Comments on: Top 8 Health Benefits of Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis)

By: J. Christian Rutledge

J. Christian Rutledge — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 18:51:36 +0000

Thank you for the work you’ve done. I was prompted to look up the benefits of L. lactis. This, plus a host of other Probiitic cultures are contained in a beverage called Kefir which I bought from Whole Foods. I found it fascinated that this non-motilel, non-sporulating element can do so much. although you clearly state that more research is necessary. Anyhow, I appreciate the information. Thank you, Christian.

By: Karl

Karl — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 22:04:46 +0000

I think the should mention that this bacteria is transient and does not colonize the gut so you’d have to continuously keep taking this probiotic to get the benefits.

By: Mark Mark

Mark Mark — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 23:00:07 +0000

What if someone has had their appendix removed? Can they use probiotics? How otherwise can they care for the gut?

By: Jack Cameron

Jack Cameron — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 16:36:32 +0000

Joseph,
In your introduction you mention “Yogurt fermented with L. lactis.”
I think it would be clearer to use the term “mesophillic fermented milk” rather than “yogurt”. According to my dictionary, “yogurt” is a dairy product that is fermented at “thermophillic” temperatures.
The optimum temperature for lactoccus lactis is 77 to 86 degrees F. As temperatures increase above 86 degrees F the growth of lactococcus lactis slows while other bacteria such as lacto bacillus become more dominant. The optimum temperature for thermophillic bacteria is 100 to 122 degrees F at which temperature practically no lactococcus lactis bacteria survive. Yogurt that is produced at thermophillic temperatures contains little, if any, lactococcus lactis and does not produce either K vitamin (long chain menaquionones) or nisin (a potent preservative) and does not break down galactose (as best I can determine).
Jack Cameron

By: Jack Cameron

Jack Cameron — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 01:34:08 +0000

I found your article on lactococcus lactis of great interest. For several years I have been making “clabber”, which is raw milk fermented at room temperature (mesophilic fermentatiion) . Lactococcus lactis in naturally present in raw milk and thrives at low temperature and low pH. Fermented cheese is also fermented with lactococcus lactis. Occasionally I buy lactococcus lactis starter online and use it to boost the lactococcus lactis content of my clabber.

One aspect of lactococcus lactis that you did not mention is that it synthesizes long chain menaquinones, mainly MK8 and MK9, which are often referred to as vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 comes from green vegetables and is essential for blood coagulation and for activation of vitamin K dependent proteins. The menaquinones from dairy fermentation do the same thing but more potent than K1.

A study was conducted in Sweden around 2014 of 60,000 women folled for 20 years that found that women who drank the most milk had higher risk if all-cause mortality, CVD mortality, cancer mortality, and hop fracture. In contrast, those who consumed the most fermented milk and cheese had a LOWER risk of cvd mortality, all-cause mortality, cancer mortality and hip fracture. (PMID 25352269)
It was hypothesized that the increased risk of milk was due to galactose which is produced when lactose is digested to form D-galactose and D-glucose.
Fermentation by lactococcus lactis breaks down galactose (the thermophilic bacteria in yogurt does not break down galactose) which, it was hypothesized, resulted in reduced risk from fermented dairy products, The article details other factors dairy fermented by lactococcus lactis reduce risk, many of which you have mentioned.