Is this the test pasted below?
How good was the rest of the the report it provides?
Does anyone have a sense for how many days before a test one would want to stop taking the proobiotic in question (in my case Pendulum Glucose Control combination pills) ahead of a micro biome test?
Are you trying to determine if the pills have akkermansia or if the akkermansia have taken root? If the latter, I’d wait a month. Or I’d do it before starting the supplement. I did not do that myself, darn it.
I’m taking the Pendulum Akkermansia product along with the Seed probiotics and a different multi strain one specifically selected to fight off chronic UTIs that I’m dealing with.
I listened to a pretty good interview with the founder of Seed who is a legit microbiome researcher PhD and who mentioned that Akkermansia specifically loves the polyphenols of green tea — that was good to hear as I live on green tea daily.
Then I came across a paper in this forum whose link I lost. They cited mixed evidence from green tea (but it was a meta analysis of other studies whereas the Seed founder had actually worked with Akkermenia in the lab and spoke from first hand experience) but cited studies indicating that rhubarb supplementation skyrocketed the % of Akkermansia in feces — not sure if animal or human trials but likely the former.
So did supplementation with fructo oligosaccharides. Inulin not so much. All this stuff is easily found on Amazon. I think anyone buying the expensive Pendulum product could do worse than back that investment with the right prebiotics to give it a chance to stick.
So far I notice much more regular — what do they call it? — evacuations since I’ve been taking seed + Akkermansia.
I started Pendulum Akkermansia about ten days ago with the idea that I’d try it for 90 days and see what happens. I decided not to increase my fiber intake, hoping that what I eat is enough (e.g., supplement with a teaspoon of psyllium, along with an apple, a serving of mixed berries and a handful of nuts daily). So far I’d say my regularity has improved. I’ll report any significant perceived benefits beyond that. After I listened to Peter Attia’s recent podcast about gut health (that was linked above), I wanted to start their Glucose Control product, but currently there seems to be a waitlist for it.
The rhubarb reference is from the link from DeStrider at post 4. It was in a mouse study.
Supplementation of Rhubarb extract (0.3% in a standard AIN93M diet for 17 days) increased the relative abundance of A. muciniphila to 38.9% of fecal total bacteria (measured by pyrosequencing of 16sRNA gene) in DIO mice (12-wk-old) mice (as compared to 9.4% for mice on the standard diet only). The increase was very remarkable considering the treatment only lasted for 17 days.
yep
My latest report is here. One thing you can’t see here is the useful information about the various microbes available by mouse-over.
This looks good. Thanks for sharing. I will evaluate whether to do this.
Did you research how legit that brand is - I thought due to patents etc there was only two providers of actual real product (European pasteurized, but dead version + US pendulum live version) even if there are a lot of fake ones that pop up and are shut down.
The clinical trial was based on a 90 day duration.
The clinical trial was 90 days, but the CEO of the company, Pendulum, said results should be seen in 30 days. For some, it may take longer at 60 days. I think they did 90 days as sort of a way to make sure everyone was well exposed to the probiotic.
It’s apparently also much more difficult to manufacture this family of strains because compared the other strains that have been sold as probiotics for a long time these one cannot tolerate any oxygen at all (they live in a different part of the gut).
Perhaps consider doing the test from Thorne that was suggested above at least once to see if you actually are getting what they claim
@Joseph_Lavelle I have combined the Akkermansia with Acarbose, and gassy is an understatement. I’m like a foghorn going off every 5-10 minutes. Luckily they’re odorless.
Or my sense of smell sucks. Hopefully the former.
Please tell me this gets better after a few days…
@DeStrider funny. I don’t take acarbose (stuck in customs). When I started on akkermansia I did have some “adjustment” but nothing serious beside loose bowels for several days. But then it settled down and has been great ever since. Maybe stop the acarbose for a week?
There is one from Duke University.
https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20230381246
Interesting. What is the brand and provider?
It appears to be available again now. Im interested in comparing (N=1) results of Glucose Control with and without Rhubarb to see if I can distinguish a difference.
Yes, thank you. I got an email about it today and did put in my order. This will be interesting. Good luck!
Is this available to buy in the winter - any source/brand you have liked?
I’m not sure about my rhubarb supplier yet. I just recently became aware of the relevant study because of this thread. The risk/reward seems pretty good to me.
How viable do you think it would be to try to introduce AKKERMANSIA MUCINIPHILA to homemade yogurt? Would there be any benefit? Would it be possible to cultivate Akkemrmansia in yogurt? I found this recipe:
Introduction to Akkermansia Yogurt Production
Goals: In the ever-evolving world of gut health, Akkermansia muciniphila has emerged as a promising probiotic, known for its potential benefits in metabolic health and obesity management. Our primary objective is to harness these benefits by creating an affordable and accessible yogurt product enriched with Akkermansia muciniphila, providing a cost-effective alternative to expensive probiotic supplements.
Hurdles: Culturing Akkermansia muciniphila presents unique challenges. This bacterium primarily thrives on mucin, a glycoprotein found in the gut lining. Replicating this environment outside the human body, especially in a dairy medium like yogurt, is not straightforward. Additionally, ensuring an anaerobic environment and achieving the right consistency and pH for the yogurt are crucial. Additionally, a pleasant yogurt product is crucial, and traditional growth medias may produce an unpleasant experience.
The Science: Research has shown that while Akkermansia muciniphila degrades mucin using its sialidases and fucosidases, it doesn’t directly utilize the resulting sialic acid and fucose for growth. Instead, these components are metabolized by other gut bacteria, like Clostridia, which produce butyrate—a compound that Akkermansia can utilize. This intricate nutrient-sharing mechanism underscores the symbiotic relationships within our gut microbiome.
Innovations: To mimic the nutrient profile of human milk, which Akkermansia can thrive in, we’ve introduced Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMO), Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) to cow’s milk. This enriched base, combined with a co-culture of Akkermansia muciniphila, Clostridia, and Lactobacillus reuteri (for coagulation), allows us to produce a yogurt that is both beneficial and palatable. The process involves careful temperature control, oxygen deprivation, and pH monitoring to ensure the successful growth of our target bacteria.
In conclusion, this innovative approach to yogurt production offers a promising avenue for those seeking the health benefits of Akkermansia muciniphila without the hefty price tag of commercial probiotics.
Materials for Akkermansia yogurt
- Organic, grass-fed, whole, cow’s milk or goat milk.
- Human milk oligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, and galactooligosaccharides
- Incubator or yogurt maker set to 99F (37C)
- Pendulum Metabolic Daily (Akkermansia, Clostridium)
- Lactobacillus reuteri probiotic
- boiler for milk
- thermometer
- yogurt container with tight lid
Procedure for Akkermansia yogurt
- Base Medium: Use cow’s milk as the primary medium. Ideally grass-fed and organic.
- Supplementation:
HMO (Human Milk Oligosaccharides): Add HMO to the cow’s milk to mimic the nutrient profile of human milk.
FOS (Fructooligosaccharides) and GOS (Galactooligosaccharides): These prebiotics will enhance the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
- Preparation of Milk:
Boil the milk: This will serve to pasteurize the milk, killing off any unwanted bacteria, and also help in degassing.
Cooling: Once boiled, cool the milk to around 99°F (37°C) in containers with sealed lids, and ensure minimal headspace to reduce the chance of oxygen presence.
- Inoculation:
Introduce Akkermansia muciniphila, Clostridia species, and Lactobacillus reuteri to the cooled milk.
L. reuteri will help in coagulating the milk, turning it into a yogurt-like consistency. It’s also a lactic acid bacterium, so it will produce lactic acid during fermentation.
- Anaerobic Environment:
- Ensure the culture environment remains anaerobic. The sealed containers with minimal headspace will help maintain this environment. The presence of Clostridia, which can consume any residual oxygen, will further support the establishment of anaerobic conditions.
- Fermentation:
Incubate at 99°F (37°C): This temperature is optimal for the growth of mesophilic bacteria like A. muciniphila and L. reuteri.
Monitor the fermentation process to ensure the pH doesn’t drop too low. Yogurt will thicken at 7-12 hours and become sour at 12-17 hours.
- Refrigeration:
- Once the fermentation is complete and the desired consistency and pH are achieved, move the containers to the refrigerator. This will halt the fermentation process and preserve the yogurt.
- Consumption:
- Once chilled, the yogurt is ready for consumption. It will contain a mix of beneficial bacteria, including Akkermansia muciniphila, Clostridia, and Lactobacillus reuteri, along with the nutritional benefits of the added HMO, FOS, and GOS.