Streptococcus thermophilus NBRC 13957
Main Benefits: promotes gastrointestinal and oral health.
Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus is a lactic acid-producing bacterium widely used as a starter culture in the dairy industry to make cheese and yogurt.
S. thermophilus has also gained interest in recent years due to its human health-promoting capabilities, which include the production of short-chain fatty acids, bioactive peptides, GABA, folate, lactase, antioxidants, and the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase.i,ii
One attribute of S. thermophilus is its ability to produce the enzyme lactase, which helps lactose-intolerant people digest milk.iii
It is a species that is part of the oral microbiota in many humans; several strains are used in oral probiotic products to reduce the incidence of dental cavities and correct bad breath.iv
Studies have shown that S. thermophilus bacteria produce small, biologically active peptides known as thermophiles that inhibit growth or directly kill pathogens.