[현대건강신문] More and more people are taking red ginseng, probiotics, vitamins, omega 3, and other nutritional supplements a day. As interest in health increases day by day following COVID-19, health functional foods that can easily take care of health are attracting attention. In particular, ‘Self-Medication’, which pursues active investment and consumption in health, and ‘healthy pleasure’, which seeks to enjoy health care, are established as major consumption trends, especially among the 2030 generation. The popularity of consumption is accelerating.
In fact, according to data from the Korea Health Functional Foods Association, the size of the domestic dry food market last year exceeded 5 trillion won. According to the results of the Consumer Purchasing Behavior Index survey, 8 out of 10 households said they purchase dry food at least once a year. The number of nutritional supplements that are good for immunity, eye health food, vitamins, and probiotics are increasing day by day. Concerns regarding indiscriminate consumption continue to be a problem.
Each individual needs different products because the required nutrients and intake vary according to age, lifestyle, and health condition. In addition, while there are nutrients that increase the absorption rate by increasing the effect when taken together, there are cases where the effect is halved, so it is important to check the compatibility between nutrients before taking them.
You can increase the absorption rate by taking it with multivitamins and lactic acid bacteria that are commonly found.
A multivitamin that can take a variety of vitamins and minerals at the same time in a single tablet is highly sought following by modern people because of its simplicity. Most of the vitamins and minerals we ingest are absorbed in the small intestine, and the rate of absorption may vary depending on the environment of the small intestine. In particular, water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin B and vitamin C, are often excreted in the urine and have a low pKa (acid strength) value, making them easy to dissolve and absorb in a highly acidic intestinal environment.
As the intestinal condition has a great influence on the absorption of multivitamins, it is effective to consume lactic acid bacteria that can make the intestinal environment acidic. Lactobacillus settles in the intestine and secretes lactic acid (lactic acid), which can increase solubility and stability by making the intestinal environment acidic. In addition, the intestinal epithelial cells are activated to increase the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D. In fact, as a result of an animal test study at Cell Biotech Microbiome Research Center’s non-clinical testing center, it was confirmed that absorption was promoted when lactic acid bacteria and vitamins were mixed, compared to when all vitamins except vitamin A were administered alone. In the case of vitamin B6, the absorption rate increased by 174% compared to the control group, and it was additionally confirmed that the absorption rate of calcium and iron also increased significantly.
For eye health, you need to take lutein, astaxanthin, and vitamin A at once.
Recently, as interest in eye health has increased, dry foods with related functions such as lutein, astaxanthin, and vitamin A are also being consumed in large quantities. It is okay to choose only one of these nutrients, but it is recommended to consume the above three at the same time because the eye function involved in each ingredient is different.
First, lutein is a nutrient that makes up the periphery of the ‘macula’, which is the center of the eye. In most cases, the lutein content in the eyes starts to decrease from the age of 25, and the content decreases to less than half by the age of 60. Astaxanthin helps a lot of blood and nutrients to reach the ‘ciliary body’, the eye muscle that controls focus, and relieves eye fatigue by removing waste products. Vitamin A also helps to keep the retina, conjunctiva, and cornea healthy, and also plays a role in protecting the eyes from harmful substances by participating in the health of the eye mucous membrane. If you are interested in eye health, you can consume lutein, astaxanthin, and vitamin A individually, or you can choose a product that combines these ingredients together.
The absorption rate of red ginseng active ingredient ‘saponin’ is low, so lactic acid bacteria can give synergy
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety investigation, one in four Koreans consumes red ginseng. The efficacy of red ginseng, which can help improve immunity and recover from fatigue, can be obtained through ‘saponin (ginsenoside)’, the main nutritional component. In order to absorb saponin, a high molecular substance, it must be decomposed into ‘Compound K’, which is a form of physiologically active substance. % cannot absorb saponin as it is due to insufficient function and number of intestinal microbes.
In other words, in order to properly absorb the nutrients of red ginseng, it is necessary to manage the intestinal microbial environment in a balanced way. In a recent study, ‘CBT-BG7 (Bifidobacterium longum, CBT-BG7)’ lactic acid bacteria that help convert saponins into compound K when cultured with red ginseng were discovered. If you are taking red ginseng nutritional supplements, it is recommended to take CBT-BG7 lactobacilli together, which increases absorption.
Calcium and polygamma-glutamic acid must be taken together to increase absorption
Calcium, known as an essential element for bone and tooth formation and prevention of osteoporosis, is a representative nutrient that is difficult to absorb in the body. The absorption rate in the body is increased when calcium is taken together with polygamma-glutamic acid than when calcium is taken alone. Poly-gamma-glutamic acid is a component that has been functionally recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as ‘it can help promote calcium absorption in the body’. done.
In addition, when magnesium and vitamin D are taken together, a synergistic effect can be expected. This is why the word ‘Kalmadi’, which reduces calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D as three essential nutrients for maintaining bone health, is popular.
Vitamin D helps the colon and kidneys absorb calcium, and accumulates calcium in the bones to increase bone density. In addition, it plays a role in regulating the concentration of calcium and phosphorus in the body within the normal range, so no matter how much calcium you consume, if you lack vitamin D, you may not see the effect properly. Magnesium not only helps activate this vitamin D, but also helps transport calcium so that it can be incorporated into new bones. However, if you eat more magnesium than calcium, you need to be careful because it can interfere with the absorption of calcium.
Dr. Im Sang-hyun, head of Cell Biotech’s Microbiome Research Center, said, “Consumers are increasingly taking a variety of nutritional supplements for health care. We hope that you select a product following carefully considering the combination that can increase the absorption rate of nutrients required for your health.”