Foods That Increase Akkermansia Muciniphila | Evidence-Based Guide 2025
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Foods and Nutrients That Promote Akkermansia Growth
Several foods and dietary components have been shown to support the growth of Akkermansia muciniphila, a beneficial gut bacterium linked to metabolic and intestinal health.
List of Foods and Nutrients
| Food/Nutrient | Mechanism/Notes | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| Human milk oligosaccharides | Directly utilized by Akkermansia for growth, especially in early life | (Elzinga et al., 2020) |
| Oats | Associated with increased Akkermansia and improved lipid profiles | (Xu et al., 2024) |
| Grape powder | Linked to cholesterol regulation and Akkermansia enrichment | (Xu et al., 2024) |
| Broccoli | Shown to increase Akkermansia and improve insulin sensitivity | (Xu et al., 2024) |
| Orange juice | Correlated with higher Akkermansia and better glycemic/lipid profiles | (Xu et al., 2024) |
| Polyphenol-rich foods | Includes apple, cranberry, grape, pomegranate, green tea; polyphenols boost Akkermansia levels | (Xu et al., 2024) |
| Berberine (herbal compound) | Stimulates mucin secretion in the gut, indirectly promoting Akkermansia growth | (Dong et al., 2021) |
| Capsaicin (from chili peppers) | Alters gut microbiota, increasing Akkermansia abundance | (Xu et al., 2024) |
Figure 1: Table summarizing foods and nutrients that promote Akkermansia growth.
Additional Notes
- Akkermansia thrives on mucin, a component of the gut lining, and certain foods or compounds (like berberine) stimulate mucin production, indirectly supporting its growth (Dong et al., 2021).
- Polyphenol-rich foods and specific fibers (such as those in oats and certain fruits/vegetables) are consistently linked to higher Akkermansia abundance (Xu et al., 2024).
- Human milk oligosaccharides are especially important for Akkermansia colonization in infants (Elzinga et al., 2020).
These dietary strategies may help increase Akkermansia levels, potentially supporting gut and metabolic health.
These papers were sourced and synthesized using Consensus, an AI-powered search engine for research. Try it at https://consensus.app
References
Dong, C., Yu, J., Yang, Y., Zhang, F., Su, W., Fan, Q., Wu, C., & Wu, S. (2021). Berberine, a potential prebiotic to indirectly promote Akkermansia growth through stimulating gut mucin secretion.. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 139, 111595. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111595
Elzinga, J., Ottman, N., Klievink, J., Blijenberg, B., Aalvink, S., Boeren, S., Mank, M., Knol, J., De Vos, W., & Belzer, C. (2020). Akkermansia muciniphila uses human milk oligosaccharides to thrive in the early life conditions in vitro. Scientific Reports, 10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71113-8
Xu, W., Zhang, S., Yang, Y., Zhan, J., Zang, C., Yu, H., & Wu, C. (2024). Therapeutic potential of dietary nutrients and medicinal foods against metabolic disorders: Targeting Akkermansia muciniphila. Food Frontiers. https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.341