Pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila, a postbiotic
In approximately one in eight stool analyses Akkermansia muciniphila is extremely depleted (less than 1×105 CFU/g) and in a larger group it is substantially depleted. This is an indication of a disturbed mucus layer, which forms an important part of the gut barrier. A. muciniphila is known to enhance the integrity of the intestinal epithelial cells and the thickness of the mucus layer and participates in the host immune regulation, thereby promoting intestinal health (1). Interestingly, important parts of the beneficial effects of A. muciniphila can be traced back to Amuc_1100, a specific pili-like protein isolated from the outer membrane of A. muciniphila (2). This is why pasteurized A. muciniphila is as effective as live cells, as demonstrated in, amongst others, the one human study to date (3). Because A. muciniphila is pasteurized and thus the active ingredient does not consist of living bacteria, it is called a postbiotic (4).
The aforementioned RCT shows that supplementation with pasteurized A. muciniphilaleads to lowering of insulin resistance as well as weight (and body fat) loss (3). This effect is supported by evidence from numerous animal studies, as shown for example in a systematic review of ten animal studies (5). These and other therapeutic effects (e.g. on colitis or allergies) are linked to its inflammation lowering and gut barrier restoring effects, as shown in both the RCT and many animal studies (3, and e.g. 6, 7). This includes stimulation of mucus production and increased mucus layer thickness (6).
As of February 1st, pasteurized A. muciniphila is available as new building block that you can select as ingredient for MyOwnBlend. More information on this postbiotic and its effects can be found under the (i)-button on our platform.
We organize a webinar to provide further backgrounds on the role of A. muciniphila in health and disease on February 23rd and March 21st from 19:30-21:00h. If you are interested to join, you can reply to this e-mail, including which date you prefer.
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