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/

]]> https://thenutritionfactor.com.au/the-importance-of-bifidobacterium-in-long-covid/feed/ 0 https://thenutritionfactor.com.au/do-we-have-to-live-with-constipation/ https://thenutritionfactor.com.au/do-we-have-to-live-with-constipation/#respond Sat, 28 Oct 2023 05:36:53 +0000 https://thenutritionfactor.com.au/?p=2214 Constipation is a common problem for many people but instead of resorting to laxatives, it is important to identify the underlying cause.

Constipation occurs when stool is moving too slowly through the digestive tract usually causing it to become dry and hard. Bowel movements can become infrequent or difficult to pass and there can be a feeling of incomplete evacuation.

Some common symptoms of constipation are:

• Bloating
• Excessive gas and distension
• Painful bowel movements
• Fatigue
• Brain fog

Healthy bowel movements should happen at least once a day, and ideally 2-3 times a day. While occasional bouts of constipation are normal, chronic cases can significantly impact our quality of life.

Some of the possible causes of constipation are stress, dehydration, a low fibre diet and a lack of exercise. However, certain illnesses, medications, insufficient digestive enzymes, Sibo (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth) and microbiome dysbiosis can all contribute to constipation.

For most people, increasing exercise and improving diet and hydration is enough to improve bowel motions.

But what if that doesn’t work?

Then it’s time to get help from a qualified practitioner to uncover what else may be going on.

The top 3 things I consider when a client seeks support for constipation are:

1. Are they eating enough fibre, drinking enough water, and exercising? If not, increasing these 3 things is the easiest and quickest to remedy.
2. What is their gut transit time? A simple gut transit test can determine how quickly the food they eat ends up in the toilet bowl. The ideal is 14-24 hours! A slow transit time can often result in constipation, and it is common to have daily bowel motions yet still be constipated.
3. Do they have an overgrowth of opportunistic microbes? There are a group of microbes called Archaea that live in our gut and produce methane gas. Methane slows transit time often resulting in constipation.

At the Microbiome Group we use stool testing to determine what may be contributing to a client’s constipation. We then develop individual treatment protocols for our clients that focus on food, probiotics, prebiotics, and herbal remedies.

REFERENCES:

Bin Waqar et al. (2019). Methane and Constipation-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Entwining Pillars of Emerging Neurogastroenterology. Cureus, 11(5), e4764. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.4764

Chan et al. (2007). Increasing dietary fiber intake in terms of kiwifruit improves constipation in Chinese patients. World journal of gastroenterology, 13(35), 4771–4775. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i35.4771

Gao et al. (2019). Exercise therapy in patients with constipation: a systematic review and meta analysis of randomized controlled trials. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology, 54(2), 169–177.
DOI: 10.1080/00365521.2019.1568544

Soltanian et al. (2019). Effect of flaxseed or psyllium vs. placebo on management of constipation, weight, glycemia, and lipids: A randomized trial in constipated patients with type 2 diabetes. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN,  29, 41-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2018.11.002

Vicky Ellenport BHSc NUT is a Clinical Nutritionist and Microbiome Analyst at The Microbiome Group. You can book an appointment with her here: Vicky Ellenport | The Microbiome Group