Probiotiic Products Help Digestion, Say Malaysian Celebrities

From Erda Khursyiah Bashir This is the third of four features on Yakult, the probiotic dairy product that contains a special strain of 'good' bacteria, the lactobacillus casei Shirota. TOKYO, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Two Malaysian celebrities have admitted that drinking a dairy product which contains probiotics has helped them overcome problems of indigestion and constipation. The hectic work schedule forced actress Diana Amir, 27, to often end up having meals at irregular time, leading to complaints of indigestion. "My hectic career schedule has forced me to often take meals at irregular times... and I like to eat spicy food. "Until one day, I developed indigestion. Fortunately, my family recommended the Yakult drink to help me overcome the indigestion," she told Bernama. Diana Amir, whose real name is Nurdiyana Amir Hashim, was among the group of Malaysian journalists who visited Japan on an eight-day visit recently. According to Diana, once she made it a habit to drink the Yakult dairy product daily, she managed to overcome the indigestion problem. She now drinks Yakult twice a day, in fact, once after each meal. EASES CONSTIPATION Kevin Zahri, who is also known as the Malaysian 'fitness trainer', admits that including a probiotic product in the diet helps in easing constipation. He says in order to remain healthy, a person needs to pass motion about twice a day. "Drinking a lot of water helps, apart from having fibre in the diet as well as consuming a probiotic product," he says. Kevin Zahri, whose real name is Kevin Zahri Abdul Ghaffar, says an individual still needs to undertake adequate exercise to remain healthy and reduce stress. He was also among the group of Malaysian journalists on an eight-day visit to Japan. "If a person develops indigestion and also experiences constipation, the body will absorb more calories and this may lead to unhealthy consequences such as obesity and chronic diseases," he says, adding that consuming a probiotic drink like Yakult then becomes crucial to maintaining good health. VIRUS, BACTERIA As the intestine is responsible for absorbing the nutrients, it plays a vital role in defending the body against disease-causing bacteria and viruses. The intestinal flora comprises beneficial bacteria such as the Lactobacili strain Shirota and Bifidobacteria apart from the harmful bacteria like staphylococcus aureus, clostridium perfringens, and neutral bacteria like the harmless strain of Escherichia coli. Dr Akira Yabuki from the Japan Health and Nutrition Food Association in Tokyo says the Foshu system which was introduced in 1984 allows that foods containing ingredients that have an effect on health must be officially approved by the Japanese government to make a claim about any physiological effect on the human body. He says Foshu is intended to be consumed to maintain health in case of people who wish to control their health conditions, including blood pressure and blood cholesterol. "Yakult products have been approved under the Foshu system, fulfilling the criteria as foods with 'health claims' in Japan. "Yakult, which contains probiotics, improves intestinal environment by increasing the beneficial bacteria and reducing the harmful bacteria through the function of the strain Shirota that is able to reach the intestines alive," he says. 'SHIROTA-ISM' PHILOSOPHY According to the definition given by the World Health Organisation (WHO), probiotics are living micro-organisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits on the host. Andrew Wells, a senior staff at the International Business Department, YakultHonsha Co Ltd (Yakult Honsha) in Tokyo, Japan, explains that there are several requirements that must be met to ensure the product contains probiotics. He says the requirements of a probiotic product includes being able to reach the intestines in the natural form apart from being safe for consumption as well as having the ability to grow in the bowels. The probiotic product should also be affordable, produce reliable effect and could be ingested as food. In 1930, Dr Minoru Shirota became the first person in the world to succeed in culturing a fortified strain of lactic acid bacteria beneficial to human health. "The philosophy regarding preventive medicine advocated by Dr Shirota is collectively expressed by Yakult Honsha through the term 'Shirota-ism. "Shirota-ism consists of the elements of a healthy intestine that leads to a long life, preventive medicine and bringing good health to people at affordable price," Wells further explains. --BERNAMA