Bifidobacterium infantis: Is It Only for Babies?

Bifidobacterium infantis (B. infantis) is a probiotic bacterium. It is common in some, but not all, breast-fed infants. 

Like other Bifidobacterium species, B. infantis is a Gram-positive, non-motile, non-spore forming, rod-shaped lactic-acid bacteria.

What is Special About Bifidobacterium infantis?

B. infantis, as it is commonly known, is actually a sub-species of the Bifidobacterium longum species, but since products and supplements still refer to it separately, that’s what this website is doing to minimize confusion.

This probiotic is more specifically suited to the intestinal environment of breast-fed infants because it prefers to consume the prebiotic human milk oligosaccharides (HMO’s) found in human breast milk over other sources of energy.

It can, however, utilize other carbohydrates commonly found in a whole-foods diet of teens and adults, similar to other Bifidobacterium species of bacteria.

B. infantis generally survives stomach and bile acids, and is generally able to adhere to intestinal tissues.

B. infantis produces predominantly acetic acid, with other acid production more dependent on the type of prebiotic food it consumes.

Most B. infantis produce bacterocin-like inhibitory substances against pathogenic bacteria, and some strains are able to produce the B-vitamins thiamine (B1), nicotinic acid (a B3 derivative) and folate.

To show the versatility of this probiotic bacterium, B. infantis IM1 in a supplemented infant formula reduced diarrhea episodes yet lowered constipation incidence; this is a GREAT example of how probiotics do not have one single action like a drug and can improve the functioning of the body.

In the double-blind, randomized, multicenter, controlled clinical trial, probiotic supplementation's trend to reduce diarrhea episodes reached statistical significance after 8 weeks. Constipation incidence was higher, with a lower stool frequency, in infants that did not receive the probiotic. The probiotic was deemed to be safe and well tolerated along with the clinical improvements.

Is Bifidobacterium infantis safe?

With a name like infantis, you would expect it to be harmless. So far the research shows that it is safe, and it is on the European QPS (Qualified Presumption of Safety) list along with other bifidobacteria.

One strain that is the most famous of all at this time, but that was recently reclassified into the B. longum species, is 35624 found in Align and Alflorex. Read about this special 35624 strain here.

Another strain was found not only to have probiotic probiotic properties in vitro, but also to be able to be incorporated into yogurt and survive below zero (C and F) temperatures for 60 days as frozen yogurt.

Where Can You Find Bifidobacterium infantis?

B. infantis is one of the five probiotics in this supplement that I personally take and recommend:

Strains include:

  • B. breve Bb-03
  • B.  infantis Bi-26
  • B. longum Bl-05
  • B. bifidum Bb-06
  • B. lactis Bl-04

Custom Probiotics Five Strain Bifidobacteria

Why this supplement?

  • It is the highest potency, pure Bifidobacterium supplement I know
  • It has verified strains that have research
  • It is customizable for desired dosage
  • It is non-GMO (not consisting of, not containing, and not produced from genetically-modified or engineered ingredients)
  • It contains NO dairy, sugar, gluten, soy, casein, artificial color, artificial flavors, preservatives, or FOS
  • It has NO additives and none of the common allergens listed below:

B. infantis is one of the species in the extensively-studied probiotic Visbiome. (link takes you to my review of it)


Return to the Bifidobacterium page.

Go to the B. infantis 35624 page.


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