Faecalibacterium: Next Generation Probiotic

Author's Bio: Katie Bailey, MS, RD, LD, FNC

Did you know that the presence of a single gut microbe called Faecalibacterium Prausnitzii can actually predict how healthy your gut is.

In fact, studies show that individuals with higher levels of this microbe actually have lower levels of inflammation, better metabolic health, as well as a strong gut barrier.

That's why scientists are calling it one of the most promising next generation probiotics.

Today, we'll break down what Faecalibacterium actually is, what it does in the body, how it impacts our gut health and practical ways that you can support it.

[Video Transcript Below + Supplement Links Discussed In Video]

What Is Faecalibacterium Prausnitzii?

Faecalibacterium is a bacterium that naturally lives in your gut. In fact, in healthy adults, it can make up to five to 15% of all the bacteria in your intestines making it one of the most abundant species in your gut microbiome. It is extremely oxygen sensitive, meaning that it can survive outside the gut environment. That's why you won't find this bacteria in traditional probiotic supplements because scientists are still trying to figure out a way to deliver it effectively.

Faecalibacterium is one of the microbiomes keystone species. So just like certain animals help to keep the entire ecosystem in balance, this microbe helps to keep our gut environment stable, balanced, and healthy.

So next we're going to jump into the benefits of this microbe. But first, I'm Katie Bailey. I'm a registered dietitian at Flusso Nutrients where we provide supplement education and professional quality supplement options for you to make the world of nutrition supplements a little bit easier to navigate. As always, be sure to check with your main nutrition literate healthcare provider before starting anything new. As we can't know your full medical history to provide a personalized recommendation.

Why Faecalibacterium Is So Important

So why is this microbe such a big deal? Its greatest strength is producing butyrate. Now, butyrate is a short chain fatty acid that acts like premium fuel for the cells in your colon, making them strong and resilient.

Now, Faecalibacterium also has anti-inflammatory effects, so it produces molecules that help to calm down our immune system, lowering our pro-inflammatory signals and boosting our anti-inflammatory ones. Researchers have even found that when fatality bacterium levels are low, people are more likely to experience gut issues like Crohn's disease, colitis and IBS, as well as metabolic conditions like obesity and type two diabetes. So it's not just living in your gut, it's actively shaping how your immune system and your digestive system function from day to day.

How Faecalibacterium Supports Gut Health

Now, let's take a closer look at how Faecalibacterium helps your gut.

• The first thing that it does is it helps to protect our gut barrier. So we know that butyrate strengthens those tight junctions between your intestinal cells, reducing leaky gut or preventing leaky gut.

• It also feeds our colon cells, so the cells that line the colon rely on butyrate for fuel. And so the more fuel there is, the healthier the cells are, which then means better nutrient absorption and energy production.

• Next is it reduces inflammation. So by lowering those inflammatory signals and increasing the calming ones, it helps to cool down an overactive immune system.

• Next is it supports microbial balance. So just its presence in the gut makes the environment friendlier for those healthy microbes.

• And then it also has whole body effects. So since inflammation is linked to things like depression and heart disease and even some cancers supporting Faecalibacterium can have far region effects beyond digestion.

So put simply this microbe works like a Swiss army knife for your gut, protecting, fueling, and balancing in ways that impact your entire body.

What Reduces Faecalibacterium in the Gut

So what reduces this microbe in the gut?

• Well, the first is going to be a poor diet of highly processed foods, excess sugars, inflammatory foods, but also restrictive diets. So diets that really lack adequate fiber for many different reasons, whether they just don't eat enough or because of gut issues, making them not be able to have excess fiber.

• But restrictive diets like that with less fiber can also really decrease the numbers of Faecalibacterium.

• Now also antibiotics. So because this microbe is so sensitive, having antibiotics excessively can also severely decrease the number of this microbe in the gut. The good news is your lifestyle choices can make a big difference.

How to Increase Faecalibacterium Prausnitzii Naturally

So what can you do to increase levels of this bacterium?

• So the first is going to be eat more fiber and resistant starches. So your resistant starches are going to be things like cooked and cooled rice and potatoes, and then you want to have a variety of different fibrous foods, specifically things like chickpeas, black beans, asparagus, garlic, onions. All of these are going to help to feed Faecalibacterium.

• Now, you also want to include your polyphenol rich foods as well. So berries, green tea and cocoa all help to promote the growth of this bacteria.

• Prebiotics are also really helpful, so you can supplement with these or get it through food, but things like inulin or fructose oligosaccharides are going to help to support the growth of the butyrate producing bacteria.

• And now you also want to make sure that you're minimizing unnecessary antibiotics when you can so that you can keep your gut microbiome strong and healthy.

And then so instead of reaching for a pill, think of this as a food first probiotic. So what you eat determines how well this microbe is going to either thrive or disappear.

The Bottom Line

To wrap up for today, Faecalibacterium is one of the most important microbes in your gut. So important that scientists are calling it the next generation probiotic. As one of the most abundant species, a healthy gut, its biggest job is to produce butyrate, which butyrate is going to feed those cells in your colon and reduce inflammation. It not only supports our gut integrity, it balances out our immune system and has ripple effects throughout the whole body.

Now, levels can drop with a poor diet, chronic inflammation, excessive antibiotic use, but the good news is you can help to boost your levels through getting a variety of fiber rich foods. Now, supporting Faecalibacterium isn't about chasing a single probiotic pill. It's about creating the right environment for it to thrive in. So when it thrives, your guts and your whole body are going to benefit.

So that's it for today's video. If you liked this video, please hit the like button and subscribe for more nutrition videos. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you're interested in working with our clinic, you could click the link here to schedule an appointment. We do take insurance. You can find more information about that on our website.

Thank you for watching. I'll see you next time. Bye.

Check out the high-quality supplements we discussed in this video - links below for your convenience!

1) MegaPre Capsules by Microbiome Labs: create an account here, then search the name "MegaPre Capsules by Microbiome Labs" - https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients

2) MegaPre Precision Prebiotic by Microbiome Labs: create an account here, then search the name "MegaPre Precision Prebiotic by Microbiome Labs" - https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients

3) ALL PROFESSIONAL QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS: https://flussonutrients.nutridyn.com & https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients