With the improvement of living standards, people’s health awareness has gradually improved, and more and more health care products have begun to enter people’s eyes.
Although almost everyone understands the truth that [Wang Po sells melons and boasts of himself], in the face of health care products, a lot of professional terms that he does not understand very well can confuse people first. Anyway, although he does not understand them very well, he feels very strong.
Take [probiotics], which has been popular in recent years, for example, Ding Ma has heard a lot of propaganda about probiotics, saying that it can enhance immunity, promote digestion and absorption, improve constipation, prevent and improve allergy… How is it really good?
But are probiotics really so magical? Can these problems be solved by eating probiotics?
Before answering, let’s first understand that what is a probiotic.
What is a probiotic?
Probiotics, the English name is [Probiotics], as the name implies, are beneficial bacteria.
According to the definition of probiotics by the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001, probiotics refer to living bacteria that can play a beneficial role in the health of consumers by taking appropriate amounts.
According to the provisions in China’s “Regulations on Application and Evaluation of Probiotic Health Food (Trial) > >, probiotic health food is a microbial product that can promote the ecological balance of intestinal flora and has beneficial effects on human body. Probiotic strains must be members of the normal human flora and can use their living bacteria, dead bacteria and their metabolites. If it is a living bacteria probiotic health food, the number of living bacteria must not be less than 106 CFU/mL (g) within its shelf life.
From this point of view, there are differences in the definition of probiotics at home and abroad. Foreign countries emphasize that probiotics must be living bacteria, while domestic regulations are that living bacteria, dead bacteria and their metabolites all belong to probiotic products.
Effect of probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can reach the intestinal tract alive and play a role after eating. Some formulas are added with probiotics to promote the bacterial balance in infants’ intestinal tract and inhibit the growth of harmful fungi that can cause infection symptoms and inflammation.
However, according to the current research results:
- There is strong evidence that probiotics can prevent and even treat infectious diarrhea and antibiotic-related diarrhea (ADD) in children. For irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis and other diseases, Probiotics may have the effect of improving the disease condition. As for the propaganda of relieving colic, enhancing immunity, rebalancing intestinal flora, treating inflammatory enteritis (IBD), eczema and other effects, there is not enough evidence to prove it.
Is it suitable to take probiotics in what?
Generally speaking, probiotics have obvious effects only in preventing and treating childhood infectious diarrhea and preventing antibiotic-related diarrhea.
Healthy babies do not need to take probiotics for a long time. The baby’s intestinal tract is continuously developing. A good intestinal tract can adjust the balance of flora by itself.
Under the guidance of a doctor, it can be taken in an appropriate amount under the following circumstances:
Step 1 Take antibiotics
Broad-spectrum antibiotics cannot identify harmful bacteria and beneficial bacteria, so all bacteria will be eliminated when taken.
While taking antibiotics, doctors often give probiotics to cooperate with treatment to help intestinal flora restore balance as soon as possible.
The “Guidelines for Clinical Practice of Acute Infectious Diarrhea in Chinese Children” released in 2016 also recommends the use of Saccharomyces boullaris as antibiotic-resistant probiotics to prevent antibiotic-related diarrhea.
2. Diarrhoea
Acute diarrhea caused by any reason will cause a large amount of probiotics to be lost, which may cause imbalance of intestinal flora. Supplementing probiotics can re-establish intestinal flora balance and maintain intestinal health.
Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics in healthy children and infants also found that the use of probiotics in the early stage of diarrhea caused by acute viral enteritis can reduce the course of the disease by one day.
However, in any case, probiotics should be applied under the guidance of doctors and do not need long-term use.
What are the probiotics?
There are many kinds of probiotics, the most common probiotics are [bifidobacterium] and [lactobacillus].
It is stipulated in formula foods for infants and older infants and infants and cereal supplementary foods for infants in China that the number of active probiotics in products should be ≥ 1.0 X106 CFU/mL (g).
According to the corresponding announcement of the Ministry of Health, as of 2016, there are 7 probiotics available for infant food in China, including 9 strains. Among them, [Bifidobacterium BB-12] and [Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG] are the most widely used.
Probiotics need a certain number of live bacteria to play the best role. According to different product instructions, they usually need to be sealed, dried and stored away from light. When eating, it is ready to use. If it cannot be eaten at one time after opening, it needs to be stored with a sealing clip and eaten as soon as possible.
You need to know before buying probiotics.
1. Choose reliable brands and manufacturers
There are many kinds of probiotic products on the market, so try to choose reliable manufacturers. Health food includes [tactical unit], food includes [QS], and drugs include [Chinese medicine standard]. As for Haitao products, it can only spell character. Ding Ma won’t buy them anyway…
2. It is necessary to indicate the genus and strain of bacteria, and indicate the strain as much as possible.
Different strains may have different physiological functions.
According to national regulations, probiotics in infant food must be labeled with specific strains, while other probiotic food or health food can only be labeled with strains.
If a product is added with [Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG], its complete name is: Lactobacillus-Lactobacillus rhamnosus-LGG.
Studies by authoritative organizations such as the International Probiotics Association and the World Health Organization have proved that [only specific strains can improve human health].
3. Whether the number of active bacteria is marked or not
The number of live bacteria is one of the standards to measure the probiotic products of live bacteria. Only when sufficient amount of active probiotics enter intestinal tract for colonization can their efficacy be exerted. It is generally recommended that the number of live bacteria to be eaten should reach 108 ~ 1011 CFU/d.
China stipulates that the number of live bacteria in live bacteria probiotic health food within its shelf life shall not be less than 106 CFU/mL (g).
Step 4 Look at the packaging
Look at the packaging form of probiotic products: the probiotic is preferably in the form of [freeze-dried powder], and the living bacteria are easy to survive. The independent packaging of the powder can be realized, eating one bag and unpacking one bag without worrying about the probiotic losing its activity when exposed to the air.
5. Does it contain probiotics
Prebiotics play an important role in the value-added effect of probiotics. If probiotic products contain additional probiotics, such as fructooligosaccharide, galactooligosaccharide, inulin, lactulose, etc., they can be regarded as bonus items, which can further increase the effect of probiotics.
In addition, if children are allergic to dairy products, they need to avoid eating those containing milk powder.
6. Check the shelf life
It is also necessary to check the shelf life of probiotic preparations and make sure you can finish taking them within the shelf life.
7. Precautions for Taking Probiotics
If children need to take probiotics, the following points should be paid attention to:
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Try to choose the preparation does not contain milk, sugar, wheat bran and other additives;
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Do not take it on an empty stomach;
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The temperature of flushing water is about 37 ℃, and it should be taken in time after flushing.
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Do not take antibiotics and other drugs together. If you have already taken antibiotics, take probiotics at least 2 hours apart.
Summary
Finally, it should be stressed that healthy babies do not need additional probiotic preparations. If the baby’s intestinal function is disordered (such as diarrhea, antibiotics, etc.), you can ask a doctor for guidance and select the appropriate strains.