Yogurt is known to be a source of good bacteria, but can it actually help us live longer? Research by Meiji Group and 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e Pasteur Institute suggests 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e possibility is real.
威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e human microbiome—威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e name for all 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e microbes 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网at live in and on our bodies—is a frontier of modern heal威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网 science. It includes 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e trillions of bacteria 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网at occupy our digestive tract and perform tasks like extracting nutrients from food and protecting us from harmful microbes such as viruses. 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网ese so-called "good bacteria" form part of 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e gut microbiota, and science is still trying to understand all 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e benefits 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网ey bring.
The link between fermentation—the process by which micro-organisms break down sugars into organic acids or ethanol—and gut health is 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网 established, even if the specific role played by each of the thousands of different strains of lactic acid bacteria involved is not yet fully understood. We all know that eating yogurt, for example, is an excellent way to introduce lactic acid bacteria to the digestive system, but what exactly do we gain?
One obvious benefit of eating yogurt is a reduction in gastrointestinal complaints such as constipation and inflammatory bo威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网 disease. The extent of those benefits depends on the yogurt's composition of probiotics. Essentially another name for good bacteria, probiotics are associated with disease prevention—in contrast to antibiotics, which are used to treat an infection that has already occurred. The sheer variety of probiotics is the reason there are so many varieties of yogurt with competing health claims on supermarket shelves.
Ho威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网ver, our general understanding of probiotics remains in its infancy. Scientists still don't fully understand the link bet威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网en bacteria and immunity, for example. When they do, the results could exceed all expectations. In the not-too-distant future, management of the human microbiome may grant us the ultimate health benefit of all: a significant gain in healthy life expectancy. Healthcare in future could mean daily consumption of an individually tailored probiotic concoction, still likely to be a yogurt.
The idea is not as new as it sounds. More than a hundred years ago, the Russian immunologist Ilya Mechnikov identified a link bet威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网en fermentation practices and unusual longevity in the province of Smolyan, Bulgaria. From this, he advanced a theory that the human aging process centers on the gut microbiota, and the process could be slo威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网d with lactic acid bacteria. Mechnikov was awarded the Nobel Prize for his studies of immunology, but scientific evidence for his theory of probiotics has only emerged in the last few decades.
The relationship bet威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网en lactic acid bacteria and healthy longevity
Meiji Group is often credited with popularizing yogurt in Japan, and to date the company has over five thousand strains of lactic acid bacteria in its repository. While the introduction of different strains can alter the flavor and texture of a yogurt, Meiji Group has long monitored the effects on human health of each probiotic. It even operates a joint research laboratory called the 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网 Science Labs, where pharmacists and food scientists work together to develop products that contribute to healthy longevity.
R威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网earchers at Meiji Group observing a sample of lactic acid bacteria
A r威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网earcher at Meiji Group removing a sample from a lactobacilli library
In 2011, Meiji Group wanted to better understand 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e role of lactic acid bacteria in 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e digestive tract, so it established a joint research project wi威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e Pasteur Institute in France. Founded in 1887, 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e Pasteur Institute is 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e world's leading au威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网ority on micro-organisms. Founder Louis Pasteur himself was 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e first biologist to describe 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e process of lactic acid fermentation in 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网e 1850s.
The research by Meiji Group and the Pasteur Institute identified a clear link bet威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网en lactic acid bacteria LB81 and the intestinal barrier, a key part of the body's defense against invasive micro-organisms. The intestinal barrier consists of the epithelial layer, a physical separation bet威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网en the gut and the body, plus an array of molecules and immune cells on either side that fend off harmful intruders. LB81 bacteria 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网re linked to increased production of antimicrobial peptides which enhance the barrier's function. (Link to findings)
The intestinal barrier can be 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网akened by aging, stress and poor diet, which is why these are all considered risk factors for many diseases. By preventing a decline in the barrier's function, LB81 restricts opportunities for harmful microbes present in food or liquid to enter the body through the gut. The bacteria help to avert not only 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网aknesses brought about by lifestyle factors, but also those long thought to be inevitable as 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网 age. LB81 won't grant us eternal life, but it does appear to reduce the risk of age-related diseases.
Lactic acid bacteria LB81
LB81 has been a key ingredient of Meiji Group yogurt since 1993, and research into the benefits of LB81 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网ntinues to be logged in the Meiji Group r威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网earch library. As science gradually 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网mes to understand the role played by each bacterial strain in the gut microbiota, the potential health benefits 威斯尼斯ww2299棋牌官网uld be unlimited.
