One of a kind

(X)What you take matters. Prof. Tsai notes that in some products claiming over 100 billion bacteria per serving, more than 90% are Enterococcus — small and easy to mass-culture — while truly beneficial strains such as Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus plantarum make up less than 10%. Quality beats quantity. For digestive health, 10–20 billion a day is enough; for immune regulation, 20 billion a day shows results after three months; for special functions such as mental health or metabolic regulation, over 60 billion a day is needed.

(X)Benefits depend on the strain — don't choose blindly. Prof. Tsai points out that there are thousands of lactic acid bacteria, and only a very few special strains that benefit health can be called 'probiotics'. Different strains have different effects, such as boosting mental activity, relieving stress and aiding sleep, fighting inflammation or easing allergies — just as vitamins A, B and C each have entirely different functions. In the strain bank of the Yang-Ming University Probiotics Research Center, different Lactobacillus plantarum strains respectively lower stress hormones, reduce inflammation markers or suppress harmful bacteria — being the same species does not mean having all three functions.

(X)Taken the wrong way, probiotics can actually cause constipation! Prof. Tsai explains that people often ask why their constipation got worse after starting probiotics — usually because they 'don't drink enough water' or 'don't eat enough fruit and vegetable fibre'. Probiotics alone are not enough to relieve constipation; good products usually add soluble fibre (prebiotics), and you should drink plenty of water for better results. Assuming probiotics replace fruit, vegetables and water will only make constipation worse.

(X)Probiotics are only a supplement, not a replacement for proper treatment, and seriously ill patients should use them with care. Prof. Tsai stresses that although probiotics are very safe, they must never 'replace' medication. For example, a psychiatric patient who hears about mood-boosting probiotics and stops medication without a doctor's approval is in real danger. Since probiotics are mostly live bacteria, seriously ill or severely immunocompromised people should reduce or pause use and consult a doctor.

(X)Probiotics fear heat! Prof. Tsai explains that 'room temperature' in the lab means 25°C. Probiotics are naturally sensitive to high temperatures: above 30°C, activity drops quickly — at 30°C they may stay stable for only a month, and at 37°C perhaps not even a few days. Probiotics can be frozen, but should not be taken in and out repeatedly: freezing itself is fine, but repeated freeze-thaw cycles form and dissolve ice crystals in the cells, which damages their structure.