Supplement Made From Bacteria May Fight Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome describes a variety of health risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance among others; these risk factors together may compromise cardiometabolic health and put a person at risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

Metabolic syndrome has been shown to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by estimates of fivefold, and the risk of CVD by threefold; additionally studies have found links between metabolic syndrome and various forms of cancer. 

Gut bacteria composition plays roles in obesity related conditions such as metabolic syndrome, tweaking gut bacterial balance by administering specific strains may be a potential path to treatment. Prof. Patrice Cani has shown A. muciniphila to help prevent obesity and obesity related type 2 diabetes when administered in pasteurized form in animal studies, and have demonstrated that "administration of live or pasteurized A. muciniphila grown on the synthetic medium is safe in humans." 

In this 3 month randomized double blind and placebo controlled pilot study Prof. Patrice Cani have confirmed that A. muciniphila taken as a nutritional supplement in those with metabolic syndrome helps to improve cardiometabolic health. 

This study included 40 overweight or obese participants with prediabetes and metabolic syndrome who were divided into 3 groups: one taking live Akkermansia, another taking the pasturized bacteria as a nutritional supplement, and a third taking a placebo.

A. muciniphila bacteria was found to be safe and well tolerated in both forms, those that took it displayed reduced markers of inflammation in the liver, slight reductions in body weight, fat mass, hip circumference, and lower cholesterol levels. 

The proof of concept study was concluded to have demonstrated administering Akkermansia to humans as a dietary supplement reduces cardiometabolic risk factors; if findings can be replicated in a larger scale study the bacteria could be sold commercially as a supplement by 2021.