Ooi Lay-Gaik, Liong Min-Tze
School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia; E-Mail:
Int J Mol Sci. 2010 Jun 17;11(6):2499-522. doi: 10.3390/ijms11062499.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that promote health benefits upon consumption, while prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients that selectively stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract. Probiotics and/or prebiotics could be used as alternative supplements to exert health benefits, including cholesterol-lowering effects on humans. Past in vivo studies showed that the administration of probiotics and/or prebiotics are effective in improving lipid profiles, including the reduction of serum/plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides or increment of HDL-cholesterol. However, other past studies have also shown that probiotics and prebiotics had insignificant effects on lipid profiles, disputing the hypocholesterolemic claim. Additionally, little information is available on the effective dosage of probiotics and prebiotics needed to exert hypocholesterolemic effects. Probiotics and prebiotics have been suggested to reduce cholesterol via various mechanisms. However, more clinical evidence is needed to strengthen these proposals. Safety issues regarding probiotics and/or prebiotics have also been raised despite their long history of safe use. Although probiotic-mediated infections are rare, several cases of systemic infections caused by probiotics have been reported and the issue of antibiotic resistance has sparked much debate. Prebiotics, classified as food ingredients, are generally considered safe, but overconsumption could cause intestinal discomfort. Conscientious prescription of probiotics and/or prebiotics is crucial, especially when administering to specific high risk groups such as infants, the elderly and the immuno-compromised.
益生菌是食用后能促进健康益处的活微生物，而益生元是不可消化的食物成分，可选择性地刺激胃肠道中有益微生物的生长。益生菌和/或益生元可用作替代补充剂以发挥健康益处，包括对人类的降胆固醇作用。过去的体内研究表明，施用益生菌和/或益生元可有效改善血脂状况，包括降低血清/血浆总胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇和甘油三酯，或提高高密度脂蛋白胆固醇。然而，其他过去的研究也表明，益生菌和益生元对血脂状况影响不显著，对降胆固醇的说法提出了质疑。此外，关于发挥降胆固醇作用所需的益生菌和益生元有效剂量的信息很少。有人提出益生菌和益生元可通过多种机制降低胆固醇。然而，需要更多临床证据来支持这些说法。尽管益生菌和/或益生元长期安全使用，但也引发了有关其安全性的问题。虽然益生菌介导的感染很少见，但已有几例由益生菌引起的全身感染病例报告，抗生素耐药性问题也引发了很多争论。益生元被归类为食物成分，通常被认为是安全的，但过量食用可能会引起肠道不适。谨慎开具益生菌和/或益生元的处方至关重要，尤其是在给婴儿、老年人和免疫功能低下等特定高危人群使用时。
