AKKERMANSIA: THE “SHINING STAR” OF YOUR GUT FLORA

No, that nickname is not from me. However, it definitely is one of the praises heaped upon by scientists around the world as they describe the wonders of this one strain of bacteria in your intestinal microbiome.

Read carefully. Link to the research papers if you like.

If you have enough Akkermansia (full name Akkermansia muciniphilia; scientists call it A. muciniphilia) in your intestines, you are likely to be of normal weight, have normal cholesterol and triglycerides, no fatty liver, you are not diabetic or prediabetic, and have less inflammation throughout your body.

If you are overweight, have elevated cholesterol/triglycerides, have fatty liver, are prediabetic/diabetic, and have inflammation throughout your body, then most likely your gut level of A. muciniphilia is absent or low.

If you start taking Akkermansia and the dietary/medication/supplement/lifestyle recommendations for your particular condition(s), clinical studies are showing you will have a much better response by including the Akkermansia.

Here are a couple of the clinical studies:

1. Health and Disease: Akkermansia muciniphila, the Shining Star of the Gut Flora
2. Akkermansia muciniphila and improved metabolic health during a dietary intervention in obesity: relationship with gut microbiome richness and ecology

Here at WholeHealth Chicago, we frequently evaluate a patient’s gut microbiome. When I reviewed the microbiome of several overweight and/or prediabetic/diabetic and/or fatty liver patients, I found what these researchers had also written about. There was little or no A. muciniphilia.

How does this particular bacteria work?

So far, several different mechanisms have been revealed. First, the bacteria begins a repair of intestinal hyperpermeability (“leaky gut”); second, it reduces inflammation and improves immunity; third, it acts on the same system as the Ozempic/Wegovy group (gastrointestinal glucagon-like peptide GLP-1).

So what about you? Where should you start?

Let’s just say you’re overweight and despite your best efforts you simply cannot reach your goal and/or now you learn you’re prediabetic/diabetic and/or your liver enzymes are elevated and your primary doc thinks you might have fatty liver and suggests you lose weight (“Thanks a bunch”, you think.) and/or you feel “inflamed”, stiff/achy.

Make an appointment at WholeHealth Chicago or with your primary care provider for a physical exam.

Get your basic lab tests: metabolic profile (blood glucose, liver enzymes, lipid profile, hemoglobin A1c <diabetes screen>).

An analysis of your microbiome will be out-of-pocket (about $250-350) paid directly to the lab (Doctor’s Data, Genova, TinyHealth).

Your WholeHealth Chicago practitioner may recommend supplements and/or medications for your specific problems. I’ve already written articles on Fatty Liver, semaglutides, natural treatment of high cholesterol.

If you discover your Akkermansia is very low or non existent and want to try it as a supplement Akkermansia 500 (Pendulum), one daily, is available from our apothecary. You need to stay on it at least a year, then periodically retest your microbiome to make sure you maintain healthy Akkermansia levels in your gut.

Be well,

David Edelberg, MD