Lactic Acid is Antibacterial

Collden

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Peat is against yoghurt primarily for the lactic acid content that he considers a metabolic burden, but studies consistently show yoghurt consumption is associated with better health, even more so than other dairy products. One of the earliest written mentions of yogurt by Pliny the Elder specifically emphasises the "agreeable acidity" of yogurt (Yogurt - Wikipedia) produced by its lactic acid content. Why would something that is a metabolic burden produce an agreeable taste, is there more to lactic acid?

There is a ton of research showing that lactic acid has antibacterial properties, some show it can even potentiate the antibacterial properties of other agents (eg Lactic Acid Permeabilizes Gram-Negative Bacteria by Disrupting the Outer Membrane), could it be that consuming yogurt and other fermented foods are beneficial to human health by acting to clean the gut from bacterial overgrowth? Is it possible the negative effects some report from consuming yogurt is not due to the lactic acid directly but rather due to endotoxin being released by dying bacteria? If so one would expect the negative effects from yogurt consumption to be transient and followed by better health in the longterm, as the epidemiological studies suggest.
 

Perry Staltic

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D-lactate is a metabolic burden, but L-lactate is easily metabolized. The body only produces L-lactate and has sufficient enzymes to metabolize it. D-lactate only comes from exogenous sources (gut bacteria, food) and the body lacks sufficient metabolic enzymes for it. Also, D-lactate is highly neurotoxic.

Some yogurt bacteria produce D-lactate (eg, l. acidophilus) and some produce L-lactate (eg, streptoccocus thermophilus). Bulgarian yogurt uses s. thermophilus and l. bulgaricus, which I think produces D-lactate in small quantities (not sure), These two apparently work synergistically, with thermophilus possibly using bulgaricus as a substrate (not sure about this either).

I'm currently doing a half-assed experiment with homemade yogurt using these two, as well as supplementing with other probiotics that only, or mostly, produce L-lactate and acetate.
 
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Perry Staltic

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Many on the autism spectrum have severe gut dysbiosis, and apparently treatment with D-lactate-free probiotics can improve physiological and behavioral condition. Some have high D-lactate levels.

He also had a leaky gut, and his gut was very inflamed. The immune system in his gut showed a high level of inflammation by a marker called eosinophil protein X. He had 3 species of yeast growing in his gut and no growth of healthy bacteria. Urine tests showed very high levels of D-lactate, an indicator of overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine.


High D-lactate levels are also apparently associated with CFS

A surge in fecal d-lactate producing bacteria is associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (Sheedy et al., 2009). While some probiotics reduce generation of d-lactic acid by gut microbiota, others increase this bacterial metabolite and may exacerbate cognitive disorders (Mack, 2004; Munakata et al., 2010).

 

L_C

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Peat is against yoghurt primarily for the lactic acid content that he considers a metabolic burden, but studies consistently show yoghurt consumption is associated with better health, even more so than other dairy products. One of the earliest written mentions of yogurt by Pliny the Elder specifically emphasises the "agreeable acidity" of yogurt (Yogurt - Wikipedia) produced by its lactic acid content. Why would something that is a metabolic burden produce an agreeable taste, is there more to lactic acid?

There is a ton of research showing that lactic acid has antibacterial properties, some show it can even potentiate the antibacterial properties of other agents (eg Lactic Acid Permeabilizes Gram-Negative Bacteria by Disrupting the Outer Membrane), could it be that consuming yogurt and other fermented foods are beneficial to human health by acting to clean the gut from bacterial overgrowth? Is it possible the negative effects some report from consuming yogurt is not due to the lactic acid directly but rather due to endotoxin being released by dying bacteria? If so one would expect the negative effects from yogurt consumption to be transient and followed by better health in the longterm, as the epidemiological studies suggest.
I agree with Perry Staltic. Personally, I have developed crazy gut dysbios from fermented foods (yogurt, kefirs...). The symptoms were terrible - itchy scalp, hair loss, post nasal drip, ear pain and took forever to figure it out. Nowadays, they put these little crickets into everything, even raisins.
 

Perry Staltic

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Lactobacillus acidophilus (which is used in most store bought yogurts) produces high D-lactate. Here's an example of a probiotic containing L. acidophilus as the possible cause of D-lactic acidosis in a girl with short bowel syndrome.

 
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Perry Staltic

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A surge in fecal d-lactate producing bacteria is associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (Sheedy et al., 2009). While some probiotics reduce generation of d-lactic acid by gut microbiota, others increase this bacterial metabolite and may exacerbate cognitive disorders (Mack, 2004; Munakata et al., 2010).

From the Sheedy paper above.

D-lactic acid, unlike L-lactic acid, is poorly metabolized in mammalian hosts as mammals lack the metabolic enzyme D-lactate-dehydrogenase (35, 36). Increased intestinal colonization of D-lactic acid producing bacteria, as demonstrated in this study, may result in pathophysiological cognitive and neurological responses in CFS patients as reported in patients with D-lactic acidosis.

 

Daniil

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D-lactate is a metabolic burden, but L-lactate is easily metabolized. The body only produces L-lactate and has sufficient enzymes to metabolize it. D-lactate only comes from exogenous sources (gut bacteria, food) and the body lacks sufficient metabolic enzymes for it. Also, D-lactate is highly neurotoxic.

Some yogurt bacteria produce D-lactate (eg, l. acidophilus) and some produce L-lactate (eg, streptoccocus thermophilus). Bulgarian yogurt uses s. thermophilus and l. bulgaricus, which I think produces D-lactate in small quantities (not sure), These two apparently work synergistically, with thermophilus possibly using bulgaricus as a substrate (not sure about this either).

I'm currently doing a half-assed experiment with homemade yogurt using these two, as well as supplementing with other probiotics that only, or mostly, produce L-lactate and acetate.
I wonder if there are ways to increase the processing of D-lactate in the body? For example, add missing enzymes?
 

Tiffany

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From the Sheedy paper above.



You seem very informed on this matter. Do you think any harm would be done if one consumed a yogurt made via l. acidophilus if one heated the yogurt first or ingested it along with a broad-spectrum antibiotic?
 

Dragulescu

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Peat is against yoghurt primarily for the lactic acid content that he considers a metabolic burden, but studies consistently show yoghurt consumption is associated with better health, even more so than other dairy products. One of the earliest written mentions of yogurt by Pliny the Elder specifically emphasises the "agreeable acidity" of yogurt (Yogurt - Wikipedia) produced by its lactic acid content. Why would something that is a metabolic burden produce an agreeable taste, is there more to lactic acid?

There is a ton of research showing that lactic acid has antibacterial properties, some show it can even potentiate the antibacterial properties of other agents (eg Lactic Acid Permeabilizes Gram-Negative Bacteria by Disrupting the Outer Membrane), could it be that consuming yogurt and other fermented foods are beneficial to human health by acting to clean the gut from bacterial overgrowth? Is it possible the negative effects some report from consuming yogurt is not due to the lactic acid directly but rather due to endotoxin being released by dying bacteria? If so one would expect the negative effects from yogurt consumption to be transient and followed by better health in the longterm, as the epidemiological studies suggest.
Peat reacted to pectin in Kefir, and possibly certain yeast strains.

Lactic acid and acetic acid undergo biochemical processes in the intestine which have a net sterilizing affect.
 

rei

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I wonder if there are ways to increase the processing of D-lactate in the body? For example, add missing enzymes?
The body is able to metabolize it in sane quantities, i even remember seeing a presentation where it was shown that our body also does in at least one metabolic process produce it, so the concept of it being completely exogenously produced is apparently wrong.
 

Dr. B

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Many on the autism spectrum have severe gut dysbiosis, and apparently treatment with D-lactate-free probiotics can improve physiological and behavioral condition. Some have high D-lactate levels.




High D-lactate levels are also apparently associated with CFS



how do you fix the gut dysbiosis? charcoal? whole milk due to the fat in it?
 

Ainaga

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lactic acid in yogurt is produced from lactose. would lactose free milk innocuoated with other sugars give the same lactic metabolites?

also, is there a way to test yogurt for amounts or ratios of these isomers?

also, is the ph of L(+) lactic acid higher than that of D(-) lactic acid. is the latter a reactive oxygen species?
 

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