Bifidobacterium Longum: Impact on Gut Health

Do you know epigenetically we are only 1% human.! Our body has 10 bacteria per 1 human cell. One of the most important bacteria is Bifidobacterium longum which plays a vital role in maintaining our gut health. The benefits of this bacteria goes beyond usual gut related health issues. We will be discussing Bifidobacterium Longum & health benefits it offers in length in this blog.

Collectively gut microbiota consist of bacteria, fungi, yeast, algae & viruses that live in & on our body. Most of these bacteria are found in our gut & are referred to as gut microbiome( microorganisms & their genes). There are close to 1000 different species of bacteria in our gut microbiome. A majority of these are good bacterias while the rest are bad bacteria( bacteria that may be detrimental to your health if they overrun good bacteria). Good bacteria helps your body make vitamins & amino acids, important for our immune system & brain & prevent bad bacteria from overrunning your body. 

When bad bacteria overrun your good bacteria, you may be at the risk of attracting colon cancer, type2 diabetes, Parkinson, Alzhimers & you may gain weight or become obese.

Let us discuss about our new friend Bifidobacterium longum

Bifidobacterium longum is a probiotic bacteria found in the gut of humans, animals & insects. It has also been positively associated with gut health since it is found in large numbers in breast fed babies as compared to formula fed babies. It is shaped as a rod & is a gram positive bacteria. It is one of the most important probiotic bacteria offering a host of health benefits. Therefore it is often added to our food to provide additional health benefits. This bacteria is made up of 3 species: Longum, infantis & suis.

B longum helps protect your gut in following ways

1. B Longum has the ability to withstand gastric acid & bile & as such survive the harsh environment of our stomach. Besides, it also helps get rid of bad bacteria & pathogens in our gut.For bad bacteria to impact your body, it has to latch to cells in your gut. B Longum actually latches to cells in your gut so that  bad bacteria does not have anything to latch on. So, if you have a healthy gut, most of the cells in your gut would have B Longum or other good bacterias latched on to them. This leaves very little cells in the gut which can be latched onto by bad bacteria. Keeping these bad bacteria in our gut understand is key to maintain a healthy immune system.
2. B Longum controls pH level of your gut: This beneficial bacteria helps lower & increase pH level of your gut, thereby maintaining a healthy gut. It lowers pH level by fermenting sugar into lactic acid & by producing hydrogen peroxide & acetic acid in your gut. Here the question arises why do we need to have different pH levels of your gut? Different bacterias require different acidic environments to thrive. By creating different pH level of the gut, B longum enables different good bacteria to thrive
3. B longum makes bacteriocins that prevents bad bacteria from growing in your gut.

B longum offers following health benefits

1. It boosts your immune system enabling you to withstand various pathogens & diseases, thereby leading to improved overall health. Activity of white blood cells that boosts our immunity remains stable in those who take B Longum. Besides, in case of newborns & younger ones, those who were given formula supplemented by B longum have better immune responses
2. It helps fight infections. B longum is said to protect against respiratory functions in vulnerable population specifically protecting against flu in case of elderly population
3. It reduces inflammation: B longum is said to reduce markers of inflammation such as tumor necrosis factor in patients with ulcerative colitis.& those of inflammation in diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome and psoriasis.
4. B Longum helps in alleviating allergies such as pollen, nasal blockages, itching & running nose.as well as throat symptoms
5. It helps in treating celiac disease. It was found that those taking B longum have less gastrointestinal symptoms such as indigestion, constipation & acid reflux. Besides, B longum is also helpful for children suffering from Celiac disease since it plays a key role in improving their composition of microbes in the gut & boosting their immune system
6. It has a positive impact on lowering bad cholesterol levels(LDL). People taking foods such as yoghurt fermented with B Longum experienced reduction in LDL level & improvement in overall cholesterol levels, specifically for those people who had moderately high cholesterol.
7. Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome: If you suffer from IBS, you may be aware that medications & antibiotics may make your situation more bad. Having B longum can help you reduce the occurrence of intestinal inflammation & is effective in treating local or global symptoms of IBS without any side effects. Specifically, B Longum plays an important role in relieving symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating & straining.
8. Preventing Cancer: B Longum helps in increasing production of short chain fatty acids which has a beneficial impact on overall health including reducing the chances of colon cancer.
9. Alleviating Anxiety: Anxiety, stress or depression results in increased cortisol levels as well as loss of memory. Taking B Longum can help you reduce your cortisol levels & improves memory

How can we increase B longum in newborns?

The main role of this beneficial bacteria in babies is to digest naturally occurring sugar in breast milk which is essential for baby’s growth. B longum also improves immunity of infants & makes them less prone to infection.

There are a number of ways in which you can improve B Longum in babies. Some of these include:

1. Opting for Vaginal Birth: Babies born vaginally are said to have more B Longum in their gut as compared to those born through C-section given that this beneficial bacteria enters baby’s body through mother’s vaginal area when baby is delivered.
2. Breastfeed your baby. Breastfeed babies have more B longum( around 20% more) in their gut than formula fed babies.

FInally after discussing the importance of this beneficial bacteria, how can we increase B longum in our gut?

1. Consuming probiotic: By taking probiotic having B longum, you may increase number of B longum in your gut such as grains, fruits & vegetables.
2. High fibre diet: B longum loves fibre. Having a food high in fibre can increase the number of B Longum. Fruits, Vegetables, Legumes & whole grains are excellent source of this beneficial bacteria
3. Consuming Polyphenols: These are health promoting chemicals found in plants. Polyphenols found in green tea & cocoa are said to improve B Longum levels.
4. Workout: Exercise increases  the amount of Bifidobacteria in your gut! A study found that People who have an active lifestyle have more Bifidobacteria in their gut than women who are sedentary.

Learning your current state of B Longum can help you optimse your gut bacteria & make them work in your favor. Take our gut intelligence assessment here & fix up free discovery call to know more.