Akkermansia muciniphila is thought to be an important member of the gut microbiome with a potential role in the maintenance of gastrointestinal and metabolic health.
In rodent studies, the administration of A. muciniphila has been reported to reduce intestinal permeability, obesity, fatty liver, and insulin resistance.[1] However, there’s currently a lack of clinical trials confirming these effects in humans.
Some studies in humans suggest that higher levels of A. muciniphila in the gut are associated with better metabolic health, including reduced insulin resistance and lower levels of fasting glucose, insulin, leptin, and liver enzymes.[2] Along this line, a smaller population of A. muciniphila in the gut could be associated with some health conditions, like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.[3][4][5] However, these findings are inconsistent, do not prove a causal relationship, and are unrelated to whether supplementing with A. muciniphila has any beneficial effects.
In humans, A. muciniphila supplementation has only been examined in a single, exploratory pilot study. The results suggested that A. muciniphila might benefit metabolic health in people with overweight or obesity and insulin resistance, but the study wasn’t designed to assess these clinical outcomes adequately.[6]