The three independent studies, compiled in a white paper published by New Zealand-based oral probiotics company Blis Technologies Ltd., provide evidence that the strain can reduce the frequency and duration of respiratory illness.
“We always say the mouth is the door to the body, and these studies help confirm the role the oral microbiome plays in our overall health and immunity.” said John Hale, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer at Blis Technologies.
Little Bacterial “Bullets”
Developed by scientists at the University of Otago, New Zealand, BLIS K12 is a specific proprietary strain of Streptococcus salivarius (S. salivarius)first isolated from the mouth of a healthy child.
The commensal bacterium secretes powerful antimicrobial molecules that the company describes as “tiny bacterial ‘bullets’ that inhibit bad bacteria”. These are called bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances, or simply BLIS.
“Daily consumption of BLIS K12 helps ward off bad bacteria, optimizing your body’s natural ability to defend itself against airborne germs and potential threats.”Hale explained.
Blis Technologies introduced the strain as a key ingredient in its ThroatHealth lozenges in 2002, clinically proven to reduce the recurrence of throat infections and tonsillitis by up to 90%. Since then, the company has established itself as a leader in oral probiotic health, adding two more proprietary strains – BLIS M18 for dental health and BLIS Q24 for skin health.
What does the white paper say?
The first study, developed by researchers in Italy, examined the occurrence of Covid-19 in school-age children. The randomized controlled trial administered a 90-day treatment to 128 participants and found that none of the 64 children taking BLIS K12 tested positive for Covid-19 compared to a 38% positivity rate in the non-treated group. took probiotics.
“These results appear strongly consistent with the hypotheses made regarding: 1) the close relationship between the oral microbiota and the lung microbiota; 2) the possibility that an oral microbiota that is not dominated by pathogenic or gram-negative species favors the establishment of a lung microbiota that is less likely to develop inflammatory responses to viruses; and 3) the idea that administration of orally colonized bacteria belonging to the microbial consortia most commonly found in subjects unaffected by Covid-19 protects against infection,” write the authors of the study.
Meanwhile, a Chinese study in Wuhan used BLIS K12 as an adjunct in the treatment of recurrent recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (RRTi) in children during the cold season. The results showed that consuming BLIS K12 for 30 days, along with conventional treatments, reduced the relapse rate from 34% to 15%. Children in the treatment group had shorter and milder symptoms, less absenteeism from school, and less antibiotic and antiviral treatment.
“The use of oropharyngeal probiotics as an adjunctive treatment to stabilize the oropharyngeal microflora, specifically inhibit respiratory pathogens, could be a promising approach to reduce the burden of RRTi and combat antibiotic resistance in the long term,”indicate the authors of the study.
In the third study, 193 frontline healthcare workers in China took two BLIS K12 tablets daily for one month to investigate the effect of the probiotic on the prevalence and duration of respiratory infections. Researchers found that it reduced the incidence of respiratory infections by 64.8%, reduced the duration of respiratory tract infections and oral ulcers by 78%, and reduced days absent from work by 95.5%.
All three studies call for further research under more controlled conditions.