The Star Malaysia - Star2

Work towards a healthy gut

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IT is important to maintain a healthy digestive system, especially the gut as this is where most of the digestion and absorption processes take place.

The digestive system is responsibl­e for ensuring that nutrients from the food we eat are absorbed and for protecting the body against diseases.

Today, the use of probiotics is common to combat gastrointe­stinal problems such as diarrhoea, bloating, flatulence and inflammato­ry bowel syndrome ( IBS), but different probiotic strains confer different health benefits.

Probiotics are live bacteria that benefit human gut flora by balancing the intestinal microflora. This is because imbalanced gut flora leads to gastrointe­stinal discomfort and weakens the immune system.

Therefore, choosing the right probiotic strain is important in combating gastrointe­stinal problems since the colonisati­on of wrong or bad bacteria increases the risk of inflammati­on.

There are various types of probiotic strains in the market. Lactobacil­lus plantarum Lp299v has been one of the most extensivel­y studied probiotic strains for the past 20 years.

This probiotic can be found naturally in human gastrointe­stinal mucosa as well as fermented foods such as pickles, sourdough and some cheeses.

It has been proven to reduce bloating, pain, flatulence, diarrhoea and IBS due to its ability to multiply and stimulate the growth of other beneficial bacteria, adhere to the intestine wall and strengthen it, displace disease- causing bacteria and facilitate the work of the intestine. Most importantl­y, it is safe for consumptio­n.

Lactobacil­lus plantarum Lp299v may colonise and adhere to the intestinal mucosa for up to 11 days due to a specific mechanism adhesion.

This blocks the pathogenic bacteria from attaching to the intestinal mucosa, displacing and preventing them from growing.

Otherwise, these bacteria may inflame the intestinal area.

Besides that, Lactobacil­lus plantarum Lp299v stimulates the production of short- chain fatty acids in the gut to nourish the intestine, reduce flatulence and soften stools.

Without these fatty acids, there is a risk of thinning in the intestinal wall and bacteria leaking into the bloodstrea­m.

Clinical studies have indicated that IBS is caused by bowel movement in the colon and the pains can be lessened by balancing the gut flora with Lactobacil­lus plantarum Lp299v.

This article is contribute­d by BiO- LiFE Marketing Sdn Bhd.

For enquiries, call BiO- LiFE Customer Care ( Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm) at 03- 7882 8888.

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 ??  ?? Imbalanced gut flora leads to gastrointe­stinal discomfort and weakens the immune system.
Imbalanced gut flora leads to gastrointe­stinal discomfort and weakens the immune system.

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