Bifidobacterium: What you need to know

What is Bifidobacterium?

Bifidobacterium are one of the most common groups of probiotic, or "beneficial," bacteria that reside in a person's digestive tract. Bifidobacteria are bacteria that naturally colonize the human digestive tract and vagina and have been shown to help support a healthy digestive system and maintain the immune system.¹

Instead of Bifidobacterium, the makers of Sustenex® chose to include a strain of Bacillus coagulans due to its composition that allows it to survive harsh stomach acids and intestinal bile to arrive in the intestinal tract - the intended target. To learn more please visit our About Sustenex® page.

Why Your Body Needs Bifidobacterium

Probiotic bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, play several important roles in the digestive system, including breaking down foods, helping the body absorb nutrients, and preventing the overgrowth of "harmful" bacteria. Unfortunately, these beneficial bacteria can be depleted or killed by stress, diet or other causes. When this occurs, a person can experience a wide range of digestive upsets. By replenishing the beneficial bacteria, either through probiotic-enhanced foods or probiotic supplements, a person can help manage occasional digestive upsets.

Products Containing Bifidobacteria

While Bifidobacterium is widely available in products including yogurts and dietary supplements, it's important to know what information to look for on a label in order to make an informed decision.

According to a new set of guidelines called The P's and Q's of Probiotics, unveiled by The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) ², there are four criteria that consumers should consider when selecting a probiotic:

1. Probiotic strain
2. Clinical testing
3. Quality and quantity
4. Packaging

For a more thorough discussion of these criteria, and to see how Sustenex® Daily Probiotic compares, please visit our About Sustenex® page.

Bifidobacterium Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Bacteria
Phylum: Actinobacteria
Class: Actinobacteria
Subclass: Actinobacteridae
Order: Bifidobacteriales
Family: Bifidobacteriaceae
Genus: Bifidobacterium

Common species of Bifidobacterium:

• Bifidobacterium animalis

• Bifidobacterium bifidum

• Bifidobacterium breve

• Bifidobacterium longum

• Bifidobacterium infantis

References

¹ Schell MA, Karmirantzou M, Snel B, Vilanova D, Berger B, Pessi G, Zwahlen MC, Desiere F, Bork P, Delley M, Pridmore RD, Arigoni F (October 2002). "The genome sequence of Bifidobacterium longum reflects its adaptation to the human gastrointestinal tract.". Proceedings of the National Academy of Science U S A. 99 (22): 14422-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.212527599. PMID 12381787

² The P's and Q's of Probiotics: A Consumer Guide for Making Smart Choices

Developed by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (www.ISAPP.net). http://www.isapp.net/docs/Consumer_Guidelines_final.pdf