While many bacteria play a role in supporting gut health, Bifidobacterium has been shown to regulate immune responses, positively impact mood and anxiety, reduce inflammation and protect the gut lining.

Furthermore, many different species of Bifidobacterium show positive correlations with improvement in fatigue, gastrointestinal upset and memory loss, all hallmarks of LC.

A recent study has shown that having a gut microbiome low in Bifidobacterium and overall diversity was more likely to result in a higher disease severity of Covid and/or LC. Other research that tested the gut and nasal microbiome in an active Covid infection showed a decrease in the abundance of Bifidobacterium.

Another study using probiotics in Covid patients showed that supplementing with Bifidobacterium may offer protection against Covid symptoms through its ability to modulate the immune response, reduce inflammation, and maintain gut barrier function. The findings highlighted the potential of microbiome modulation in the treatment of LC.

Increasing levels of Bifidobacteria, using a mix of prebiotics, probiotics and a healthy plant-based Mediterranean diet is what I try to achieve for my clients. Some of the best prebiotics are GOS (Galactooligosaccharides) and Lactulose but there are many others, especially as all clients respond differently to prebiotics. Some people find prebiotics can cause loose stools or even constipation, so I always start low and increase slowly. If clients can tolerate dairy and their microbiome is not overgrown with bile loving species then I also recommend Greek yoghurt with live cultures or kefir, a fermented yoghurt.

Testing your microbiome is very important and I don’t like to prescribe supplements without having those results. Gut microbiome stool testing allows me to individualise your treatment plan according to your specific symptoms and unique microbiome profile.

REFERENCES:

Hazen et al. (2022) Lost microbes of COVID-19: Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium depletion and decreased microbiome diversity associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection severity. BMJ Open Gastroenterol 9(1)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35483736/

Taufer CR, Rampelotto PH. (2023) The Role of Bifidobacterium in COVID-19: A Systematic Review. Life (Basel). 13(9):1847

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10532519/

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