Can daily oral supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila improve metabolic parameters in overweight/obese insulin-resistant human volunteers?
Akkermansia muciniphila, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Nature Medicine 2019, PMID 31263284) — compared to placebo, pasteurized A. muciniphila improved insulin sensitivity by 28.62%, reduced insulinemia by 34.08%, and decreased plasma total cholesterol by 8.68%. The study was a single-center pilot study with a relatively small number of participants completing the trial (32 out of 40 enrolled).
Source: Nature Medicine 2019, PMID 31263284 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: high
Nature Medicine · 2019 · PMID 31263284 · DOI 10.1038/s41591-019-0495-2
Pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila supplementation is safe and may improve insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, and other metabolic markers in overweight/obese insulin-resistant individuals.
The question
Can daily oral supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila improve metabolic parameters in overweight/obese insulin-resistant human volunteers?
What they tested
Supplementation with A. muciniphila will be safe, well-tolerated, and improve metabolic parameters in overweight/obese insulin-resistant individuals, given its negative correlation with obesity-related disorders in previous studies.
How they did it
This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. 40 overweight/obese insulin-resistant volunteers were enrolled, with 32 completing the trial. Participants received daily oral supplementation of 10^10 A. muciniphila bacteria (either live or pasteurized) or a placebo for three months. Primary endpoints included safety, tolerability, and metabolic parameters (insulin resistance, circulating lipids, visceral adiposity, body mass), while secondary outcomes were gut barrier function (plasma lipopolysaccharides) and gut microbiota composition.
What they found
Daily oral supplementation of 10^10 A. muciniphila (live or pasteurized) for three months was safe and well tolerated. Compared to placebo, pasteurized A. muciniphila improved insulin sensitivity by 28.62%, reduced insulinemia by 34.08%, and decreased plasma total cholesterol by 8.68%. Pasteurized A. muciniphila also slightly decreased body weight by 2.27 kg, fat mass by 1.37 kg, and hip circumference by 2.63 cm compared to baseline. Additionally, A. muciniphila reduced blood markers for liver dysfunction and inflammation, while the overall gut microbiome structure remained unaffected.
| Insulin Sensitivity Improvement | 28.62 | |
|---|---|---|
| Insulinemia Reduction | -34.08 | |
| Plasma Total Cholesterol Reduction | -8.68 |
Pasteurized A. muciniphila significantly improved insulin sensitivity and reduced insulinemia and plasma total cholesterol compared to placebo.
What it means
This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that supplementation with A. muciniphila is safe, well-tolerated, and improves several metabolic parameters in overweight/obese insulin-resistant individuals.
Limitations
The study was a single-center pilot study with a relatively small number of participants completing the trial (32 out of 40 enrolled).
The paper at a glance
| Title | Supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila in overweight and obese human volunteers: a proof-of-concept exploratory study |
|---|---|
| Journal | Nature Medicine |
| Year | 2019 |
| PMID | 31263284 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41591-019-0495-2 ↗ |
| Topic | Gut microbiome & digestion |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
Where Magellan uses this paper
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Akkermansia muciniphila
In a randomized, double-blind proof-of-concept trial in overweight or obese insulin-resistant adults, three months of daily supplementation with A.
Probiotics
The strongest human evidence is indication-specific: a Cochrane review of 31 trials (8,672 participants) found probiotics cut the risk of Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea during antibiotic use by about 60% (1.5% vs 4.0%), and another Cochrane review found they modestly reduced the incidence and duration…
Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, are intended to confer…
Akkermansia muciniphila is a mucin-degrading, Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium that resides in the…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Can daily oral supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila improve metabolic parameters in overweight/obese insulin-resistant human volunteers? [Plain-English summary of Nature Medicine 2019, PMID 31263284, DOI 10.1038/s41591-019-0495-2]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/akk_human.html@misc{magellan_akk_human,
title = {Can daily oral supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila improve metabolic parameters in overweight/obese insulin-resistant human volunteers?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/akk_human.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 31263284; DOI 10.1038/s41591-019-0495-2; Nature Medicine 2019. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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