Bifidobacterium bifidum

What is Bifidobacterium bifidum?

Bifidobacterium bifidum (B. bifidum) is a naturally occurring, beneficial probiotic bacterium that forms part of the human gut microbiota. It is one of the first bacterial species to colonise the gastrointestinal tract in infancy and remains an important contributor to digestive and immune health throughout life.

Health Benefits:

Supports Gut Health

B. bifidum can provide powerful support for gut health through its ability to help maintain a healthy and balanced gut microbiota, promoting the growth of healthy flora while preventing the overgrowth of harmful pathogens. This is in part due to B. bifidum's ability to produce beneficial lactic and acetic acids that change the gut pH making it less habitable to pathogens.

B. bifidum also shows benefits for the intestinal epithelial barrier integrity, with research evidencing that this probiotic may be involved in the regulation of main components of mucus layer. The mucus layer is key to gut health as it acts as a barrier, trapping bad bacteria and preventing them from reaching the epithelial cells.

Boosts Immunity

B. bifidum has also been associated with improved immune system function and may have immunomodulating effects. For instance, one study found that the H3-R2 strain of B. bifidum improved imbalanced expression of inflammatory cytokines, increased the production of secretory immunoglobulin A, and enhanced natural killer cell activity in immunosuppressed mice.

Typical Use:

B. bifidum is commonly used in probiotic supplements aimed at supporting digestive health and immune function due to its powerful health benefits. Such supplements can include B. bifidum as either a single strain or within multi strain formulations.

Alongside this, B. bifidum is naturally found within fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and sourdough, and is regularly used as a probiotic ingredient within functional foods such as yogurts and fermented milk drinks.