The yogurt drinks that are commonly available in the market nowadays often have “probiotics” written on the package. We all know that probiotics are good, so what exactly does it do for our body? In fact, in addition to the constipation, bloating and indigestion we often say, it also has a therapeutic effect on many diseases.
However, what is probiotics, how to choose probiotics for different people, how do probiotics work, and what are the precautions to take when using probiotics, the pharmacist will answer them all for you today.
Take a look. Do you have probiotics in your food?
”Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when consumed in sufficient quantities, confer certain health benefits on the host.” This was defined in 2001 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
You are taking probiotics if you consume yogurt products, beverages or medications that contain the following ingredients, such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus spp., Bacillus, Clostridium typhimurium, and yeast. These genera are also the probiotics approved by our Health and Wellness Commission that can be applied to the human body.
How do probiotics work in the human body? Through the following four possible ways.
1. antagonizing the growth of pathogenic bacteria and promoting the growth of physiologically active bacteria, such as Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus cereus live bacteria, etc.
2. directly replenishing normal physiologically active bacteria and inhibiting pathogenic bacteria, such as Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus faecalis, etc.
3. forming biological barriers to the intestinal mucosa, such as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, etc.
4. lowering intestinal pH and inhibiting pathogenic bacteria, such as Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus lactis.
If patients use probiotic combination therapy, they should try to choose the combination of probiotics with different mechanisms of action. If probiotics with similar mechanisms of action are used repeatedly, not only will it not increase the therapeutic effect, but it may also increase the probability of adverse reactions.
To deal with these diseases
Different probiotics need to be combined
Apart from treating diarrhea, constipation, bloating and indigestion, do probiotics have other therapeutic functions? What kind of probiotics should be used for different groups of people?
Diarrheal disease Diarrheal disease is the disease where probiotics are most used clinically. For viral enteritis such as rotavirus, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Clostridium casei and Saccharomyces boulardii are recommended. For antibacterial drug-associated diarrhea, probiotics such as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus faecalis, Clostridium typhimurium, Bacillus and Saccharomyces boulardii are recommended. Treatment with Saccharomyces boulardii for pseudomembranous enteritis due to C. difficile infection is supported by more reliable evidence.
In chronic diarrhea, treatment with Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Clostridium typhimurium, Bacillus and Saccharomyces boulardii may be indicated beyond the exclusion of specific etiologies.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic diseases Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus may improve clinical tests in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Lactobacillus rhamnosus can be used not only in adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, but also in children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to improve the test indexes.
Liver cirrhosis Preparations containing bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and enterococci are recommended as adjuvant therapy. The above probiotics can inhibit the growth and colonization of pathogenic bacteria and maintain the normal micro-ecological balance of the intestine. For patients with cirrhosis combined with spontaneous peritonitis, the use of Bacillus licheniformis, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus is recommended to help reduce the absorption of intestinal toxins. For patients with cirrhosis combined with hepatic encephalopathy, probiotics such as Clostridium typhimurium, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus are recommended to reduce blood ammonia and pseudoneurotransmitter levels by reducing the production of ammonia and indole substances in the intestine and improve the symptoms of patients with hepatic encephalopathy.
Irritable bowel syndrome Probiotics can relieve the symptoms of abdominal distension and flatulence in patients, and it is recommended to try to choose Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and other human native bacteria more safely and effectively, and adjust the dose appropriately according to the patient’s condition.
Inflammatory bowel disease including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. It is recommended that probiotics such as Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis and Bifidobacterium bifidum can be used, and these probiotics still have some clinical efficacy as adjuvants for inflammatory bowel disease.
Lactose intolerance Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Streptococcus thermophilus contain β-galactosidase, which can break down lactose in dairy products in the intestine and alleviate or reduce the occurrence of symptoms such as diarrhea in lactose intolerant patients.
Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis Eradication of H. pylori along with supplementation with Saccharomyces boulardii may improve eradication treatment rates, reduce side effects, and decrease the occurrence of antimicrobial drug-associated diarrhea. Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Clostridium typhimurium may also be efficacious.
Probiotics should not be taken with these drugs
When using probiotics, there are some other precautions.
1. they need to be taken with warm water or warm milk to avoid the water temperature being too high, which may affect the probiotic activity.
2. The following drugs should be avoided in combination with probiotics, and if they must be used in combination should be at least 2 hours apart, including commonly used acidophilus (including omeprazole, rabeprazole, pantoprazole and ranitidine, etc.), antibacterial drugs (cephalosporin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, etc.), bismuth potassium citrate, montelukast, medical activated carbon and other drugs that can inhibit, adsorb, kill or weaken the efficacy of probiotics.
3. most probiotic preparations and yogurt are best stored at 2℃-8℃, and should be protected from light.
4. need to pay special attention, only a small number of probiotic preparations can be stored at room temperature, including: Yijunkang (compound Lactobacillus acidophilus), Mammae (Bacillus subtilis dibacterium), whole intestine (Bacillus licheniformis live bacteria), Changlekang (Clostridium typhimurium enterococci dibacterium loose), etc., but should also pay attention to avoid light and humidity.
Pharmacist reminds: the choice of any drug should be individualized, and the same applies to probiotics, so as to maximize the benefit of drug therapy and reduce the occurrence of adverse events.
