Many people hope to supplement the probiotics in their intestines by drinking yogurt and lactic acid drinks every day to relieve problems such as constipation and difficult bowel movements, but the results are often unsatisfactory. Why is it that even after drinking yogurt daily, the gut still lacks probiotics?
Experts from the Beijing Institute of Nutritional Sources state that it is a misconception that supplementing bacteria will definitely be effective. "First, it's questionable whether the supplemented bacteria are active probiotics," the expert explains. The basis for probiotics to be effective is maintaining their activity. However, from production to reaching the consumer, yogurt goes through a long process of manufacturing, logistics, and sales, during which temperature changes can significantly damage the activity of the probiotics. "Moreover, after consumption, yogurt has to pass through gastric acid and bile, and this highly acidic environment can also erode their activity." Therefore, the number of live probiotics in yogurt is small, and their activity is poor.
In addition, the human body's demand for probiotics varies individually, which is related to the degree of depletion of the normal gut flora and the number of harmful bacteria present. "Currently, China's lactic acid bacteria standards have clear regulations: the number of live bacteria in yogurt must reach 1 million per milliliter, otherwise, there is no guarantee that a sufficient number of live bacteria will reach the large intestine." "Not all bacterial strains are effective for improving gastrointestinal health." The expert points out that currently, composite active probiotics, mainly consisting of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, have significant effects. However, yogurts and lactic acid drinks on the market often contain large amounts of sugar and sweeteners, and even thickeners, colorings, and flavorings, which are detrimental to health.
Experts remind that in the daily diet, foods such as sweet potatoes, Chinese yams, bananas, soybeans, and carrots contain good prebiotic components that help the proliferation of probiotics. Furthermore, if the gut flora is already imbalanced or there are long-term problems with flora imbalance, it is necessary to consume probiotics and prebiotics in a targeted manner, and to intake adequate water, electrolytes, high-quality protein, B vitamins, and other essential nutrients.