What are the functions and indications of probiotics? What are their effects and applications?

Nov 23, 2024 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, the functions and effects of probiotics include enhancing immune function, promoting skin health and beauty, improving digestion and absorption, maintaining the balance of intestinal microecology, and regulating the enterohepatic circulation. Their functions and indications include treating diarrhea, improving constipation, alleviating lactose intolerance, preventing and improving allergies, and reducing intestinal inflammation. It is recommended to select appropriate strains and formulations under the guidance of a physician when using probiotics.

Generally speaking, probiotics have functions and effects such as enhancing immune function, promoting skin health and beauty, improving digestion and absorption, maintaining intestinal microecological balance, and regulating the enterohepatic circulation. Their therapeutic functions and indications include treating diarrhea, improving constipation, alleviating lactose intolerance, preventing and improving allergies, and reducing intestinal inflammation.

I. Functions and Effects

1. Enhancing Immune Function: The intestine is the largest immune organ in the human body. Probiotics stimulate the immune system through interactions with intestinal mucosal cells, thereby improving the body's immunity.

2. Promoting Skin Health and Beauty: Probiotics assist in eliminating toxins from the body, promote cell renewal, effectively maintain youthful skin, prevent wrinkles, and delay skin aging.

3. Improving Digestion and Absorption: Probiotics ferment food residues in the intestine, producing short-chain fatty acids such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. These substances provide energy for intestinal cells, promote intestinal motility, and improve symptoms such as constipation and diarrhea.

4. Maintaining Intestinal Microecological Balance: Probiotics inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria through competitive exclusion mechanisms, occupy intestinal surfaces, and prevent the adhesion and proliferation of pathogens, thereby maintaining intestinal microecological balance.

5. Regulating Enterohepatic Circulation: Appropriate intake of probiotics can help decompose bilirubin in the intestine, regulate the enterohepatic circulation, and reduce bilirubin reabsorption.

II. Therapeutic Functions and Indications

1. Treating Diarrhea: By modulating the intestinal flora, probiotics inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, enhance intestinal barrier function, improve intestinal absorption and motility, thereby reducing the frequency of diarrhea.

2. Improving Constipation: Probiotics increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, promote intestinal motility, and create a more favorable intestinal environment for fecal excretion.

3. Alleviating Lactose Intolerance: Probiotics break down lactose into glucose and galactose in the intestine, making them easier for the body to absorb.

4. Preventing and Improving Allergies: Probiotics regulate the immune system to prevent the occurrence of allergies and can also alleviate allergic symptoms by balancing immune cell function.

5. Reducing Intestinal Inflammation: Probiotics can alleviate symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease by inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria, enhancing intestinal barrier function, and regulating the immune system.

It is recommended that probiotics be used under the guidance of a physician to select appropriate strains and formulations, and to follow the correct dosage and method of administration to ensure efficacy and safety.

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