About Bifidobacterium Breve M-16V®
**USA version shown
Bifidobacterium is a well-studied genus of beneficial bacteria that naturally inhabits the human gut. There are many species of bifidobacteria, and, like all probiotics, their health benefits are strain-specific. Bifidobacterium breve is a species of bifidobacteria commonly found in the intestines of newborn infants.
Bifidobacterium Breve M-16V (from MORINAGA MILK INDUSTRY CO LTD JAPAN) is a room-temperature stable strain of Bifidobacterium breve supported by over 30 published studies, including 19 human clinical trials. It has special benefits for low-birth-weight infants. In fact, Morinaga M-16V is routinely administered to low-birth-weight infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units of approximately 100 hospitals in Japan.
Published scientific studies have shown that in children and/or babies, including low-birth-weight infants, Morinaga M-16V:
- Restores Bifidobacterium to normal levels*[1],[2],[3]
- Supports a healthy immune system*[4]
- Promotes respiratory health*[5],[6]
- Supports skin health*[7],[8]
Mechanism of Action
Morinaga M-16V may work through a number of ways to protect the health of children and infants, including:
- Supporting the health of the gastro-intestinal mucosal layer*[9],[10]
- Modulating the immune response through acting on T-helper cells, immunoglobulin E and galectin-9*[11],[12]
Safety
Safety is of the utmost importance in products intended for medically fragile populations such as pre-term or low-birth-weight infants. Bacteria of the Bifidobacterium genus occur naturally in the human gut and are associated with good health. The safety of Morinaga M-16V has been confirmed by oral toxicity tests, analysis of antibiotic resistance, genomic analysis and numerous clinical studies, which found no adverse effects among study subjects.*[13],[14] Morinaga M-16V has been granted FDA GRAS status in the United States for food applications and infant formulas.