probiotics
According to Joint FAO/WHO Working Group 2002, probiotics are “a live microorganism which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.”[1] One of the many health benefits of probiotics can be associated with gastrointestinal (GI) health*. There is a saying that “a healthy gut is the key to a healthy body.” Our intestines are inhabited by 75 to 100 trillion living microorganisms, or bacteria, and generally it’s a harmonious balance of both beneficial and harmful varieties.[2]*
However, as we age, our lifestyle, stress, and consumption of processed foods can decrease the good bacteria inside of us and increase the bad.[3,4]* An excess of harmful bacteria leads to intestinal putrefaction (rotting and decay inside the gut!), which can cause numerous health problems in the long term.[3,4]* Probiotics are made of good bacteria strains, so the purpose of consuming probiotics is to maintain the number of beneficial bacteria inside the intestines.[3,4]*
(1) Joint FAO/WHO Working Group on Drafting Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food, London, Ontario, Canada. 1 May 2002.
(2) Picard, C., Fioramonti, J., Francois, A., Robinson, T., Neant, F. & Matuchansky, C. Review article: bifdobacteria as probiotic agents – physiological effects and clinical benefits. Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 22, 495-512 (2005).
(3) Turroni, F., Duranti, S., Bottacini, F., Guglielmetti, S., Van Sinderen, D. & Ventura, M. Bifdobacterium bifdum as an example of a specialized human gut commensal. Front. Microbiol., 5, 437 (2014).
(4) Mitsuoka, T. The effect of nutrition on intestinal flora. Nahrung 28, 619-25 (1984).
probiotics
Bifidobacterium longum is one of the most commonly found bifidobacteria in the human intestine. From the many strains of Bifidobacterium longum, Morinaga selected BB536 as a safe and beneficial strain.* For more than 40 years the company has been researching and developing the potential of the strain for a wide range of applications. BB536 was awarded Infant GRAS status by the FDA in 2019. B8536 is both FDA notified GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) for both infant and conventional food use. Now, there are more than 200+ scientific studies specifically on the B8536 strain.
Alongside BB536, Morinaga has been researching another valuable strain, Bifidobacterium breve M-16V which is a strain
of another human bifidobacterial species found in infant intestines.* M-16V is another flagship product of Morinaga which has been researched mainly for infant health.*
It also achieved infant GRAS status in 2013. There are more than 40 scientific studies specifically on the M-16V strain.*
Morinaga has been researching the effects Bifidobacterium breve B-3, a new strain of another human bifidobacterial species found in human intestines.* This strain has been researched primarily for weight management.* B-3 has also achieved FDA GRAS status for conventional food in 2022.
For more information click the link below.
