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With Isala we found 66 women (or approximately 2% of all participants) in whom this bacterium was dominant in their vagina. In the Isala daughter studies, we also found this bacterium in the gut.
What does this bacterium look like?
It is a rod-shaped, but often branched bacterium with a thick cell wall. It has a bit of a Y-shape, which explains the name Bifidobacterium. After all, the Latin word “bifidus” means “split”. This bacterium is usually no larger than 1 micrometer. And that is small, if you know that 1,000 micrometers fit into one millimetre.
What does science already know about this bacterium?
Quite a lot. This bacterium is very common in your gut and we know that it is important for a healthy gut flora. That is why you can often find these live bacteria in probiotics. What are these probiotics? Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit on the host when administered in adequate amounts. Take a closer look at the well-known Activia yogurt, for example. 🙂
Bifidobacterium does not tolerate oxygen well and is therefore difficult to cultivate in the lab. We know that there are different species of Bifidobacterium in the gut, such as Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium longum. We also know that these species can all behave slightly differently.
The genome size of Bifidobacterium ranges from 1.7 to 3.3 million base pairs. They have an average of around 2300 genes and can therefore produce many different substances.
What is this bacterium doing in my gut?
Bifidobacterium is an important inhabitant of your gut and plays a crucial role in your gut’s health. It is a hard worker that loves food residues that you cannot digest yourself. It converts unusable residues into useful substances, such as short-chain fatty acids (for example, acetate). These healthy fatty acids in turn provide energy to your intestinal cells and thus contribute to a strong intestinal wall (or intestinal lining). Short-chain fatty acids are also able to reduce inflammation. This is one possible way in which Bifidobacterium strengthens and balances the immune system in your gut.
Bifidobacterium also produces a lot of acids, including lactic acid. This bacterium lowers the acidity in your intestinal environment, thereby inhibiting harmful enemies. This is similar to our favorite lactobacilli, which are abundant in the vagina and also produce lactic acid to inhibit invaders.
Furthermore, scientists already discovered that Bifidobacterium can also produce B vitamins such as riboflavin. It is possible that Bifidobacterium also provides food for other bacteria in this way, enabling them to work together. For example, with our VIAB2L study, we also want to investigate the beneficial effects of administering extra riboflavin.
Bifidobacterium is very important in adults, but it is a real hero in babies. The bacteria in the gut of a newborn baby can consist of up to 90% of Bifidobacterium. In the first weeks of life, this bacterium is often the dominant inhabitant of the gut. This is certainly the case during breastfeeding, because Bifidobacterium loves Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs), complex sugars found in breast milk that you cannot digest yourself. These HMOs are like an exclusive buffet for Bifidobacterium, allowing this bacterium to multiply rapidly and create a protective environment for the baby. In this way, Bifidobacterium not only aids digestion, but also helps to build a strong immune system.
In short, Bifidobacterium is a very useful gut bacterium that supports your digestion, strengthens your immune system and keeps your gut microbiome in balance. And all this applies from birth onward, but certainly also into later life.
What is this bacterium doing in my vagina?
Bifidobacterium is mainly found in your gut, but sometimes it is also found in the vagina. This bacterium produces lactic acid such as the lactobacilli, but also many other acids. In this way, Bifidobacterium can ensure a low acidity and protect your vagina against infections or pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
Studying the exact function and effect of this bacterium in the vagina is on our list for further research! For example, our Isala team now wants to find out whether Bifidobacterium in the vagina might already be ready to give babies a good start in life. After all, we already know that during childbirth, a lot of bacteria are passed from mother to baby. Perhaps this also applies to Bifidobacterium!
Does this bacterium occur elsewhere?
Yes, this is probably one of the best-known bacteria among the general public thanks to all the probiotics, yoghurts and drinks containing “Active bifidus”.