You may not be able to see them, but our bodies are home to several hundred species of microbiome, numbering about 1000 trillion.
Today, we invite you to the world of the microbiome, focusing on the most famous so-called "good bacteria"; lactic-acid bacterium and Bifidobacterium.
Let's learn together with KINS to make the microbiome more kin to us.
Contents
The difference of lactic-acid bacterium and Bifidobacterium
OK, we hear a lot about lactic-acid bacterium and Bifidobacterium, but do you know the exact difference between them?
They actually both had been classed as the kind of lactic acid bacteria. However, as research progressed, science revealed the difference between them. These so-called "good bacteria" have a big difference in where they live and what they produce.
The lactic-acid bacterium is mainly found in the small intestine, dairy products, and nature. They also live in oxygen. And by metabolizing lactic acid, lactic-acid bacterium helps regulate the intestines to treat constipation and reduce skin inflammation.
On the other hand, Bifidobacterium mainly lives in the large intestine. They cannot live in the air, so that not in the small intestine where oxygen can reach, unlike lactic-acid bacterium. In addition, the main metabolite of the former is only lactic acid, but Bifidobacterium can produce acetic acid, too.
As we see, just as we humans have various personalities, each "microbiome" also has different characteristics. Sounds kin, right? Now, let's dig a little deeper into the topic of Bifidobacterium.
The secrets of Bifidobacterium
Bifidobacterium was discovered in the feces of breast-fed infants in a French laboratory in 1882. It was named "Bifidus," which means "forked" in Latin after the unique V- or Y-shaped branching of the microbiome.
In 1924, by combining the word Bifidus and bacterium, the genus Bifidobacterium was newly created, and in 1974, Bifidobacterium was classified as one of them.
When it was first discovered, it was estimated to live only in the babies' intestines, but subsequent research has revealed that they live in the intestines of adults and animals and play a major role in gut health. Furthermore, in the large intestine, which has a massive influence on the intestinal flora, Bifidobacterium occupies 99.9% of its microbiota. However, other research also showed that this microbiome, which presents in large amounts during infancy, decreases as we age.
In addition, after the age of 60, the proportion of Proteobacteria, including E. coli increases, and the intestinal microflora becomes dominated by bad bacteria. If you desire to fight the inevitable aging process, it is very important to maintain a good diet and lifestyle, deal with stress, and maintain an intestinal environment where the good bacteria can easily live.
The greatest feature of Bifidobacterium is that they can produce not only lactic acid but also acetic acid. Compared to lactic acid, acetic acid has more power to make the intestines acidic and is said to have a strong power to prevent the multiplication of bad bacteria.
The future that Biogenics creates
Here, let's take a look at Biogenics, which has been attracting much attention in recent years. The word "Biogenics" means "produced by living organisms," and is a general term for all substances produced by so-called " good bacteria.”
Incidentally, the direct intake of live lactic-acid bacterium and Bifidobacterium to maintain the balance of intestinal flora is called “probiotics.”
"Prebiotics" on the other hand, are ingredients that help increase the number of the good bacteria in the intestines by becoming food for them. These include oligosaccharides and soluble dietary fiber.
And "Biogenics" contains the microbiome themselves and their secretions and can be expected to have a direct effect on the body without going through the intestinal flora. By acting directly on the body as a whole, they not only enhance the immune system, but recent research has shown that they can also improve various diseases.
In the future, with further advances in research, Biogenics may become a beacon of hope to help more people with their problems and provide them with solutions.
