L reuteri benefits our gut in our first days of life. Read on for the insanely important ways l reuteri benefits a healthy immune system!
Limosilactobacillus reuteri (Zheng, 2020), or L reuteri, is part of the Lactobacillus family. It is one of the first micro superstars that set up shop in your gut. L reuteri benefits are SO IMPORTANT, that lacking it is an indicator of risk for chronic disease. So, if you’re like me, you’re wondering if you have L reuteri in YOUR gut.
This post is all about 15 weird but effective ways to get L reuteri benefits!
Gut healthy micro superstars featured in this post
L reuteri benefits our gut health in our first days of life. It is found in a mother’s breastmilk and our microbiome.
If you’ve read my post on Bifidobacterium bifidum, this may sound familiar. While both are probiotics, L reuteri can be found in certain types of carbohydrates including yams, beans, and artichokes (Walter & Haqq, 2020).
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L reuteri Probiotic Benefits
L reuteriis considered aprobioticbecause when you consume it, it brings positive effects to your health.
Probiotics are live microorganisms–generally bacteria and/or yeast…The theory with probiotics is that they mimic the effects on our intact microbiota. In other words, just like our healthy gut microbes, these probiotics should optimize our immune system, reduce inflammation, inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, correct leaky gut and restore gut barrier integrity, reestablish intestinal motility, and even improve mood.
Busiewicz, 2020, p. 141
Imagine probiotic status as a winner ring, with contenders enduring a series of challenges. Healthy micro superstars have to demonstrate the ability to survive.
Surviving the gastrointestinal tract and resisting gastric acids is not easy (Montalban-Arques et al., 2015). Probiotics cannot cause antibiotic resistance (Montalban-Arques et al., 2015) and, most importantly, they must provide benefits to a person’s health!
Lactobacillus reuteri | Immunity Booster
Some people call L reuteri Lactobacillus reuteri. It’s official name is Limosilactobacillus reuteri. Try saying that three times!
Doctors agree L reuteri is an important component to a healthy immune system and gut. But, there is a catch.
What is the problem? We are increasingly losing L reuteri in our guts!
Dr. Kait
The average American is quickly losing L reuteri strains as we:
- consume highly processed foods over whole foods
- occupy overly sanitized spaces over exposure to natural germs and the outdoor environment
- take antibiotics regularly rather than very rarely
L reuteri is ancient. We have evolved strains of it to support our gut health over millions of years! Keep reading to learn all about how L reuteri supports a healthy you!
And, if you are looking for a quick how to start eating healthy jumpstart, check out my post on 15 easy ways to feel better while also living in the real world here!
15 Lactobacillus reuteri benefits
- 1. Immunity Booster
- 2. Helps Babies Digest Milk
It is an important micro superstar that helps babies digest milk, (similar to Bifidobacterium bifidum), and supports a whole host of wellness benefits to adults.
- 3. Kills the bad guys in your gut
After the last two years of pandemic, sanitizing our groceries, isolating our kids and ourselves, it is abundantly clear why killing bad germs is a good idea. Wouldn’t it be great if something could do that inside of our guts?
L. reuteri has been found to produce antimicrobial molecules. In English? It is sanitizing our guts, killing the bad bacteria and allowing the good to flourish.
- 4. Produces antimicrobial molecules
L. reuteri is antimicrobial. L. reuteri contains reuterin, which is antimicrobial (Talarico et al., 1988; Talarico & Dobrogrosz, 1989; Jones & Versalovic, 2009; Greifova et al., 2017). Similar to those antibacterial counter sprays we use to keep our homes clean, L. reuteri (through the production of reuterin, ethanol, and other organic acids) cleans and rebalances our guts.
- 5. Has the potential to kill bad bacteria
- 6. Can kill bad fungi
Ever hear of Candida? It is a fungal infection caused by yeast and can appear in your vagin*, your mouth, throat, or esophagus, or even on your skin. Often treated with medication, Candida can develop resistance, grow more infectious, and become more difficult to treat.
“Candida aurisis an emerging multidrug-resistant type ofCandidathat presents a serious global health threat, including in the United States. It can cause severe infections and spreads easily in healthcare facilities.”
Center for Disease ControlSee Also9 Lactobacillus Reuteri Health Benefits: Digestive, Testicular, And Oral - Probiotic Review Girl
L reuteri has been found to be antifungal and reduce several strains of Candida
It could support anti-fungal treatment without risk of building additional medication resistance (Jorgensen et al., 2017).
- 7. Can kill viruses
L reuteri fights infection. Apart from rebalancing an otherwise healthy gut, L reuteri is also able to work against infection.
For example, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), is an infection from bacteria in your stomach (Mayo Clinic). Ewwww! It causes inflammation in your stomach, ulcers and, in the worst case, stomach cancer.
L reuteri has been found to reduce H. pylori, E. coli, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), and Salmonella (Reid & Burton, 2002; Francheschi et al., 2007; Lesbros-Pantoflickova et al., 2007; Cherian et al., 2015; Genis et al., 2017).
Doctors have also found L reuteri to reduce virus severity in circoviruses (Karaffova et al., 2017) and coxsackieviruses, otherwise known as Hand Foot Mouth Disease (Ang et al., 2016). L reuteri may have antiviral components, killing the bad guys while giving the good guys a chance to reassemble and fight infection (Ang et al., 2016).
- 8. Decreases inflammation
Inflammation is the foundation for a host of problems and can reduce your quality of life. It can decrease your energy and is correlated with depression, stress, and obesity. Inflammation that is chronic or constantly present, can lead to heart disease, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer’s, and cancer (Ricciotti & Golen, 2020).
Doctors Have Found that Supplementing with L reuteri may prevent against Inflammation
Similar to other micro superstars which I have written about including Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium bifidum our bodies process these powerful probiotics best when consumed through natural whole foods in your regular meals. Sweet potatoes anyone?
But, I Still Want a L Reuteri Supplement…
Looking for a Lactobacillus reuteri supplement? Lactobacillus reuteri dam 17938 benefits your gut health and can support a healthy immune system! You can find a lactobacillus reuteri supplement here on Amazon and have it delivered right to your door!
L reuteri has been found to reduce inflammatory small protein cells which work in our immune system (cytokines) (Mu et al., 2018).
Unfortunately, as our food has become more processed over the last several decades, we have less L reuteri in our guts, and more incidence of inflammatory diseases.
Dr. Kait
- 9. Strengthens the intestinal barrier
- 10. Stronger intestinal barriers = less inflammation!
Our intestinal barrier keeps a balance in our microbiota and allows good bacteria in while keeping the bad bacteria out. Maybe you read the post on Lactobacillus rhamnosus, all about the yin yang relationship our intestinal barrier manages.
Doctors have found L reuteri to decrease the migration of bacteria from our bowels (gut lumen) to our tissues
This is really important! When bad bacteria DO cross over, they create inflammation (Mu et al., 2018). L reuteri attaches itself to our intestinal barrier (intestinal epithelium) and both strengthens it as well as enhances its probiotic properties (Navarro et al., 2017; Olson et al., 2016; Salas-Jara et al., 2016).
L reuteri has been found in many studies to decrease inflammation symptoms, and strengthen the intestinal barrier, which you guessed it, decreases inflammation!
Kait’s Cupboard
Strong intestinal walls make a difference. In a study on children with atopic dermatitis, a long-term inflammation of the skin commonly known as eczema, doctors found a relationship between immune dysfunction and intestinal wall strength (De Benedetto et al., 2010).
Children with eczema were largely found to have a permeable intestinal wall, contributing to inflammation.
De Benedetto et al., 2010
- 11. Supports women’s health and vagin*l wellness
Lactobacillus rhamnosus and reuteri Benefits: Women and Children’s Health
If L reuteri could speak, it would advocate for women and children’s health. Present in healthy vagin*s, L reuteri has shown promise in addressing bacterial vaginosis, thrush, and cystitis (Keown, 2015). According to Dr. David Fredricks, an expert on the vagin*l microbiota, L reuteri and Lactobacillus rhamnosus are key to balance and women’s vagin*l health.
“I would say, if I was going to pick one probiotic intervention that we actually have scientific evidence to suggest that it actually has some benefit, it would be Lactobacillus reuteri with Lactobacillus rhamnosus,” he said, although he noted that larger randomized, controlled trials are needed to confirm this benefit.
Dr. Fredricks, physician-researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
L reuteri Probiotic Infant Benefits
- 12. Improves C-section Baby Gut Health
Our youngest children also have shown benefit from supplementation with L reuteri (Garcia-Rodenas et al., 2016). In a study to support the development of healthy immune systems and microbiomes of babies born through C-section, doctors provided L reuteri to babies beginning at two weeks through four months old. They found supplementing formula with L reuteri changed their microbiota to look more similar to babies born vagin*lly (Garcia-Rodenas et al., 2016). That is, their microbiota were more diverse and robust (Garcia-Rodenas et al., 2016).
Is an L reuteri Probiotic a Vitamin?
Kind of…L reuteri provides plenty of B12 and Folate vitamins. If you are like me you might be thinking, hold up, I can get some of my daily vitamins without taking a chalky daily vitamin?! Yep!
At least four L reuteri strains have been found to produce B12 (Taranto et al., 2003; Gu et al., 2015).
- 13. Provides B12 vitamins
- 14. Provides Folate vitamins
L reuteri has been found to provide vital vitamins for our health like B12 and folate.
Why do we need B12? According to the Harvard School of Public Health, B12 supports our formation of red blood cells and DNA. It also supports your brain and nerve cell function (The Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health). It’s kind of a big deal.
B12 is a Vital Vitamin
Importantly, B12 is most easily absorbed when we eat foods that it is inside (The Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health). Can you take a supplement? Yes, but often it isn’t fully absorbed for a host of reasons. So, if you would like to increase or sustain your vitamin B levels, it’s best to look for recipes that include foods with vitamin B, like Air Fried Lemon Dijon Salmon and Baked Potatoes or Asian Inspired Salmon in the Air Fryer. Or, recipes that will support the micro superstar this post is all about, L reuteri.
- Can Prevent Diarrhea
Doctors have found that L reuteri supports people’s guts, preventing diarrhea, abdominal pain, allergies, even supporting our dental health (similar to Lactobacillus rhamnosus). With wide reaching benefits, it is worth incorporating natural sources of this micro superstar weekly!
L reuteri Foods to Incorporate Today!
L reuteri benefits our gut health and overall health in so many ways! It’s highly likely we all could use a little more l reuteri! Even if you ate 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, artichokes, and beans yesterday, our bodies are constantly flushing out bacteria–good and bad. So, keep it coming! Try recipes including Northern beans in the Instant Pot, Garlic Hummus, refried beans, or roasted vegetables with almond bean dip!
