In the year 1900, the Austrian doctor Ernst Moro noticed something interesting in baby poop. A pointy gram-positive rod only 1.502 micrometers in length was the dominant microbial lifeform in the intestines (and feces) of breast-feeding infants. Moro, who was at the forefront of the emerging school of pediatric medicine, had discovered a new bacteria. Infants are born without bacteria in their intestines and build up their digestive flora from the foods they eat. For some reason, this bacteria was coming from mother’s milk and implanting itself in the newborn’s gut.
Moro had found lactobacillus acidophilus, a lactic acid bacteria that does well in the acidic environment of the human gut. A couple years later in 1908, another prominent European doctor was pioneering the field of geriatrics. Eli Metchnikoff built upon Moro’s discovery. He realized that these bacteria were not only naturally occurring in the intestine, but could be intentionally administered to patients to improve health. Metchnikoff believed that lactic acid bacteria, such as L. acidophilus, could promote longer life by removing toxic organisms that lived in the intestine.
In his book, The prolongation of life; optimistic studies, Metchnikoff wrote, “In addition to such observations on lactic bacilli there is a good deal of knowledge as to the effect of lactic acid taken in bulk. The result of the various observations shows that the acid lessens intestinal putrefaction and lowers the quantity of sulpho-conjugate ethers in the urine. This fact explains why favourable results follow the use of lactic acid in many intestinal diseases such as infantile diarrhea, tuberculous enteritis and even Asiatic cholera.” By the end of the decade, scientists and doctors began to combine the two men’s ideas and researched the health benefits of L. acidophilus bacteria.
Thanks to Moro’s study of infants and Metchnikoff’s study of the elderly, a natural therapy that would eventually be called probiotics in a 1965 paper by Lily and Stillwell emerged. Probiotics are microorganisms that create health benefits for those who consume them in large enough quantities. One of the most promising and studied probiotics is Moro’s discovery, L.acidophilus, which can be consumed in milk or yogurt. It turns out that milk is not only the origin of the bacteria, but also one of the most suitable mediums to deliver probiotics to humans.
The supposed health benefits of acidophilus milk include reducing diarrhea, acting as an anticarcinogenic, regulating serum cholesterol, and even helping digest milk for the lactose intolerant. Several studies have shown that consumption of L. acidophilus reduces staphylococci in the intestines, perhaps thanks to the anti-bacterial excretions of the bacteria which include acidolin, acidophilin, and lactocidin. (Gilliland)
Other studies show promising results for patients who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and even Alzheimer’s disease. In a 2016 study by Akbari et al, patients with Alzeimer’s given fermented milk with lactic acid bacterias including L. acidophilus performed higher on cognitive tests than those given a placebo. Even drinking normal milk can increase the L. acidophilus population in our guts (Weiss).
Since the bacteria’s discovery over 100 years ago, scientists have been prying into the health benefits of L. acidophilus and other fermented milks. The past 20-30 years has seen an uptick in both academic and consumer interest in probiotic milk drinks. L. acidophilus is perhaps the best equipped lactic acid bacteria we know of to deliver probiotic effects to consumers.
L. acidophilus’s natural habitat is the human gut. Other probiotics like L. bulgaricus exist naturally in milks but are not well adapted to the unique environment inside of our bellies. Since the early days of probiotics, scientists have known that medicinal microorganisms need to be at home in the intestine, harmless to the human, and productive enough to make a difference. L. acidophilus fits these criteria best.
Not only does the bacteria need to do its job in our gut, but it also must get there in sufficient quantities. This means that the manner of administering lactic-acid bacteria is important. It is possible to take the stuff in dry pills, drink it in milk, or even inject it directly into the intestines. However, it is very difficult to grow lactic acid bacteria as they require many nutrients and particular conditions.
Cow milk is well suited to the task. It has high fat content, vitamins, and minerals. Moreover, its competition has some major shortcomings. Goat milk becomes too acidic during fermentation resulting in a less-marketable flavor profile. Camel milk on the other hand, has more natural antimicrobial compounds which can be hostile to the growth of healthful bacteria. Most commercial acidophilus milk products rely on cow milk to sell probiotics to consumers.
On the commercial side, North Carolina State University developed a strain of L. acidophilus known as NCFM. The particular version reduces serum cholesterol and is now owned by dairy giant Danisco who uses it in probiotic yogurts. Another prominent commercial probiotic is Yakult brand milk in Japan. In 1935, Dr. Shirota developed a strain of lactobacillus that tolerated stomach acids and bile. This was L. casei and has been used in the famous Japanese probiotic ever since.
Probiotics are not new. Humans have intentionally been using the benefits of intestinal bacteria since at least 4500 BCE. (Oh). Long before that, L. acidophilus existed naturally in our guts thanks to our mothers’ milk. Yet, it was only in the wake of Louis Pasteur’s work on microbes and fermentation that we were better able to understand why fermented milks could impart health benefits on drinkers.
The benefits of Acidophilus and other fermented milks permeate entire lifespans. Moro noticed it in the infants he studied, and Metchnikoff advocated it for the elderly he treated. The bacteria, introduced to us in infancy as we consume breast milk, finds its home in our intestines and helps us fight off the many ailments that come with age. A strange and healthy surprise that came from poop, of all places.
Farag, Mohamed A., Enas A. El Hawary, and Moamen M. Elmassry. “Rediscovering acidophilus milk, its quality characteristics, manufacturing methods, flavor chemistry and nutritional value.” Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 60.18 (2020): 3024-3041.
Frost, William D., T. H. Butterworth, and Stewart M. Farr. “Present status of acidophilus milk.” American Journal of Public Health and the Nations Health 21.8 (1931): 862-866.
Gilliland, S. E. “Acidophilus milk products: a review of potential benefits to consumers.” Journal of Dairy Science 72.10 (1989): 2483-2494.
Metchnikov, E., & Mitchell, P. C. (1908). The prolongation of life: Optimistic studies. G. P. Putnam’s sons. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/prolongationofli00metciala/page/n5/mode/2up?q=acid.
Oh, Sejong. “Probiotics in dairy products.” Beneficial microorganisms in food and nutraceuticals. Springer, Cham, 2015. 203-219.
Weirich, Angela, and Georg F. Hoffmann. “Ernst Moro (1874–1951)—A great pediatric career started at the rise of university-based pediatric research but was curtailed in the shadows of Nazi laws.” European Journal of Pediatrics 164.10 (2005): 599-606.
Weiss H. Zur Kentniss der Darmflora. Centralbl. F. Bakt. Abt. 1, Orig. 36: 13-28 (1904)
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