Bacillus subtilis
Live micro-organisms
The natto bacterium, which forms spores capable of crossing the stomach intact.
Two foods in the catalog provide it, both fermented legumes — from Asia and from West Africa.
Effects and benefits
The bacterium of natto forms spores that cross the stomach intact. In a study published in Nature, people who hosted it never carried Staphylococcus aureus: its molecules keep it from settling. And it is what makes the vitamin K2 in natto.
Staphylococcus aureus lives in the gut or nose of about one person in three, and can cause serious infections. In Thailand, researchers found that people carrying Bacillus in their gut never had staphylococcus: the fengycins of Bacillus jam the communication system of staphylococcus, which can no longer settle; in mice, Bacillus spores made it disappear (Piewngam et al., 2018).
During natto fermentation, Bacillus subtilis produces vitamin K2 in its MK-7 form, and an enzyme, nattokinase, studied for its action on the fibrin of clots.
Sources: Piewngam et al., Nature, 2018
Where to find it (2)
- Iru
- Natto