P. acidilactici is a highly survivable probiotic strain that has been shown to provide a number of benefits when taken as a regular probiotic supplement. We’ll talk about a few of those benefits here. P. acidilactici is extremely resistant to the acidic environment of the stomach. This means that it is more likely to survive the trip through the stomach than most other probiotic strains, allowing it to more easily populate the small intestine and provide benefits to the gut. After surviving the trip to the small intestine, P. acidilactici helps to reduce the risk of suboptimal health through the production of lactic acid and several antimicrobial compounds that lessen the number of harmful pathogens in the gut. Listeria is one such pathogen. This harmful bacterium can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that can cause flu like symptoms, convulsions, muscle aches, and in some cases, death. P. acidilactici actively competes against this bacteria in the gut and greatly reduces the risk of listeriosis. Another useful benefit provided by P. acidilactici is the ability to produce a phenolic compound that has demonstrated antifungal capabilities against a number of foods, molds, and fungi.1 One study has shown that P. acidilactici could have great therapeutic potential in treating multiple sclerosis.2 This is yet another example of probiotic bacteria demonstrating capabilities to fight against or prevent autoimmune diseases. Like many other probiotic strains, P. acidilactici is commonly taken to reduce constipation, diarrhea, and relieve stress. While studies for P. acidilactici are ongoing, researchers have already found evidence that it can provide a wide range of beneficial effects. Keep an eye on this probiotic strain over the coming years. If research for other probiotic strains is any indication, there might be many more benefits waiting to be discovered.
2Takata K, Kinoshita M, Okuno T, Moriya M, Kohda T, et al. (2011) The Lactic Acid Bacterium Pediococcus acidilactici Suppresses Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Inducing IL-10-Producing Regulatory T Cells. PLOS ONE 6(11): e27644. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0027644