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Tag: Bifidobacterium

Published on Leave a comment on Dairy Foods Benefit Our Gut Microbes

It's good to eat and drink dairy foods! Consuming dairy foods is beneficial for the gut microbiome, but each dairy food - whether milk, cheese, or yogurt - appears to have  different effects on the composition of the gut microbiome (the community of bacteria, viruses, fungi).

A recent small study found that consuming higher amounts of dairy foods is beneficial for the gut microbiome, and resulted in a greater variety of bacterial species (this is considered good for health). There was more abundance of the beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium, a bacteria associated with digestive health and immune support.

Consumption of milk was especially beneficial in boosting a variety of beneficial bacteria (Faecalibacterium) known for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Higher amounts of total dairy foods consumed was associated with lower levels of Bacteroides, which are linked to inflammatory conditions and colorectal cancer.

Excerpts from news-medical.net: Milk boosts gut-friendly bacteria while cheese alters microbiome balance, study reveals

In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers in the United States explored the influence of dairy consumption on colonic mucosa-associated gut microbiota. By investigating specific bacterial composition changes linked to dairy intake, they highlighted its implications for individual and public health. ...continue reading "Dairy Foods Benefit Our Gut Microbes"

Published on Leave a comment on Eating Yogurt Associated With A Lower Risk For Some Colorectal Cancers
Yogurt Credit: Wikipedia

Some foods are considered good for the gut microbiome. Yogurt, which is loaded with beneficial bacteria, is one of them. A recent study found that eating yogurt two or more times a week for long periods of time (years!) is associated with a lower risk for several types of colorectal cancer.

However, it must be noted that the study found that eating yogurt, whether frequently or not, did NOT have an association with overall colorectal cancer incidence. It was just with colon cancer that had Bifidobacterium-positive tumors (31% of colon cancers in this study). Persons eating 2 or more yogurts per week had a 20% lower incidence of Bifidobacterium-positive tumors.

Yogurt contains Bifidobacterium bacteria, a bacteria that is considered tumor-suppressive. By the way, all fermented dairy products (e.g., kefir, buttermilk, cheese) have long been viewed as beneficial to health, and they all contain a variety of microbes, including Lactobacillus species.

From Science Daily: Long-term yogurt consumption tied to decreased incidence of certain types of colorectal cancer

Yogurt, which contains live strains of bacteria, is thought to protect against many types of diseases, with some reports indicating it could reduce risk of colorectal cancer. ...continue reading "Eating Yogurt Associated With A Lower Risk For Some Colorectal Cancers"

Published on

Another study that shows that differences in the gut microbiota appear early in life, and appear to be based on length of gestation (pregnancy) and type of delivery (vaginal vs C-section). From Science Daily:

Birth method, gestation duration may alter infants' gut microbiota

Environmental factors like mode of delivery and duration of gestation may affect how infants' gut bacteria mature, and that rate could help predict later body fat, international researchers have found.

Among a group of 75 infants, those who were vaginally delivered and had a longer gestation before birth tended to more quickly develop a more mature gut microbiota, and had typical body fat at 18 months. By contract, babies who were delivered via Caesarean section and had shorter gestations took longer to acquire a more mature gut microbiota and had lower body fat at 18 months.

"It seems like the early environment, for instance mode of delivery, mode of feeding, the duration of gestation and living environment may be influencing the rate at which babies acquire their gut microbiota," said senior study author Joanna Holbrook, a senior principal investigator at the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, "and that in turn has an association with how babies grow and put on body fat."

At birth, human infants start accumulating intestinal microbiota until a relatively stable state is reached, Holbrook said. The rate at which babies acquire gut microbiota is believed to have a considerable impact on later health outcomes.

For the study, Holbrook and colleagues used a laboratory technique called 16s rRNA sequencing to analyze stool samples that had been collected from 75 infants participating in the GUSTO (Growing Up in Singapore Toward Healthy Outcomes) study, which includes members of the three main ethnic groups in Singapore: Chinese, Indian and Malay. The samples were taken when the infants were three days old, three weeks old, three months old and six months old. 

Their work found that the samples could be classified into three distinct clusters based on when infants' gut microbiota matured. Of 17 infants who had a more mature, six month-like microbiota profile high in the bacteria Bifidobacterium and Collinsella by day three, 16 were delivered vaginally. Other babies took up to six months to reach that stage.

Most infants acquired a similar microbiota by the age of six months. Infants that acquired a profile high in Bifidobacterium and Collinsella at an earlier age had typical body fat at age 18 months, while those that acquired this profile later had relatively low body fat.