Probiotics Expert: Healthy Aging Begins With Healthy Intestinal Bacteria

Eating high-probiotic foods, particularly yogurt, can reduce inflammation and other risks of age related disease.
Aating yogurt can replenish millions of probiotics (Elena Veselova/Shutterstock)
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Health Viewpoints

The intestine is the largest immune organ of the human body. In addition to being an organ of digestion, it is also known as the body’s “second brain.”  On the Epoch Times Health 1+1 program, Ying-Chieh Tsai, chair professor and probiotics expert at Taiwan National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, demonstrated how to increase probiotics through diet to maintain intestinal health.

The “second brain” aspect of the gastrointestinal tract or “gut” refers to the enteric nervous system in the intestine, which contains hundreds of millions of neurons similar to the number of those found in the spinal cord. Mr. Tsai emphasized that the brain and the intestine are not in a superior-inferior relationship—from the perspective of embryonic development, the brain and the intestine are originally together and then slowly develop separately.
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Dopamine and serotonin are the two mood-related neurotransmitters known as “happy hormones,” most of which are found in the gut. Studies have found that more than 50 percent of dopamine is synthesized in the intestine, while 90 percent of serotonin for the body is provided by the gut. Both dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters—thus, just like the brain—the gut also plays an essential role in regulating mood-related neurotransmitters.

Intestinal Inflammation Causes Systemic Disease

If the gut is unhealthy, it can cause systemic diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression, all of which are related to inflammation. Mr. Tsai said that two or three decades ago, the medical community realized that inflammation can cause systemic diseases, and by studying the gut flora, has recently found that one source of inflammation is in the intestine. There are good and bad bacteria in the intestine, and when there are too many bad bacteria, they will secrete the inflammatory factor LPS, which not only causes intestinal inflammation but also enters the circulatory system, causing systemic inflammation throughout the body.

When the body’s inflammation becomes more serious, it will act on the intestinal barrier. Intestinal cells are originally lined up one by one, and when inflamed, the connection between intestinal cells is loosened, causing “leaky gut syndrome”—therefore inflammatory factors, bacteria, and viruses in the intestine are more likely to enter the blood.

Mr. Tsai said, “Seventy percent of diseases come from the intestine because inflammation comes from there—the more serious the inflammation, the more serious the leaky intestine, and the toxins circulate throughout your body, causing systemic diseases.”

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Mr. Tsai continued, saying that obesity, heart disease, fatty liver, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia belong to metabolic syndromes, also known as lifestyle-related diseases. Unhealthy lifestyle habits can be a root cause of metabolic syndrome.

Because the gut is rich in nerve cells, an imbalance in the gut flora can also lead to various mental and neurological disorders, including depression, autism, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. A study by Hong Kong’s Chinese University, published in Nature Communications this year, found that an imbalance in the gut flora is an early risk factor for Parkinson’s disease, with fewer good bacteria in the intestines and more bacteria promoting inflammation and disrupting intestinal barrier function. By testing the intestinal microbiome, it is possible to detect neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease at an early stage.

Bad Intestinal Bacteria Accelerates Symptoms of Aging and Disease

Aging is also linked to gut health. Mr. Tsai said that aging focuses on nerve inflammation. When the intestinal bacteria are healthy, the body’s inflammation will improve and the nerve inflammation will be reduced. Consequently, it will help prevent aging.
Mr. Tsai and the research team completed a series of studies to explore how probiotics delay aging. The experiment, conducted this year by Mr. Tsai and his team was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. It showed that mice with Parkinson’s disease improved dyskinesia after taking probiotics. This is because probiotics reduce miR-155-5p, a micro RNA associated with Parkinson’s disease that causes inflammation. Researchers found that in mice with Parkinson’s disease, supplementation with probiotics led to a decrease in micro RNA, which is linked to inflammation and was previously found to increase in multiple parts of the intestine and brain.

In addition to being associated with the aging of the nervous system, probiotics are also associated with eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and dry eye. Mr. Tsai explained that these eye diseases are related to inflammation, and the inflammatory factors released by intestinal bacteria cause immune disorders, which can cause the immune system to destroy the cornea.

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An experiment published in 2022 in Microbiome Journal found that transferring old mice’s gut flora to young mice’s intestines also produced a series of aging phenomena, including brain and retinal inflammation.

The Greatest Bacteria Found in Yogurt

How can we replenish good bacteria? Mr. Tsai believes that the fastest way to supplement good bacteria is to eat yogurt, which can add hundreds of millions of good bacteria at once. Although kimchi, natto, and cheese also contain good bacteria, in terms of the number of bacteria, they don’t compare to yogurt. Also, because pickled foods are salty, you can’t eat too much at a time. Therefore, he recommends that the elderly eat more yogurt to supplement good bacteria and protein.

High-salt probiotic foods, such as kimchi and certain cheeses, can indeed contribute to gut health due to the presence of probiotics. These foods, when consumed in moderation, can be part of a diet that supports the gut microbiome. Additionally, the oligosaccharides and fiber within these foods could serve as a source of nourishment for these probiotics, fostering their growth and activity in the digestive system.

Mr. Tsai said that after his exercise session every morning, he goes buy a bottle of yogurt and eats it with tea leaf eggs. This is how he supplements the good bacteria and also takes in protein. He laughed and said that he prefers sugary yogurt to sugar-free ones, and was criticized by his daughter for consuming too much sugar. However, when he chooses yogurt, he pays more attention to whether there are good bacteria in it, and will carefully read the nutrition label, checking which species and strains are used.

Focus on Strains in Probiotic Products

According to Mr. Tsai, the two basic bacteria in yogurt are Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Manufacturers will also add some effective strains such as bifidobacterium, which promote intestinal peristalsis, improve immunity, and reduce allergies. For ordinary consumers, he recommends choosing yogurt products from international brands, because they have better probiotic strains.

For functional probiotic products, he also advises consumers to pay attention to the strain number, and then search online for relevant research papers to confirm their efficacy.

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As for the recent emergence of postbiotic products on the market, Mr. Tsai explained that postbiotics are processed with probiotics, including heating dead probiotics or metabolites produced by probiotics. Postbiotics have the advantages of easy transportation, high-temperature resistance, and may have many of the functions of probiotics. However, he stressed that postbiotics and probiotics are still different. More research is needed to prove that postbiotics have the function of the original species.

Nourish Bacteria by Eating the Right Foods

Though some people often eat yogurt and take probiotic supplements, their intestinal function is still poor. Mr. Tsai stated that consuming probiotics alone does not cultivate probiotics in the body, even when they have many strains. Prebiotic supplements are necessary.

The best food to supplement prebiotics is dietary fiber. Mr. Tsai suggested eating more than 30 grams of dietary fiber per day, in addition to staple foods such as grain rice, germ rice, brown rice, beans, potatoes, mushrooms, algae, and other foods. The viscous texture in algae is especially suitable for the growth of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus in the intestine. In addition, okra and natto, with their mucus quality, are great foods for the intestines.

Natto, okra, and wakame
Natto, okra, and wakame
Mr. Tsai said, “Even if you don’t eat yogurt or don’t supplement probiotics, by only eating healthy food and a little more dietary fiber, slowly, the good bacteria in the stomach will cultivate. If you eat more probiotics, it will accelerate the process.”

Prioritize Two Key Lifestyle Habits

In addition to diet, lifestyle habits are also the basis for maintaining good intestinal bacteria, including more exercise, regular sleep, and stress relief. In terms of living habits, Mr. Tsai emphasized the following two points:

1. Exercise

Exercise can keep muscles from aging. Aerobic exercise, such as running and walking is more beneficial to the growth of probiotics than muscle building. He advised the elderly to walk more. Sitting for too long is not beneficial for your intestines.

2. Stress Relief

The most important aspect of relieving stress in life is to “praise more and revenge less.” According to Mr. Tsai, young people should also pay attention to regulating their lives. He said that since childhood, he went to bed at half past ten and woke up at half past five in the morning. A regulated life helps reduce stress.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
Amber Yang is a certified personal trainer. She met all the requirements of the American Council on Exercise to develop and implement personalized exercise programs. She worked as a marketing manager for natural skin care products for years and as a health and beauty reporter and editor for ten years. She is also the host and producer of the YouTube programs "Amber Running Green" and "Amber Health Interview."
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