Decryption of Internet Rumors – Will Long-term Probiotics Cause Dependence?

Have you heard this statement?

Some people say that probiotics cannot be supplemented for a long time. Most of them are artificially synthesized, which will make the intestinal tract dependent, which will cause the intestinal function to gradually lose its ability to reproduce beneficial bacteria. In the long run, the human intestinal tract will become dependent. It’s called “probiotic addiction”. Medical research has proved that once the human body suffers from “probiotic dependence”, it will rely on and use artificially synthesized oral probiotic products to maintain a healthy state of life.
Most of the information about “probiotic dependence” on the Internet comes from the mainland, and the terms are very similar, which are standard Internet rumors.

My advisor used to say that it is far more difficult to answer a question from a layman than to answer a question from an expert when learning to speak. To be honest, it is really not easy to prove that such a groundless claim is false and wrong.

All I can say is that, as far as my knowledge and experience communicated with probiotic experts all over the world, there is no formal medical research that proves that long-term consumption of probiotics will make the gut lose the ability to reproduce beneficial bacteria, which will lead to dependence. symptoms, or become addictive. And, judging by my knowledge of probiotics, the odds of it happening are minimal. I have been researching probiotics for a long time, I have attended probiotics conferences all over the world, and I have always kept close contact with scholars and experts from all over the world. There is really no whether probiotics will be addictive or harmful to the intestines. Such topics have been discussed publicly or privately. , was proposed for discussion.

However, it is undeniable. There is indeed no medical research to prove that long-term consumption of probiotics will not cause dependence, because no scientists are willing to invest their efforts to explore this problem, even if there is, the incidence is very small, and even if it occurs, the symptoms will not cause too much trouble. Maybe put it this way, a friend usually eats probiotics in large quantities, hoping to help smooth it, but when he stops eating, he fails, and he blames it for “probiotic dependence”. In my opinion, this cannot be called dependence disorder. If this friend does not actively correct his living habits and eating habits, and wants to rely on probiotics to improve his condition, it is a big mistake. This is not a problem of probiotics. , is the party’s own problem.

We are still in the stage of how the intestinal bacteria are formed, how to respond to environmental changes and maintain a dynamic balance, and the more we study, the more new problems arise. The research on the use of probiotics is also at a very early stage.

I often lament that the most serious problem with probiotics is that it is too easy to make a product, and the entry barrier is too low. I think this should be the main reason for so many false Internet rumors.

If any of my friends have suspected “probiotic dependence”, please contact me. I am really curious and would like to explore in depth.