Health experts urged the public to maintain a healthy balance between “good” and “bad” bacteria in their bodies after a study showed that Taiwanese have more bad bacteria in their digestive system than people in other Asian countries.
The study, released on Thursday by the Association for Lactic Acid Bacteria (TALAB), found that Taiwanese schoolchildren have up to 30 times more Escherichia coli and 15 times more Clostridium perfringens — two of the “bad” bacteria — than kids of the same age in Japan.
The report said that E coli and C perfringens are two common microbes that can directly or indirectly cause gastroenteritis and a slew of other digestive tract infections.
On the other hand, Taiwanese schoolchildren only have between one-third and one-fifth of the “good” bacteria Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium compared with their peers in Japan, the study showed.
Association officials said that since the bacterial composition of adults is likely to be similar to that of children, the public should take steps to ensure a healthy balance of microorganisms in their bodies.
The study was conducted among children aged eight to 10, in 10 cities in five Asian countries, said Tsai Ying-chieh (蔡英傑), a professor of microbiology and honorary chairman of the association.
Research teams collected stool samples and used DNA testing to screen for microorganism species, Tsai said.
“We found that Taiwanese children have all the major aggregate problems of populations in other Asian cities. In comparison with Japan, we found that Taiwanese children have much lower good bacteria, as well as a wider variety of microbe species, than Japanese children,” he said.
Besides E coli and C perfringens, more than 50 percent of Taiwanese have Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for stomach and duodenal ulcers, Tsai said.
More than 1.42 million people in Taiwan were treated for these two conditions last year, Tsai added.
Daily eating habits and physical activity are critical to maintaining a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria, he said.
“A large number of Taiwanese eat out. People here also tend to have ‘predator eating habits’ — oil-fried, barbecued or roasted food, dishes high in fat content, and lots of meat, but few vegetables and fruit,” Tsai said.
“This is compounded by stress from daily life and work. Many people ignore the importance of normal bowel movement. Once the bad bacteria outnumber the good ones, people’s intestinal microbial ecology becomes imbalanced and they become more susceptible to gastroenteritis, digestive diseases or even colorectal cancer,” he added.
Formosa Cancer Foundation joined the association in raising public awareness about the importance of taking good care of one’s body.
Foundation chief executive Lai Chi-ming (賴基銘) said stomach and colorectal cancers have affected an increasing number of Taiwanese over the past 10 years, and the trend is still rising.
Lai urged people to eat at least five types of vegetables and fruit each day, cut down on meat consumption and exercise more.
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