat-inducing foods. Coupled with reduced sweating and water intake, the incidence of constipation increases. To address constipation, people resort to different methods, one of which is drinking yogurt. However, not everyone finds yogurt effective for relieving constipation. Perhaps this is because you don't know enough about yogurt; choosing the right probiotic product can be more effective for solving constipation problems. How should you choose yogurt? Which yogurt products can help with constipation?
Increasing intestinal probiotics helps improve the intestinal environment and prevent constipation.
In the human digestive process, the small intestine is a very important absorption site, but the large intestine is almost not involved in digestion and absorption. From a physiological perspective, the function of the large intestine is to absorb water and electrolytes, participate in the regulation of water and electrolyte balance in the body, and at the same time, process food residues to form feces and temporarily store them. When the large intestine peristalsis pushes the feces into the rectum, the rectal wall is stimulated to produce the urge to defecate. However, if the feces remain in the rectum for too long, excessive water absorption will make them dry and hard, leading to difficult and infrequent bowel movements. This phenomenon is what we commonly call constipation.
Of course, the form of feces is not only related to what we eat but also to the intestinal environment. If a person consumes more water-rich and dietary fiber-rich foods, the feces are more easily processed by intestinal bacteria to become softer and easier to be squeezed out by the rectal muscles, thereby developing good bowel habits. In this process, whether the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestine is sufficient and the types are diverse plays a crucial role in the formation of feces. There are hundreds of billions of bacteria in the intestine, each with different functions. When the number of beneficial bacteria is greater than that of harmful bacteria, the intestinal environment is good; conversely, the intestinal environment deteriorates, the feces are in poor condition, and constipation is easily caused. Therefore, increasing intestinal probiotics and improving and maintaining a good intestinal environment is one of the effective means to prevent and alleviate constipation.
Not all yogurts can increase beneficial bacteria.
Although all yogurt is made by fermenting with live bacteria, different yogurt products have different functional focuses. Generally, the fermentation bacteria used in yogurt products in our country are Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus from lactic acid bacteria. Different manufacturers may also use different bacterial strains according to their R&D technology. However, once any of these bacterial strains are exposed to room temperature or high temperatures, they will become inactive and die. Although some studies believe that the bodies of dead bacteria can still play a certain role after reaching the intestine, their efficacy is far less than that of live bacteria. Therefore, for yogurt manufacturers, how to ensure that the bacterial strains are kept under cold chain from production to factory, to transportation, to the market is a very critical technical and logistical issue. For consumers, how to buy products containing live bacteria is the key to effectively ingesting beneficial bacteria and preventing constipation.
The common yogurt products on the market are mainly divided into two types: one is the paste-like fermented milk, which is characterized by high protein content, about 3.1-3.3 grams of protein per 100 grams of fermented milk, similar to the nutritional characteristics of milk, and can supplement the human body with protein, calcium, and a certain amount of probiotics; the other is the lactic acid bacteria drink, which is liquid in form and has a low protein content, about 1 gram of protein per 100 grams of lactic acid bacteria drink. Most nutrition experts believe that fermented milk should be the first choice for yogurt to more abundantly supplement different nutrients; but dairy experts believe that if you want to supplement calcium and protein, fermented milk is the best choice, but if the goal is to supplement lactic acid bacteria, then lactic acid bacteria drinks are better because among the current lactic acid bacteria products on the market, lactic acid bacteria drinks contain the most live bacteria. As the saying goes, you can't have both. When choosing different yogurt products, you should first understand your own needs and then purchase the corresponding product based on those needs.
Yogurt should be stored in a low-temperature environment continuously.
Because live bacteria are prone to inactivation at room temperature and high temperatures, lactic acid bacteria products containing live bacteria are usually sold in refrigerators. Yogurt drinks on general shelves do not contain lactic acid bacteria, and their content of other nutrients is also minimal, so they are not recommended for regular purchase and consumption, especially for children as snacks. After taking the product out of the refrigerator, it is best to drink it immediately after purchase. If you need to take it home for consumption, it is best not to delay on the way. Return home before the product temperature rises and put the yogurt in the refrigerator's fresh food compartment for storage. Opened yogurt products should not be left for a long time and should be finished as soon as possible. It should be reminded that different brands of lactic acid bacteria drinks rich in live bacteria have different sugar contents. Some products have large packaging and high sugar content, so it is not recommended to drink them at once to avoid excessive energy intake. When purchasing, try to choose yogurt products with low sugar content and small packaging.