COMPENDIUM ON FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE - Flipbook - Page 763
● Facilitate critical metabolic conversions that other microbes
depend upon [4]
● Maintain structural integrity of the gut ecosystem [5]
● Form the foundation of complex microbial food webs [6]
● Modulate host-microbe interactions with significant health
implications [7]
Without these keystone species, entire metabolic pathways and
microbial networks may collapse, leading to dysbiosis and
associated clinical manifestations [8].
Key Microbial Keystones and Their Clinical Relevance
Akkermansia muciniphila
This mucin-degrading bacterium plays critical roles in:
● Stimulating mucin production for gut barrier protection [9]
● Reducing metabolic inflammation [10]
● Supporting immune regulation [11]
● Protecting against obesity and metabolic disorders [12]
● Converting dietary polyphenols into bioactive metabolites
[13]
● Maintaining proper mucus layer thickness [14]
● Regulating intestinal stem cell function [15]
● Producing short-chain fatty acids through cross-feeding
mechanisms [16]
Clinical studies have found correlations between A. muciniphila
abundance and:
● Improved glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity [17]
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