Is food containing beneficial bacteria as good as advertising?

Many types of food and supplemented products contain probiotics that are good for human health. However, is this really the case?

Many people have mistakenly thought about the use of beneficial bacteria, their benefits and their role in health promotion and treatment, according to Dr. Patricia Hibberd, professor of pediatrics and management specialist at the Hospital. MassGeneral Children's Hospital in Boston, USA, who studied bacteriophage in young children and older adults.

Ms. Hibberd said, part of the problem with bacteria is how they are advertised. No supplement or food containing these approved bacteria can prevent or cure certain diseases, but manufacturers are still allowed to make general health claims. For example, food manufacturers are determined, their products "improve digestive health" , a vague phrase, is not yet defined.

There are still many unanswered questions about probiotics, and although science considers these products very promising, research is ongoing. Some questions are, exactly how much people need to absorb the amount of a product that contains probiotics to see the health benefits, or the exact mechanism of the beneficial bacteria in the body, or the What bacteria and how much does the best effect in specific medical conditions.

Experts have conducted statistics and pointed out the following 5 common myths about probiotics in food or human supplements.

1. All basic probiotic supplements are the same

"This is completely wrong," Professor Hibberd emphasized. Theoretically, every single probiotic supplement on the market may be different. Some products contain a single strain of microorganisms, while others include many different strains of bacteria. Different strains of the same species of bacteria may even be different and create different effects on human health.

The concentration of bacteria can also be very different between products. Because these diverse organisms can have different effects on the body, it is difficult for scientists to identify the exact health benefits as well as how they affect them. In addition, with hundreds of bacteria, researchers have not yet studied all of them.

2. Probiotics can replace drugs

Although some people may prefer natural cures, bacteria are often studied in combination with drugs, not a substitute for them.

"I will never support stopping the drug and switching to using probiotics," Professor Hibberd said. Instead, people should use products containing probiotics to supplement their existing treatment program, or help prevent them from taking drugs in the future.

3. Product labels with accurate information on the amount of bacteria used

Not all yogurt products contain abundant beneficial bacteria

Not always. Product labels do not tell consumers how many bacteria are in food. Instead, they can simply claim to contain "living bacteria" or "live cultures". The ingredient list can provide more information about the organisms found in food, such as their names and species names.

And according to Ms. Hibberd, there are still many products that don't publish the exact number of bacteria. In general, high quality probiotic supplements from reputable manufacturers will indicate reliable bacterial statistics, while listing the names of genera, species and strains used. However, some products may only provide the amount of live bacteria "at the time of production" , without ensuring that the amount remains intact when you buy or use them.

And some products may not even contain live microorganisms, or probiotics as stated on the product label. A 2013 study by ConsumerLab.com found that 5 of the 19 tested products contained fewer bacteria than advertisements, providing only 16% - 56% of the live microorganisms listed above. brand label.

4. Most yogurt is an abundant source of beneficial bacteria

"Being yogurt doesn't necessarily mean they contain bacteria," Professor Hibberd said.

Some types of yogurt, which have "active and active bacterial cultures" in the ingredient list on the packaging, provide billions of bacteria in it. However, not all of them are. All yogurts with live bacteria contain Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, but some manufacturers have added other bacteria after pasteurization, such as L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. rhamnosus and L. casei.

5. Using probiotics can prevent colds

People often look for products that support their immune system to be less likely to get sick. Although there is some preliminary data showing that the probiotics can help us stay away from colds, there are still no reputable tests that support this view.

Due to lack of evidence, researchers are still trying to discover the exact mechanism of action, which helps beneficial bacteria to support the immune system as well as the conditions for them to be most effective.