When it comes to intestinal flora, most people have probably heard of it. With the improvement of people's standard of living, more and more people are paying attention to health, and more and more people are paying attention to intestinal flora. Intestinal flora, is the normal microorganisms that live in the human intestine, such as bifidobacteria, lactobacillus, etc.. You may be shocked to know that there are 10 trillion bacteria living in the human intestine, and these bacteria survive and multiply in the intestine and have various biochemical reactions with substances in the intestine, which are vital to human health. So, what exactly is the role of intestinal flora?

1. To provide nutrition for the human body, some substances produced during the metabolism of intestinal flora are important for human nutrition. Intestinal flora metabolism can produce short-chain fatty acids, which has an important impact on the physiology of the host; Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus can synthesize a variety of vitamins necessary for human growth and development; intestinal flora can also provide protein for the body, synthesize non-essential amino acids, such as aspartic acid, alanine, valine and threonine, etc. After the death of intestinal flora, the active ingredients of the flora are also beneficial to human health. Bacterial body is generally rich in protein and other nutrients, which can play an important nutritional role.

2. Participate in important metabolic processes of human body, intestinal flora can participate in important metabolic processes of human body and provide various enzymes and metabolic pathways for certain metabolic processes of human body. For example, intestinal flora can convert insoluble proteins into soluble substances; convert polysaccharides into monosaccharides that can be easily absorbed by human body; participate in casein hydrolysis, dehydroxylation and deamination of amino acids; participate in bile and cholesterol metabolism, etc. In addition, intestinal flora can also activate the human liver enzyme system, which is important for human metabolism of foreign compounds; some intestinal flora can also participate in the metabolism of some oral drugs, so that the activity or toxicity of drugs are changed; intestinal flora can also produce superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and catalase (CAT) and other enzymes that can scavenge free radicals.

3. Antibacterial effect, intestinal flora in the human intestine adhesion, colonization and reproduction, forming a layer of "bacteria film barrier", so that the body from the invasion of foreign pathogens; intestinal flora can compete with harmful bacteria nutrients, inhibit their reproduction in the intestine; intestinal flora can also produce antibacterial substances, inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

4. immune effect, intestinal flora can make the host produce a wide range of immune barrier. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium can enhance the immune function of the host; intestinal flora can stimulate the development of host immune system and the occurrence of cellular immunity, so that the host's inherent immune system can distinguish opportunistic pathogenic bacteria and commensal bacteria.

In conclusion, intestinal flora has a wide range of effects on human health. We should maintain a proper diet to maintain the balance of intestinal flora.