Akkermansia muciniphila naturally lives in our intestines as part of the gut microbiome, and higher levels of A. muciniphila in the gut tend to be associated with positive health outcomes.[1] However, using dietary interventions to increase A. muciniphila abundance is complicated. The effects appear to be highly dependent on the person, and it’s not clear whether simply increasing the levels of A. muciniphila improves health outcomes.
Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) are a category of dietary carbohydrates found in varying levels in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and grains. A low-FODMAP diet has been reported to reduce levels of A. muciniphila compared to a diet that includes FODMAPs.[2][3] Inulin is a FODMAP, and one study found that taking 10 grams of inulin daily for 45 days increased the population of A. muciniphila in people with type 2 diabetes.[4]
Some preliminary research suggests that calorie restriction or certain polyphenols (e.g., resveratrol, pomegranate extract) might increase the population of A. muciniphila. However, the effects varied depending on certain population characteristics (e.g., ethnicity, baseline levels of A. muciniphila), and both of the studies that used calorie restriction also increased dietary fiber intake, which tends to influence the composition of the gut microbiota.[1][5][6]
More research is needed to understand if, and in whom, these interventions increase A. muciniphila levels, and perhaps more importantly, if this positively affects health.
References
- ^Verhoog S, Taneri PE, Roa Díaz ZM, Marques-Vidal P, Troup JP, Bally L, Franco OH, Glisic M, Muka TDietary Factors and Modulation of Bacteria Strains of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii: A Systematic Review.Nutrients.(2019 Jul 11)
- ^Halmos EP, Christophersen CT, Bird AR, Shepherd SJ, Muir JG, Gibson PRConsistent Prebiotic Effect on Gut Microbiota With Altered FODMAP Intake in Patients with Crohn's Disease: A Randomised, Controlled Cross-Over Trial of Well-Defined Diets.Clin Transl Gastroenterol.(2016 Apr 14)
- ^Emma P Halmos, Claus T Christophersen, Anthony R Bird, Susan J Shepherd, Peter R Gibson, Jane G MuirDiets that differ in their FODMAP content alter the colonic luminal microenvironmentGut.(2015 Jan)
- ^Roshanravan N, Mahdavi R, Alizadeh E, Ghavami A, Rahbar Saadat Y, Mesri Alamdari N, Alipour S, Dastouri MR, Ostadrahimi AThe effects of sodium butyrate and inulin supplementation on angiotensin signaling pathway via promotion of Akkermansia muciniphila abundance in type 2 diabetes; A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.J Cardiovasc Thorac Res.(2017)
- ^Dao MC, Everard A, Aron-Wisnewsky J, Sokolovska N, Prifti E, Verger EO, Kayser BD, Levenez F, Chilloux J, Hoyles L, MICRO-Obes Consortium, Dumas ME, Rizkalla SW, Doré J, Cani PD, Clément KAkkermansia muciniphila and improved metabolic health during a dietary intervention in obesity: relationship with gut microbiome richness and ecology.Gut.(2016 Mar)
- ^Medina-Vera I, Sanchez-Tapia M, Noriega-López L, Granados-Portillo O, Guevara-Cruz M, Flores-López A, Avila-Nava A, Fernández ML, Tovar AR, Torres NA dietary intervention with functional foods reduces metabolic endotoxaemia and attenuates biochemical abnormalities by modifying faecal microbiota in people with type 2 diabetes.Diabetes Metab.(2019 Apr)