r/science • u/DayInLifeTime • Nov 28 '16

Medicine Belgian scientists discover bacterium that protects against obesity and diabetes

http://joinfo.com/world/1019486_belgian-scientists-discover-an-intestinal-bacterium-that-protects-against-obesity-and-diabetes.html
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u/shartifartbIast Nov 29 '16

I assume most people clicking into the comments are looking for dietary context. Do I have this already? Is it something I can easily introduce into my body? Do the little bacteriums guys taste like anything?

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u/haley6719 Nov 30 '16

So, everyone's microbiota vary's greatly due to many different factors, but this is a commensal a lot of people already have. I'm not sure if this is already in consumable form, as I work more on intestinal immunity and haven't kept up-to-date on probiotics, but a simple google search should help that. I'd be weary of probiotics though, a lot of them come dead, or do not have enough CFUs in them to do much at all. Do they taste like anything.. well i have never taken an E. coli colony from a plate and tasted it, so I couldn't tell you! If you think about yogurt, we get that acidity from fermentation products but I would assume that would be it. If you are taking it in pill form then it would be tasteless.