Probiotics a hoax or a bless? 益生菌是祸是福？(1)

Not all bacteria are the same

Recently there has been a study claiming that probiotics cause brain fog.
近来，有科学研究把益生菌和脑雾挂钩。 

(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41424-018-0030-7)

This study is a not very credible, as they didn't give Probiotics a proper definition.
这项研究的可靠性有值得怀疑之处。
研究项目没有把益生菌的定义锁定之故。

The experimental design wasn't properly done too.
In the study, the test subjects were allowed to
anyhow take any brand and any type of "probiotics",
including commercial and home made yoghurt.
There was absolutely no quality control in
what was administered to the subjects.
研究的设计也没有计划好。
研究对象可以任意使用任何牌子和种类的“益生菌”，
甚至包括市场和自制的优葛/酸奶。
研究对象食用的一切都没有任何的品质管控。

To clarify the confusion caused by the study,
为了理清此研究带来的误会，

first, we have to understand a few points here:
首先，我们先了解几个重点：

1. Probiotics are often confused with
Friendly bacteria and Yoghurt-making bacteria.
益生菌、友善细菌（良菌）和优葛菌，
三者时常被混淆。

*Probiotics are elite friendly bacteria which are
clinically proven to offer medicinal benefits.
But this term has been abused by commercials which
sell only friendly bacteria that are
not clinically proven for medicinal benefits in the health supplement market.
益生菌是一群优质友善细菌，经科学临床实验，证实能达至医疗效果。
但是，这个名词已经惯性被保健业的商家滥用，
混淆于没有临床证明的非医疗性的友善细菌。

*Friendly bacteria are not necessarily clinically proven.
They are found to be able to live in human gut
offering some health benefits (given proper influence from Probiotics).
友善细菌不一定经过临床证实。
它们能在人体肠道内滋生，协助维护肠道健康
（益生菌影响的前提下而言）。

*Yoghurt bacteria are not necessarily friendly bacteria.
They are bacteria that may produce lactic acid (both D- and L- form)
inducing the transformation of liquid milk to semi solid yoghurt.
Incidentally, Yoghurt can contain dangerous and bad bacteria,
especially when made unprofessionally at home.
优葛菌不一定是友善细菌。
它们只是基本上能生成乳酸（D-和L-状）
使至液态乳转凝固成半固态。
再说，优葛里蕴藏的有可能是有危害的坏菌，
尤其是家中没用专业手法制作的优葛。

2. Brain fog is not caused by probiotics.
It is caused by accumulation of too much D-lactic acid
that is often produced by non-clinically proven friendly bacteria.
D-lactic acid is a form of lactic acid indigestible by human metabolism.
It is seen as toxic burden to gut/liver/brain when accumulated too much.
脑雾不是益生菌所造成的。
脑雾的现象是过多的D-状乳酸累积过多在体内才造成的。
D乳酸往往是没经临床试验证的友善菌所生成的。
D乳酸是一种人体未能代谢的乳酸。
过多时，会造成肠道、肝脏、脑袋的荼毒与负担。

3. It's the L-lactic acid that we human body needs.
But friendly bacteria often do not always produce L-form only,
but also produce D-form lactic acid.
Our body can withstand small amount of D-lactic acid,
but if we take too much of clinically *unproven* probiotics (ie fake probiotics),
the population spectrum/landscape of bacteria in our gut
will be seriously skewed, causing too much D-lactic acid production.
我们人体需要的是L-乳酸。
可是友善细菌一般都会生成D、L两种乳酸。
我们身体能承受少量D-乳酸，
但是，当我们服用大量未经临床验证的友善细菌（假成益生菌），
那么我们的肠道里的细菌光谱和格局就会严重扭曲，生成过量的D-乳酸。

Till this point,
we have clarified that probiotics is not actually the culprit of brain fog.
至此，我们已经理清益生菌不是脑雾的祸首。

It is the mis-administration of too much friendly bacteria
which are capable of producing D-lactic acid.
祸患来自错误的服用大量的D-乳酸友善细菌。

How do we know which is true probiotics?
We shall discuss about the underlying principles, in the next post.
那么我们怎知那些是真正的益生菌呢？
下一贴，我们将会探讨各中原理。

Well regards,
祝福大家
Kee Yew 其铫

**click here for Part 2| Part 3| Part 4 按这里**

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{Learning Holistic Wellness for Wisdom and Compassion}