There are billions of bacteria living in the intestinal tract, often referred to as “microflora”. Probiotics are live, “friendly” bacteria in the microflora that work to keep a healthy intestinal balance, reducing the amount of harmful bacteria while replenishing and maintaining beneficial strains. Maintaining this balance is critical for overall good health. Scientists are continually making new discoveries about the benefits of taking probiotics. Here are their most significant findings to date

1. Manufacture B vitamins such as biotin, niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid, pantothenic acid and vitamin B12, and also make vitamin K.
2. Suppress bacteria that convert nitrates into  carcinogenic nitrite. Strong anti-tumor ability (anti-cancer).
3. Help to control unhealthy organisms by altering the acidity of the region they inhabit. Some produce specific antibiotic substances and other protective products-antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. They deprive some undesirable organism of their nutrients.
4. Help to control cholesterol levels by digesting fats into healthy fatty acids
5. Enhance immune system function by protecting against the negative effects of radiation and pollutants.
6. Enhance and help normalize bowel function.
7. Aid digestion by helping the digestive system to break down food into simpler, more usable forms that can then be absorbed by the body.
8. Aid in the overall efficiency of digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients.
9. Produce butyric acid by feeding on vegetable fiber. Butyric acid helps nourish the lining of the colon.
10. Make short-chain fatty acids from carbohydrates that supply both the intestinal tract and the body with energy. Short-chain fatty acids are also essential for maintaining healthy intestinal barrier functions.
11. Protect against parasites by keeping some parasites from transforming into more aggressive, disease-causing strains.
12. Help maintain an optimal intestinal lining which protects against irritable allergy-causing substances.
13. Produce some digestive enzymes, such as lactase that breaks down lactose in milk.
14. Detoxify bile in the intestinal tract and deactivate many toxic pollutants.
15. Help keep the pH (acid-alkaline balance) of the intestine optimal. This optimizes digestion and further protects against disease-causing organisms that tend to grow in an abnormally altered pH.
16. Appear to play a role to increase the absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and in some cases, iron.
17. Aid digestive disorders such as indigestion, belching, gas, bad breath, constipation and diarrhea.
18. Relieve food cravings to aid weight-loss.
19. Optimize sex hormone levels.
20. Prevent osteoporosis.

Understanding the many vital protective functions these bacteria perform helps them attain their proper place of importance.

The two predominant and most beneficial organisms after the age of 2 years are Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bacterium. Other strains, such L. bulgaris, L. casei, L. bifidus, L. salivarius, streptococcus lactis, and streptococcus thermophiles, may or may not be pathogenic, and may be capable of having a transient antibacterial effect on pathogens and of stimulating the immune system to form secretory lgA, but they will not be able to colonize and inhabit the intestinal tract.

Infants below the age of 9-12 month have a slightly different balance of organisms than adults do and therefor require an age-specific product. They require the organism Bifidbacterium animalis subsp. Lactis (B. infants) that adults do not require.

You can eat probiotic foods like yogurt or kefir, or other fermented foods, such as miso, tempeh, etc. However, just because you’re ingesting a probiotic doesn’t mean it’s being incorporated into your gut. And in Canada, all yogurts are made with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus – bacteria not recognized as probiotic by the Health Canada. They don’t contain beneficial probiotic cultures. The dose of probiotics ingesting through yogurt or fermented foods daily is often not enough. For instance, you’d need to eat anywhere from eight to 25 servings of Danone’s Activia yogurt to consume the dose of its probiotic strain shown to reduce bloating, gas and improve stool consistency.

In recent years, Probiotics supplement is in the hot marketing. There are low 2 billion to high 500 billion of colony forming units (CFU’s); stains include from 4 to over 27 different kinds. The functions are also varieties, such as improving digestion, improving immune system, detoxification, women health, oral health, weight loss, improving insulin resistance, etc. However, studies have shown time to time again that probiotic supplements often do not contain the organisms that are claimed on the label, and are often contaminated with pathogenic organisms such as E. coli. For these reasons care should be taken when choosing a probiotic. It is not practical for one to send every probiotic product for laboratory testing so, one is advised to investigate probiotic companies for credibility and to generally avoid products that are being sold at discount or that are very inexpensive.

肠道中有数十亿的细菌，通常称为“微生物群”。益生菌是活菌群中的“友好”细菌，可以保持健康的肠道平衡，减少有害细菌的数量，同时补充和维持有益菌株。保持这种平衡对整体健康至关重要：

1. 制造B族维生素，如微生物素，烟酸（B3），吡哆醇（B6），叶酸，泛酸和维生素B12； 还制造维生素K。
2. 抑制将硝酸盐转化为致癌的亚硝酸盐的细菌，具有强大的抗肿瘤能力（抗致癌）。
3. 靠菌群选择的酸度来控制不健康的微生物。有的益生菌产生特别的抗生素物质； 另有一些益生菌产生保护性抗菌剂，抗真菌剂和抗病毒剂，抑制了一些坏菌生存的环境和营养。
4. 将脂肪消化成健康的脂肪酸来帮助控制胆固醇水平
5. 通过防止辐射和污染物的负面影响来增强免疫系统功能。
6. 增强和帮助肠功能正常化。
7. 通过帮助消化系统将食物分解成更简单，更有用的形式，使食物更容易吸收和消化。
8. 帮助消化，吸收和同化营养物质的整体效率。
9. 通过喂植物纤维来产生丁酸。丁酸有助于滋养结肠的内层。
10. 从碳水化合物制造短链脂肪酸，为肠道和身体提供能量。短链脂肪酸是必不可少的对于维持健康的肠屏障功能。
11. 防止一些寄生虫转变成更具攻击性，致病性的菌株。
12. 帮助维持一个最佳的肠道内壁膜，防止过敏物质的侵袭。
13. 产生一些消化酶，如乳糖酶用于消化牛奶中的乳糖。
14. 帮助肠道中的胆汁排毒，使许多有毒污染物死亡排出体外。
15. 帮助保持肠道的pH（酸碱平衡）最佳状态。这有利于消化，并进一步对抗在异常改变的pH下生长的致病有机体。
16. 起到增加矿物质如钙，镁，以及在某些情况下铁的吸收的作用。
17. 修复消化紊乱，如消化不良，打嗝，胀气，口臭，便秘和腹泻。
18. 减轻对食物的渴望，用来减肥或平衡体重。
19. 优化性激素水平。
20. 预防骨质疏松。

人在2岁后，有两种主要和最有益的生物体是嗜酸乳杆菌，双歧杆菌属细菌。其他菌株，如保加利亚乳杆菌，干酪乳杆菌，双歧杆菌，唾液乳杆菌，乳酸链球菌和嗜热链球菌可能是致病的，并且可能对病原体具有瞬时抗菌作用并且能够刺激免疫系统形成分泌型IgA，但它们不能定居和在肠道壁膜上繁殖。

低于9-12个月的婴儿与成年人的生物体平衡略有不同，因此需要年龄特定的产品。婴儿需要有机体动物双歧杆菌亚种 ( Lactis, or B. infants), 而成人不需要。

你可以吃益生菌食品，如酸奶或开菲尔，或其他发酵食品，如味噌，豆豉等。但是，你摄入了益生菌食物并不意味着它完全融入你的肠道。 而在加拿大，所有的酸奶都只含保加利亚乳杆菌和嗜热链球菌 – 这些菌不被加拿大卫生部确认为益生菌的细菌， 因它们不含有益的益生菌培养物。 每天摄入酸奶或发酵食品剂量通常是不够的。 有研究显示你需要吃8到25个Danone’s Activia酸奶才能减少腹胀，减少气体，改善大便粘稠度。

近年来，益生菌补充剂正在热销中。有20亿到500亿的菌群量（CFU）；菌群种类也各不相同，高达17种类；功效也是多种多样的，例如改善消化，提高免疫力，排毒，女性健康，口腔健康等等。然而，许多研究再次表明益生菌补充剂通常不包含标签上声称的生物体，并且常常被致病生物如大肠杆菌污染。出于这些原因，在选择益生菌时应该小心谨慎。因此建议对益生菌公司的信誉进行调查研究，并避免购买大打折销售或非常便宜的益生菌。

如果您想要有效改善亚健康状况，请加我微信：sally9559。我是加拿大注册整体营养师： 整体营养就是身体，心里，精神三维一体的营养，通过改变饮食和生活方式，适当补充临床营养素来预防疾病， 修复亚健康状态。 通过专业化大数据和个体性营养评估，找出亚健康的根源，教您一整套适合您的调理方案，让您走出亚健康和逆转慢性疾病。

Reference:

1. Nutritional Pathology, second addition, CSNN Publishing
2. Allergies Disease in Disguise by Carolee Bateson-Koch DC ND
3. Staying Healthy with Nutrition by Elson M. Haas, MD
4. Seroyal Product Guide