[Probiotics Episode 1] 70~80% of the body's immune cells such as white blood cells are concentrated in the intestine | Dr. Esther Yeo

[Probiotics Episode 1] 70~80% of the body's immune cells such as white blood cells are concentrated in the intestine | Dr. Esther Yeo

Dec 13, 2024Ehotyshamull Joy
The intestine, the body's largest immune system
What are probiotics?
The word "probiotics" translates to "beneficial bacteria." It is a general term for the bacteria in the intestines that provide health benefits. The concept is a little different from the lactic acid bacteria that are commonly known. Even if it is not lactic acid bacteria, if it is a bacteria that helps health, it is included in probiotics.

The origins of probiotics are the Ukrainian biologist Dr. Metchnikov. Dr. Metchnikoff, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1908, was a yogurt lover who drank sour yogurt every day, made by fermenting milk. He observed that there were many high-quality beneficial bacteria in the feces of long-lived Bulgarian farmers and claimed that yogurt was the reason for their longevity.The bacteria contained in large quantities in yogurt are the originators of today's probiotics. If omega-3s are mackerel, calcium is milk, and probiotics are yogurt.

 

The gut is the body's largest immune system
There are many beneficial bacteria that fall into the category of probiotics, but two main types of lactobacillus and bifidus are the main ones. Hundreds of papers have proven that these two probiotics have health benefits. Lactobacillus and bifidus are the most important lactic acid bacteria in yogurt and are also the main components of probiotics taken in the form of actual nutritional supplements.
To understand the importance of probiotics, you first need to know your gut properly. The intestine is commonly known as the organ through which food passes through and stools are made and expelled. That's right. But that's not the only function in the gut.

The intestine is home to 70~80% of the body's immune cells, including white blood cells. It's amazing. It's not the brain, it's not the heart, but why are those important immune cells concentrated in the gut? The reason for this is that food scraps go through the process of digestion, fermentation, and decay, producing huge amounts of bacteria. There are 100 trillion bacteria in the gut. These bacteria make up about half of the weight of the stool. It weighs about 1~1.5kg. That's two and a half pounds of meat in our stomachs.

 

Why immune cells are crowded in the gut

The bacteria in the intestine are broadly divided into harmful bacteria, beneficial bacteria, and intermediate bacteria. Intermediate bacteria act on the beneficial bacteria when there are many beneficial bacteria in the intestine, and act on the harmful bacteria when there are many harmful bacteria. Naturally, you need to reduce the harmful bacteria that are bad for you and increase the beneficial bacteria that are good for you. The role of lactic acid bacteria is to increase beneficial bacteria in the intestine, suppress harmful bacteria, protect the sensitive intestinal mucosa and facilitate bowel movements. It also regulates the secretion of hormones and produces vitamins that our body needs.

 

The problem is that when there are a lot of harmful bacteria in the intestines, these bacteria are looking for an opportunity to penetrate the intestinal mucous membrane and penetrate into the body. That's why immune cells are concentrated in the gut. White blood cells are densely packed together like a guard at a front-line post, blocking harmful bacteria from penetrating the mucous membrane in the large intestine and entering the body.

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