What is Bifidobacterium bifidum?
Definition
Bifidobacterium bifidum is a Gram-positive bacterium that is rod-shaped, non- motile, anaerobic, and not spore-forming. The majority of the population of B. bifidum is found in the colon, lower small intestine, breast milk, and often in the vagina. B. bifidum is an essential bacteria found in the human intestine. When low or absent, the human intestine becomes unhealthy.
Benefits
The use of B. bifidum in probiotic applications may reduce the chances of acute diarrhea and the risk of E. coli infections. It contributes to the maintenance of vaginal homeostasis.
Other uses of B. bifidum are enteric and hepatic disorders therapy, activating the immune response, and cancer prevention. As B. bifidum decreases with age, other gut bacteria such as Lactobacilli, Enterococci, Enterobacteria, and Clostridia increase.
Is Bifidobacterium a prebiotic?
Prebiotics are a special form of dietary fiber that acts as a fertilizer for the good bacteria in your gut while Probiotics are live bacteria that can be found in yogurt and other fermented foods. There are hundreds of probiotic species available. Prebiotics are hard-to-digest food ingredients that can be metabolized by probiotics, the beneficial microorganisms living in your digestive tract.
What is the best source of Bifidobacterium bifidum?
Some people keep this balance through diet while others take probiotic supplements. Consuming dairy products seem to be the most efficient way to keep a healthy gut flora. One study shows that hard cheese is more effective in carrying probiotics such as B. bifidum due to its high pH, high fat content, and is more solid.
What is the difference between Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus?
Both of these genera are Gram-positive (which just means that they have a thick cell wall made of peptidoglycan) and part of the lactic acid-producing groups and found to be safe as probiotic supplements. Lactobacilli have limited biosynthetic abilities and ferment refined sugars, generating lactic acid as the major end product, whereas; Bifidobacteria are important producers of short-chain fatty acids.
While both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium produce SFCAs, they provide protective benefits in different and complementary ways, so mixing these two strains is documented to give the best protective activity.
Effects and benefits of Bifidobacterium bifidum probiotics?
Indications
They are considered “friendly” bacteria and are taken to grow and multiply in areas of the body where they normally would occur. The human body counts on its normal bacteria to perform several jobs, including breaking down foods, helping the body take in nutrients, and preventing the take-over of “bad” bacteria. Probiotics such as bifidobacteria are typically used in cases when a disease occurs or might occur due to a kill-off of normal bacteria.
Bifidobacterium bifidum is possibly effective on the following:
Constipation – Most research shows that taking bifidobacteria can increase bowel movements by about 1.5 stools per week in people with constipation.
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection – Taking bifidobacteria plus lactobacillus along with standard H. pylori therapy might help get rid of H. pylori infections about twice as well as taking standard H. pylori therapy alone. It can also reduce side effects such as diarrhea and bad taste from H. pylori therapy.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – Most research shows that taking bifidobacteria for 4-8 weeks can reduce IBS symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, and difficulty having a bowel movement. It might also reduce symptoms such as anxiety and depression in people with IBS.
Post-op ulcerative colitis called pouchitis – Taking a combination of bifidobacteria and lactobacillus, with or without streptococcus, by mouth helps prevent post-op pouchitis for ulcerative colitis.
Airway infections – The use of probiotics containing bifidobacteria helps prevent airway infection, and common cold in healthy people, including school-aged children and college students.
Diarrhea in infants (rotaviral diarrhea) – Giving bifidobacteria to infants with rotaviral diarrhea can shorten the duration of diarrhea by about one day.
Traveler’s diarrhea – Taking bifidobacteria helps prevent traveler’s diarrhea when used with other probiotics such as lactobacillus or streptococcus.
Ulcerative colitis – Taking bifidobacterium probiotics along with lactobacillus and streptococcus can help increase remission rate by almost 2-fold in people with active ulcerative colitis.
Side Effects
Bifidobacteria are likely safe for adults and children when taken by mouth. In some people, treatment with bifidobacteria might upset the stomach and intestine, causing diarrhea, bloating and gas.
Safety Precautions
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: A specific strain of bifidobacteria, Bifidobacterium bifidum, is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth appropriately for 6 weeks while pregnant.
Weakened immune system: There is some concern that “probiotics” might grow too well in people with a weak immune system and cause infections. Although this has not occurred specifically with bifidobacteria, there have been rare cases involving other probiotic species such as Lactobacillus. If you have a weakened immune system (e.g., you have HIV/AIDS or are undergoing cancer treatment), check with your healthcare provider before using bifidobacteria.
Blockage in the intestines: Two cases of blood infections have been reported for infants given bifidobacteria probiotics. In both cases, the infants had had stomach surgery. It’s thought that the blood infections resulted from intestinal blockage caused by stomach surgeries, which allowed the bifidobacteria to cross into the bloodstream. Therefore, bifidobacteria should be used cautiously or avoided in infants with stomach or intestinal blockages.
Clinical uses of Bifidobacterium bifidum probiotics
On tumor
Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are probiotic organisms in humans and stimulate antitumor effects and immune function. Bifidobacterium inhibits the growth and attachment of pathogens to epithelial cells, and these organisms are constituents produced as bacteriocin and hydrogen peroxide that kill the pathogenic microorganisms in humans.
The effect of B. bifidum on cancer cell line SW742 was studied, and the results showed that the CFS of B. bifidum has the ability to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells
On skin
Eczema is itchy scaly patches of skin. A randomized trial of 112 pregnant women suggests that B. bifidum may play a role in preventing eczema in their babies.
On the immune system
Several studies on human tissue cells indicate that B. bifidum might improve immunity. Researchers in one study noted that different strains of these bacteria have the ability to influence the immune system. Some can boost immunity by recruiting white blood cells to fight off an infection. Others can reduce inflammation by recruiting fewer white blood cells.
