{"id":26262,"date":"2019-12-09T12:20:24","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T20:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/?p=26262"},"modified":"2021-09-20T09:18:09","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T16:18:09","slug":"l-fermentum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/blog\/l-fermentum\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Benefits of Lactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum)"},"content":{"rendered":"

L. fermentum <\/em>is one of the less studied probiotic strains that has shown promise in early clinical studies on cholesterol and immunity. Learn more here.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>What is Lactobacillus fermentum<\/em>?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Lactobacillus fermentum <\/em>is a Gram-positive lactic acid<\/a> bacterium, commonly found in fermenting animal and plant material. It is also commonly found as a component of the human microbiota<\/a>.<\/p>\n

L. fermentum <\/em>exhibits significant antioxidant properties<\/strong> (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/a>Health Benefits of L. fermentum<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

L. fermentum <\/em>probiotic supplements have not been approved by the FDA for medical use and generally lack solid clinical research. Regulations set manufacturing standards for them but don’t guarantee that they’re safe or effective. Speak with your doctor before supplementing.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Insufficient Evidence For<\/span><\/h3>\n

The following purported benefits are only supported by limited, low-quality clinical studies. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of L. fermentum<\/em> for any of the below-listed uses. Remember to speak with a doctor before taking probiotic supplements and never use them to replace something your doctor recommends or prescribes.<\/p>\n

<\/a>1) Cholesterol<\/h4>\n

L. fermentum <\/em>modestly improved cholesterol in a clinical study of 46 people (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

L. fermentum<\/em> reduced total blood cholesterol, total triglyceride levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL<\/a>) cholesterol in mice. It also decreased body weight<\/a> and liver weight\/body weight ratio (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/a>2) Immunity<\/h4>\n

L. fermentum<\/em> reduced the duration and severity of respiratory illness in highly trained distance runners (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

L. fermentum<\/em> reduced the severity of gastrointestinal and respiratory illness symptoms in male but not female cyclists (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

L. fermentum<\/em> reduced gastrointestinal and upper respiratory tract infections in infants (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

L. fermentum<\/em> also alleviated pain<\/a> and reduces the load of Staphylococcus<\/em> in the breastmilk of women suffering from painful breastfeeding (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/a>Animal & Cell Research (Lacking Evidence)<\/span><\/h3>\n

No clinical evidence supports the use of L. fermentum <\/em>for any of the conditions listed in this section. Below is a summary of the existing animal and cell-based research, which should guide further investigational efforts. However, the studies listed below should not be interpreted as supportive of any health benefit.<\/p>\n

<\/a>3) Nutrient Bioavailability<\/h4>\n

L. fermentum<\/em> was shown to increase the bioavailability of<\/strong> calcium<\/strong><\/a>, phosphorus<\/strong><\/a>, and<\/strong> zinc<\/strong><\/a> in fermented goat milk (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n