If you have prediabetes or are at risk for cardiovascular conditions, you’ll want to read about the benefits of a bacterial supplement containing Akkermansia muciniphila.
Although a 2016 had shown that the bacterial supplement can prevent obesity and obesity-related type 2 diabetes in mice, the same research team wanted to show it could do the same in humans.
The effects on metabolic syndrome in humans
The team, which consisted of researchers from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands and the Louvain Drug Research Institute at the University of Louvain in Belgium, had been studying the bacterial supplement since 2007.
Recently, the team enrolled 42 people who were overweight or obese. All had prediabetes and metabolic syndrome. The scientists split the participants into three groups:
- Group 1 received a placebo
- Group 2 received live Akkermansia
- Group 3 took the pasteurized bacteria in the form of a nutritional supplement.
For 3 months, the researchers assessed the tolerability of the supplement, its safety and its impact on metabolic parameters. These parameters including body mass, circulating lipids, waistline fat, and insulin resistance.
The study was randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled, so not even the researchers knew if a particular participant was taking the placebo, the live bacteria or the bacterial supplement.
The results of the bacterial supplement
Both the live and pasteurized bacteria was found to be safe and well-tolerated.
While the volunteers who took the placebo continued to deteriorate in terms of metabolic health markers, groups 2 and 3 showed improvements in:
- cholesterol levels
- insulin sensitivity
- body weight
- fat mass
- hip circumference
- markers of inflammation in the liver
The scientists believe that the bacteria could be sold commercially in the form of supplements by 2021 if they can replicate their results in a large-scale study.
The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
