Bifidobacterium bifidum

Figure 1. Microscopic image of Bifidobacterium.

Bifidobacterium bifidum is a gram-positive, anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium of the Bifidobacterium genus. It can be found living in clusters, pairs, or even independently in the human colon, lower small intestine, breast milk, and vagina. Bifidobacterium bifidum is an essential bacteria found in the human intestine. Bifidobacterium bifidum is typically also the most abundant bacteria of the human gut microbiota in healthy, breast-fed infants. When it is low or absent all together in the human intestine, it is an indication of the gut flora being in an unhealthy state.

Bifidobacterium bifidum helps your body perform essential functions such as digestion and stave off harmful bacteria. Bifidobacterium bifidum tends to decrease as people age. As Bifidobacterium bifidum ("good bacteria") decreases, other gut bacteria such as Lactobacilli, Enterococci, Enterobacteria and Clostridia ("bad bacteria") increases. This may lead to increased health risks such as cancer and poor liver function in older adults.

For nutritional values, refer to the Codex entry for Probiotics.