Bifidobacterium lactis
Benefits of Bifidobacterium lactis
- Digestion
- Gut microbiome
- Form: Bacteria
- Food sources: Fermented foods like miso, kimchi and sauerkraut, and some plant-based yoghurts.
What is Bifidobacterium lactis?
Bifidobacterium, like Lactobacillus, is one of the most studied groups of live bacteria. Bifidobacterium lactis is one of the many types of bacteria that live in our 'gut microbiome', the ecosystem of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live inside our digestive system and are involved in a variety of bodily processes.
What does the research say about Bifidobacterium lactis?
Bifidobacterium lactis (B. lactis) feeds on the fibre in your diet, and it has been studied for its effects on digestive comfort. Bifidobacteria more widely have been studied for their effects on colonic transit time, the time it takes for food to move through the large intestine. A related species, Bifidobacterium longum, has been studied together with Lactobacillus paracasei.
As well as digesting fibre, B. lactis, as it's more commonly known, also produces a range of compounds. Studies have looked at B. lactis as a producer of B vitamins. You can learn more about B vitamins and what they do.
Like Lactobacillus, B. lactis also produces short-chain fatty acids. Short-chain fatty acids are thought to be one of the ways the gut communicates with the brain. This connection is what's called the 'gut-brain axis', where our gut and our brain are linked through a series of nerves.
It's important to remember that bacteria like B. lactis require fibrous prebiotics as their food, so we need prebiotics in our diet too. One of the most important of these prebiotics is Inulin.
You may also enjoy reading 'What is IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)?', '5 ways to improve constipation' and 'Latest gut health customer survey: IBS causes & signs revealed'. Discover 'IBS explained' and 'Best probiotics for IBS'.
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