Meet Akkermansia, the superstar strain for gut health

Akkermansia just might be the most powerful probiotic you’ve never heard of…

Did you know that 25% of people have low amounts of Akkermansia in their gut? And that 18% have NO detectable Akkermansia in their gut at all? Unfortunately, this is true. Fortunately, it’s easy to boost your Akkermansia levels. Here’s why you want to make sure you have adequate Akkermansia in your gut microbiome…

Why you want Akkermansia in your gut

Akkermansia muciniphila is one of the most incredibly beneficial gut bacteria, linked to everything from healthy weight to GLP-1 production to balanced blood sugar and a stronger gut lining. This powerful strain makes up to 1-5% of the total bacteria in a healthy gut. Studies have shown that there is a link between strong levels of Akkermansia in the gut and metabolic health, and conversely, low or no levels of Akkermansia is associated with poor metabolic health. And this probiotic strain is quickly gaining traction in the healthcare community, with over 3,000 science publications and counting.

What does Akkermansia do in the gut?

The “muciniphila” in the Latinate name Akkermansia muciniphila actually translates to “lover of mucin.” Mucin is a glycoprotein that regulates the thickness of the mucosal layer lining the intestines, i.e the gut lining. Akkermansia feeds on that mucin–this might seem like a bad thing because we want our gut lining to be thick and strong, but nope! The fact that Akkermansia eats mucin is actually incredibly beneficial. The more mucin that Akkermansia eats, the more it encourages the epithelial cells to make additional mucin which then strengthens the intestinal wall. They don’t call it the keystone strain for gut health for nothing!

Can you increase Akkermansia in your gut with food?

So if you’re low in Akkermansia, or don’t have any Akkermansia at all, how do you get Akkermansia into your gut microbiome? Unfortunately, there are no foods that contain Akkermansia, so you can’t eat your way to higher levels of Akkermansia. However, to encourage the growth of Akkermansia, you can eat foods rich in polyphenols, including apples, beans, berries, grapes, flaxseed, green tea, nuts, olives, asparagus, onions, oats, etc. The polyphenols in these foods are considered prebiotics, as they benefit the good bacteria in your gut microbiome, like Akkermansia, and promote a healthy gut.

Can you increase Akkermansia in your gut with a probiotic?

Manufacturing Akkermansia muciniphila is incredibly difficult. This is because Akkermansia is what's called an anaerobic organism, which means it can only survive in an environment that is 100% oxygen-free (like your gut). If even a single molecule of oxygen is present during the manufacturing process, the whole batch of Akkermansia dies. Since most probiotics in the market can tolerate oxygen, there weren't any existing manufacturing processes to grow an anaerobic strain such as Akkermansia muciniphila at scale. That is, until the team at Pendulum hired specialized microbiologists to create an oxygen-free manufacturing process from scratch. Because of this, Pendulum is the only company that sells live Akkermansia in the U.S.

Isn’t Akkermansia exposed to oxygen in the capsule?

Yes, but late in the manufacturing process, the Akkermansia muciniphila is freeze-dried, which evaporates all the water. At that point, it is turned into a powder that's stable at higher temperatures and when exposed to oxygen. The Akkermansia is then encased in a plant-based, acid-resistant, delayed release capsule so that when a person takes it, the strain gets through the stomach acid and to the gut microbiome where it can do its job.

What about the other Akkermansia muciniphila supplements? 

While you may see other Akkermansia supplements in the market, make sure you read the ingredients label. Many of these supplements contain fibers that encourage the growth of Akkermansia muciniphila—but they don’t actually contain any live Akkermansia. Remember, Pendulum holds a patent for Akkermansia in the U.S., and as such, it is only available from Pendulum.

Head to https://pendulumlife.com/nat and use code NIDDAM for 20% off your first month of Akkermansia or any Pendulum membership.