Do you take probiotics? If so, I’m sure you’ve come across the names Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and that’s because they’re the most popular types of probiotics. Probiotics are the best thing you can do for your gut, and that means they’re the best thing you can do for your health and longevity. With gut health playing a vital part in helping you live forever, research has begun delving into which gut microbes can help you get to age 100 quicker, all without the usual dose of age-related diseases and conditions. One microbe that seems to be getting all the attention is Akkermansia muciniphila.
Akkermansia and Gut Health
Discovered in 2004, A. muciniphila (Akkermansia muciniphila) is a gut bacterium that plays a crucial role in keeping your gut healthy. A. muciniphila eats the thin layer of mucus that lines our intestines (mucin) and, by doing so, strengthens the intestinal barrier and helps prevent inflammation and chronic conditions.
While it’s abundant in our early years, similar to other areas of the body, levels of A. muciniphila typically reduce with age. However, it has been found to be higher in centenarians. In fact, research has found that A. muciniphila makes up about 3-5% of the microbes found in the gut of healthy adults.
With that said, the theme of this article explores the longevity benefits of Akkermansia muciniphila and how it can work to improve both gut and overall health.
Longevity Benefits of Akkermansia
1. Improved gut health
Per a review published last year in Nutrients, researchers found that supplementing with Akkermansia can help to boost gut health by maintaining gut barrier integrity and reducing permeability.
So, what exactly is gut barrier integrity? It’s basically the barrier around your gut that controls what gets in and out of your bloodstream. Strong integrity keeps toxins and bad bacteria out while allowing nutrients to pass through, yet weak or damaged integrity (“leaky gut”) results in unwanted substances slipping through, resulting in inflammation and health problems.
One health concern associated with a leaky gut is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the aforementioned study found that increased A. muciniphila levels correlated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with IBD patients.
2. Diabetes management and prevention
Just over 10.5% of the global adult population is living with diabetes, and while a manageable condition, it was responsible for 6.7 million deaths in 2021 – 1 every 5 seconds.
In addition to taking medication as prescribed, following a healthy diet and exercising, one randomized controlled trial suggests that Akkermansia can also help manage the condition.
Published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, the study split 76 adults with type 2 diabetes into two groups. One group took a probiotic supplement containing Akkermansia and several other strains of friendly bacteria twice a day for 12 weeks, whilst the other group remained as the control group. According to the findings, the group assigned to receive the Akkermansia capsules noted greater improvements in their blood sugar levels compared to the control group.
3. Stronger immune system
Did you know that 70% of your immune system is stored in the gut? This means that instead of focusing on getting enough vitamin C, you should also prioritize keeping your gut healthy.
By making it harder for toxins to enter your bloodstream, through the strengthening of gut integrity, Akkermansia supports your immune health.
4. Anti-cancer potential
Thanks to its benefits for gut integrity, A. muciniphila may help reduce the risk for cancer by preventing the penetration of toxic and pro-inflammatory substances that may become cancerous.
For instance, a 2021 study suggested that A. muciniphila may slow down tumor growth and increase tumor-fighting immune cell activity in immunocompetent mice with prostate cancer.
Additionally, a separate study found a correlation between high levels of A. muciniphila in the gut microbiota of lung and kidney cancer patients with a positive response to immunotherapy.
5. Ozempic alternative
The word of the decade may be Ozempic – a drug initially developed to manage type 2 diabetes, yet has now become the world’s answer to weight loss. Yet, despite its reported benefits, many have started considering the potential and significant risks. As a result, they’re looking towards alternatives that can offer similar benefits such as, you guessed it, Akkermansia.
A 2023 study published in Frontiers in Microbiology found that Akkermansia triggered cells in the intestine to secrete GLP-1, which, similar to Ozempic, helps to manage blood sugar levels and promotes satiety, helping individuals lose weight and manage their type 2 diabetes.
Increasing A. muciniphila
As mentioned, Akkermansia muciniphila levels do decrease with age, and if you’re experiencing symptoms like inflammation, leaky gut, insulin resistance, and recurring infections, then it may be time to raise them.
While not many foods contain A. muciniphila research has found that the following can significantly increase the abundance of A. muciniphila in the gut:
- Polyphenols: Berries, herbs, spices, nuts, flaxseeds, olives, and cocoa
- Alkaloids: Cocoa and honey
- Capsaicin: Hot peppers, oregano, and cinnamon
- Plant-derived carbohydrates: Lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans and edamame
- Supplements
Want to know more?
Read our interview with Dr Craige Golding who speaks about the gut, weight loss and natural alternatives to GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy.
Dr. Craige Golding On Ozempic: Risks, Rewards, and Alternatives
Read more on gut health here
Dr. Kenneth Brown understands the importance of gut health very well. He uses a mix of traditional medicine and natural therapeutics to treat patients suffering from a range of gastrointestinal issues. Chatting to the bloat-beating expert, Dr. Brown shed light on various digestive health topics that reflect his work and the importance of better gut health.
References
International Diabetes Federation (2024). Diabetes Facts & figures. [online] International Diabetes Federation. Available at: https://idf.org/about-diabetes/diabetes-facts-figures/.
Li, J., Yang, G., Zhang, Q., Liu, Z., Jiang, X., & Xin, Y. (2023). Function of Akkermansia muciniphila in type 2 diabetes and related diseases. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14, 1172400. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1172400
Luo, Z. W., Xia, K., Liu, Y. W., Liu, J. H., et al. (2021). Extracellular Vesicles from Akkermansia muciniphila Elicit Antitumor Immunity Against Prostate Cancer via Modulation of CD8+ T Cells and Macrophages. International journal of nanomedicine, 16, 2949–2963. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S304515
Mruk-Mazurkiewicz, H., Kulaszyńska, M., Czarnecka, W., Podkówka, A, et al. (2024). Insights into the Mechanisms of Action of Akkermansia muciniphila in the Treatment of Non-Communicable Diseases. Nutrients, 16(11), 1695. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16111695
Palmas, V., Pisanu, S., Madau, V., Casula, E., Deledda, A., Cusano, R., Uva, P., Loviselli, A., Velluzzi, F., & Manzin, A. (2022). Gut Microbiota Markers and Dietary Habits Associated with Extreme Longevity in Healthy Sardinian Centenarians. Nutrients, 14(12), 2436. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14122436
Perraudeau, F., McMurdie, P., Bullard, J., Cheng, A., et al. (2020). Improvements to postprandial glucose control in subjects with type 2 diabetes: a multicenter, double blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial of a novel probiotic formulation. BMJ open diabetes research & care, 8(1), e001319. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001319
Yue, C., Chu, C., Zhao, J., Zhang, H., Chen, W., & Zhai, Q. (2022). Dietary strategies to promote the abundance of intestinal Akkermansia muciniphila, a focus on the effect of plant extracts. Journal of Functional Foods, 93, 105093. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2022.105093
Zhou, K. (2017). Strategies to promote abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, an emerging probiotics in the gut, evidence from dietary intervention studies. Journal of Functional Foods, 33, 194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2017.03.045
