Lactobacillus reuteri − a natural probiotic with lifelong significance
Probiotics are often given to newborns within the first few days of life to alleviate infantile colic. However, the role of probiotic treatment in protecting infants from infections, even into their adult life, is a growing area of research interest. Which natural probiotic strains have verified immunomodulatory properties and is it suitable to administer them alongside breast milk?
The breast milk microbiome is influenced by many factors
Early acquisition of the gut microbiome in infancy determines an individual's health throughout their life. It is known that breast milk contains a number of immune components that have an irreplaceable protective effect for infants – especially secretory antibodies, immune cells, cytokines, antimicrobial proteins such as lysozyme or lactoferrin.
In addition, studies show that breast milk contains various bacterial communities, primarily Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus. The diversity of these key bacteria is influenced by many factors. It appears that the amount of probiotic bacteria is also influenced by whether the mother lives in an urban or rural environment.
Lactobacillus reuteri − a natural bacterium not only against colic
Rural mothers – more probiotics?
Many studies have focused on the bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri. According to one of the studies conducted by Swedish researchers, it was detected in the breast milk of 15% of women, but in the case of mothers living in rural areas, it was present in up to 50% of cases.
Reducing the pro-inflammatory response
Another study, conducted on newborn rats and published in 2019, confirmed that the addition of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 led to a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines on the intestinal mucosa by affecting the toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor κB.
It was found that L. reuteri modulates the composition of intestinal immune cells in the neonatal gut, including dendritic cells, effector memory T cells, and regulatory T cells. Regulatory T cells represent a subpopulation of T cells with a direct impact on autoregulatory mechanisms and play a significant role in the development of inflammatory and allergic reactions. For instance, mice with multiorgan disease caused by a lack of T-regulatory cells were developed under laboratory conditions. The addition of L. reuteri to their diet ensured, through the modulation of the gut microbiota, an extension of overall survival and a reduction in the severity of their disease.
Probiotics best together with breast milk
The administration of products containing Lactobacillus reuteri along with breast milk makes biological sense, as it is a probiotic that naturally occurs in breast milk. It was even found that the immunomodulatory function of L. reuteri was further enhanced when administered simultaneously with breast milk.
Reduction in overall morbidity even in adulthood
Studies suggest that the use of Lactobacillus reuteri reduces overall morbidity not only in children but also in adults. In 2005, a double-blind randomized study with 262 employees of TetraPak in Sweden was published. Half of the subjects received daily 108 colony-forming units (CFU) of the bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri for 80 days, while the other half received a placebo.
It was found that the group of individuals who were given L. reuteri had significantly fewer respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, by as much as 55%. In the placebo group, 26.4% of employees took sick leave, while in the probiotic group, it was 10.6% (p < 0.01). The number of sick days during the observed period was more than halved compared to the placebo group. It appears that L. reuteri plays a lifelong role in human health, and it makes sense to add it to the diet not only in infancy.
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Sources:
1. Hoang T. K., Freeborn J., Wang T. et al. Human breast milk promotes the immunomodulatory function of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 in the neonatal rat intestine. J Probiotics Health 2019; 7 (1): 210, doi: 10.35248/2329-8901.19.7.210.
2. Sinkiewicz G., Ljunggren L. Occurrence of Lactobacillus reuteri in human breast milk. Microb Ecol Health Dis 2008; 20 (3): 122−126, doi: 10.1080/08910600802341007.
3. Tubelius P., Stan V., Zachrisson A. Increasing work-place healthiness with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri: a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled study. Environ Health 2005; 4: 25, doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-4-25.
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