Akkermansia Muciniphila is vital to your health
Akkermansia muciniphila (AM) is one of the most critical microbes for your gut and has many substantial general health benefits.
It’s so important that around 95% of the world’s population have it in their gut microbiome.
When I see someone with low or non-existent levels, they usually have multiple health issues, and I make it a key focus of their nutritional therapy program.
Why is Akkermansia M important?
Without adequate levels, you can suffer many health problems.
It strengthens your gut’s mucous lining. This is important because it lets good things such as nutrients, water, and electrolytes into your body, but keeps out harmful bacteria
This reduces endotoxaemia, where toxic bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enters your bloodstream
This also protects your immunity
It breaks down mucins in your gut lining, turning them into short-chain fatty acids to make energy source for your gut lining cells
It’s associated with less weight gain and significantly less visceral (belly and organ) fat storage
It protects against metabolic (blood sugar) disease
It’s a foundational gut species, helping feed other beneficial bacteria ensuring their health
Low levels of Akkermansia M are associated with
Various diseases such as metabolic syndromes and autoimmnue diseases have been associated with the disturbance of the abundance of AM.
Other associations are
Psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, appendicitis, children who’ve taken multiple antibiotic courses, type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes
A low FODMAPs diet
Ageing
When deprived of prebiotic fibres, AM overconsumes your gut lining, thinning it to almost nothing. This has consequences like gut inflammation, immune and autoimmunity disease, low levels of other key gut bacteria, cancers and neurodegeneration issues like multiple sclerosis
ASD and autism
Ways to increase Akkermansia M
It’s difficult and expensive to get the AM probiotic supplement in Australia, but it’s found in breast milk, and you can obtain and multiply it by eating certain foods.
Eat prebiotic foods or supplements, also which can increase 100-fold. Best sources include the ones just below
Eat fructooligosaccharides, a prebiotic, increasing its growth up to 1000-fold. They may be AM’s preferred energy source. Best sources include raw green bananas, onions, chicory root, garlic, raw asparagus, jicama, chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks, cold cooked potato and dandelion root
Consume flavonoids and polyphenols (colourful foods) like black tea, red wine, cranberry and grape juice, rhubarb, vegetables and fruit
Get healthy fats from oily fish including quality supplements, flax and hemp seed oils