IngredientesLactobacillus helveticus was first described by Orla-Jensen in 1919 under the name Thermobacterium helveticum, in which the prefix "thermos" referred to the high temperature used for the production of Emmental, the initial isolation source of the bacterium. The species was formally reclassified as Lactobacillus helveticus (Orla-Jensen 1919) Bergey et al. 1925, with historical synonyms including Caseobacterium e (Orla-Jensen 1909), Bacillus e (von Freudenreich 1895), Bacillus casei e (von Freudenreich and Thoni 1904), and Thermobacterium helveticum (Orla-Jensen 1919). At one point the organism was also described as Lactobacillus suntoryeus; it was later confirmed to be the same species, with this synonym formalized in 2006.
The organism belongs to the phylum Firmicutes, class Bacilli, order Lactobacillales. Members of the Lactobacillus genus are rod-shaped, Gram-positive, catalase-negative, acid-tolerant, and nonsporulating anaerobic bacteria with a low GC content in their DNA, generally about 40 mol%. Phylogenetically, L. helveticus belongs to the Lactobacillus delbrueckii group and is strikingly close to Lactobacillus acidophilus, differing by only 1.6% in their 16S rDNA sequences. As members of the amended Lactobacillus genus, L. helveticus and L. acidophilus were identified as closely related (greater than 98% sequence identity across the entire genome); both are phylogenetically associated with certain gut bacteria and can survive in gut and dairy environments.
Lactobacillus helveticus cells are Gram-positive, catalase-negative, nonsporeforming, rod-shaped organisms with a diameter of 0.5 to 1.1 μm, classified as thermophilic lactobacilli. It is a thermophilic, obligately homofermentative lactic acid bacterium. Thriving at 42–45 °C, it produces lactic acid as its main metabolic product, an ideal profile for cheesemaking. The species is further characterized by its ability to grow at a relatively high temperature of approximately 55 °C and by being proteolytic.
L. helveticus, previously known as Thermobacterium helveticus, is isolated mainly from dairy sources such as sour milk and cheese. In addition to Swiss-type cheeses, strains belonging to this species are present in natural whey cultures from Italian long-ripened cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, strongly suggesting that the primary habitat of this species is the dairy environment. More broadly, lactic acid bacteria occupy a diverse set of ecological niches ranging from foods, such as fermented dairy products, wine, and sourdough, to more diverse environments including soil, plants, and the human gastrointestinal tract.
L. helveticus is a "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) microorganism, which was also given the "Qualified Presumption of Safety" (QPS) status by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2007.
Lactobacillus helveticus carries GRAS status and displays a number of features that make it particularly suitable for dairy applications. It is traditionally used in the manufacture of Swiss-type cheeses and long-ripened Italian cheeses such as Emmental, Gruyère, Grana Padano, and Parmigiano Reggiano, and it is the prevalent species recovered from natural lactic starter cultures used for the production of typical Italian cheeses.
L. helveticus is one of the species of lactic acid bacteria most commonly used in the production of fermented milk beverages and some types of hard cheese. The versatile nature of this bacterium is based on its highly efficient proteolytic system consisting of cell-envelope proteinases (CEPs), transport systems, and intracellular peptidases. In addition to its use in cheese processing, the production of fermented milk preparations with health-promoting properties has become an important industrial application.
As a probiotic dietary supplement, L. helveticus has most often been taken by mouth alone in doses of 0.4–20 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) daily for up to 14 weeks. It is sometimes added to fermented foods such as yogurts but is most commonly found in dietary supplement capsule and powder formulations.
Two commercially significant fermented milk products have been produced using L. helveticus strains. A commercially available fermented milk product marketed as suitable for those with mild hypertension is Calpis sour milk, fermented with Lactobacillus helveticus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, produced by Calpis Food Industry in Japan. Another commercially available fermented milk product is Evolus, produced by Valio in Finland, which was marketed as a functional food to help lower blood pressure. Both products are fermented with L. helveticus strains and contain the bioactive peptides VPP and IPP, responsible for in vitro ACE inhibition, which are produced by proteolysis of caseins.
The species was first described in its connection to Thermobacterium helveticum in 1919, isolated from Emmental cheese, the high-temperature production of which gave it its name. The species name helveticus is derived from "Helvetia," the ancient Latin name for Switzerland, honoring its discovery in iconic Swiss cheeses such as Emmental.
As an important food-associated species, L. helveticus has been traditionally used in the manufacture of Swiss-type cheeses and long-ripened Italian cheeses such as Emmental, Gruyère, and Provolone. Its use in European cheesemaking extends back for centuries as an integral component of artisanal cultures, though formal scientific recognition of the organism only emerged in the early twentieth century. Every mention of Lactobacillus helveticus recalls centuries of cheesemaking traditions and how microbial science intertwined with culture to shape foods still beloved today.
L. helveticus is a homofermentative, thermophilic lactic acid bacterium widely used in the manufacture of Swiss-type and Italian aged cheeses, and fermented milk drinks. It has the ability to reduce bitterness and give characteristic flavor to cheese, making this bacterium an important component of starter cultures for the dairy industry.
L. helveticus is also used as a starter, usually paired with Streptococcus thermophilus, in some yogurt and yogurt-like products. Consumer interest in functional food has motivated researchers to focus on the bioactive compounds formed during fermentation of dairy products by lactic acid bacteria such as L. helveticus.
The use of L. helveticus-fermented milk as a functional beverage for blood pressure management has a documented history in Japan, where sour milk fermented with this species gained regulatory recognition. Some food products containing antihypertensive peptides and proven antihypertensive effects in clinical studies were recognized as functional foods, Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU), in Japan.
As a lactic acid bacterium, L. helveticus produces lactic acid as a major product of its metabolism. Lactic acid contributes to the characteristic acidification of dairy substrates, inhibits competing pathogens by lowering pH, and is central to the organism's role as a dairy starter culture.
Milk fermented with L. helveticus contains small peptides such as isoleucyl-prolyl-proline (Ile-Pro-Pro, IPP) and valyl-prolyl-proline (Val-Pro-Pro, VPP), which inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). ACE plays a dual role in the regulation of hypertension: it catalyzes the production of the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II and inactivates the vasodilator bradykinin. By inhibiting these processes, ACE inhibitors have antihypertensive effects. Peptides derived from milk proteins can thus have ACE-inhibiting properties and may be used as antihypertensive components.
Research has explored the ability of L. helveticus strains to release sequences of short biologically active peptides, containing 2–10 amino acid residues, from casein. κ-Casein proved to be the main source of short peptides released by bacterial enzymes, and hydrolysis of κ-casein yielded eighty-two bioactive peptides. Hydrolysis of αS2-casein, αS1-casein, and β-casein yielded six, two, and one short-chain bioactive peptides, respectively. A vast majority of the isolated bioactive peptides caused inhibition of the angiotensin-converting enzyme and dipeptidyl peptidase IV. The role of hydrolysis products as neuropeptides is also noted.
The versatile nature of this bacterium is based on its highly efficient proteolytic system consisting of cell-envelope proteinases (CEPs), transport systems, and intracellular peptidases. The L. helveticus proteolytic system is very efficient and comprises numerous enzymes with various functions. In L. helveticus, several genes encoding putative CEPs have been detected and characterized by a large intraspecific diversity. Anchored at the bacterial surface, CEPs are large-sized enzymes (greater than 150 kDa) that hydrolyze β- and αs1-casein.
L. helveticus is one of the commonly used starter cultures with considerable proteolytic capacity. During proteolysis, proteins are usually degraded into oligopeptides (2–20 amino acids) by the cell envelope proteinase (CEP) of lactic acid bacteria, and are then transported via peptide transport systems into cells for further degradation.
The ability of L. helveticus to form exopolysaccharides (EPS) as postbiotics can help improve the quality of dairy products and their nutritional content. Owing to their potential applicability as viscosifiers, emulsifying, and texturizing agents in the fermented dairy industry, EPS exhibit distinctive physical and rheological properties, and EPS-producing lactobacilli are used to improve the texture, rheology, and mouthfeel of products such as yogurt and cheese. EPS produced by L. helveticus MB2-1 can also be a source of natural antioxidants with medicinal and nutritional food applications.
Supernatant from milk fermented with L. helveticus LA, a highly proteolytic strain, exerted a high calcium-binding activity. A peptide produced from the hydrolysis of alpha casein responsible for this effect was purified and sequenced. Strains 16H and LBK-16H have been reported to have a positive effect on calcium metabolism, bone volume, bone formation, and bone mineral density.
One of the mechanisms that regulates blood pressure is the renin-angiotensin system, a cascade of reactions leading to the formation of angiotensin II, which has a strong vasoconstrictive and blood pressure-increasing effect. Inhibition of one of the key enzymes in this cascade—Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme (ACE)—reduces formation of angiotensin II and thus has a blood pressure-lowering effect. VPP and IPP inhibit ACE by blocking its active site, thus preventing it from activating angiotensin. It is known that the two sequences VPP and IPP are present in bovine beta-casein and that suitable hydrolysis of this casein makes it possible to obtain these tripeptides.
Several in vitro studies showed that L. helveticus possesses many common probiotic properties, such as the ability to survive gastrointestinal transit, adhere to epithelial cells, and antagonize pathogens. In vivo studies in murine models showed that L. helveticus could prevent gastrointestinal infections, enhance protection against pathogens, modulate host immune responses, and affect the composition of the intestinal microbiota.
L. helveticus carries many properties such as the ability to survive gastrointestinal transit, modulate the host immune response, accumulate biopeptides in milk, and adhere to epithelial cells. It shows a range of pro-technological features, such as the ability to produce large quantities of lactic acid in milk and release, after autolysis, a complex series of enzymes in the matrix.
Animal research has suggested that Bifidobacterium longum and L. helveticus synergistically suppress stress-related visceral hypersensitivity through hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis modulation. Proposed neuroactive mechanisms for probiotic species include the ability to produce neurotransmitters such as GABA and serotonin, modulate the HPA axis, and exert immunomodulatory effects.
In vitro study of the effect of milk fermented with L. helveticus LBK-16H and its isolated peptides IPP and VPP showed an anabolic effect on bone. Milk fermented with L. helveticus 16H was also shown to increase bone mineral density and bone mineral content in growing rats. The same strain has been reported to produce some bioactive peptides in milk that exert a positive effect on calcium metabolism.
Evidence level: Moderate but contested; effects are modest and population-dependent.
In a randomized placebo-controlled study evaluating the long-term blood pressure-lowering effect of milk fermented by L. helveticus LBK-16H, 39 hypertensive patients received 150 mL/d of either fermented milk or a control product for 21 weeks after a 2-week run-in period. The average baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure values in the test product group were 155 and 97 mm Hg, respectively. Outcomes from this trial showed that L. helveticus fermented milk lowered blood pressure in hypertensive subjects as measured by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
In the first Japanese study with the fermented milk, hypertensive subjects were randomly assigned to two groups: one group ingested 95 mL of milk containing 3.4 mg of VPP and IPP daily for 8 weeks; the other group ingested the same amount of artificially acidified milk as a placebo. In the fermented milk group, systolic blood pressure decreased significantly between 4 and 8 weeks after the beginning of ingestion, but not in the placebo group. Clinical tests for Japanese subjects with different blood pressure levels confirmed mild and prolonged effects for hypertensive subjects following oral administration.
Randomized controlled trials in humans have shown modest reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people with mild hypertension who consumed fermented milk products containing L. helveticus-derived peptides, compared to placebo. Meta-analyses indicate that the effect size is small but statistically significant.
Clinical studies show promising results, though effectiveness appears to vary across populations, with stronger outcomes reported in Asian groups compared to Caucasian ones, likely reflecting genetic, dietary, or microbiome differences.
Regulatory position: Other studies displayed major methodological limitations, such as in randomization, treatment allocation, blinding, and statistical analysis. The EFSA panel concluded that a cause-and-effect relationship between the consumption of IPP and VPP and the maintenance of normal blood pressure has not been established (EFSA 2011). The European Food Safety Authority has stated that the evidence is not sufficiently robust to allow health claims for blood pressure reduction in the general population, largely due to variation in study quality and results.
Evidence level: Preliminary and mixed; human evidence is limited and results are inconsistent.
In a previous clinical study, a probiotic formulation consisting of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 decreased stress-induced gastrointestinal discomfort. The combination of L. helveticus R0052 and B. longum R0175 is particularly well studied in terms of its central nervous system action, with a significantly deciphered mechanism.
In a key 2011 study by Messaoudi et al. (published in British Journal of Nutrition), beneficial psychological effects of the probiotic formulation of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 were reported in healthy human volunteers (published in Gut Microbes, 2011).
However, a later, more rigorous trial produced null results. Seventy-nine participants not currently taking psychotropic medications with at least moderate scores on self-report mood measures were randomly allocated to receive either a probiotic preparation containing L. helveticus and B. longum or a matched placebo, in a double-blind trial for 8 weeks. Data were analyzed as intent-to-treat. No significant difference was found between the probiotic and placebo groups on any psychological outcome measure.
A systematic review found that the human research assessing the impact of probiotics on psychological outcomes is limited, and that the few existing human trials assessed the effect of various probiotic strains on mood primarily in healthy samples. Overall, the evidence for L. helveticus as a psychobiotic in clinically depressed populations is insufficient; results from healthy volunteer studies are more promising, but replication in adequately powered trials is needed.
Evidence level: Preliminary; limited to small or specific populations.
One study showed consumption of fermented milk with L. helveticus improved sleep in patients aged 60–81 years. This finding refers to the study by Yamamura et al. (2009), which examined L. helveticus-fermented milk on sleep and health perception in elderly subjects, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study by Yamamura et al. examined the effect of Lactobacillus helveticus fermented milk on sleep and health perception in elderly subjects, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009. Broader, adequately controlled human trials on this endpoint are lacking.
Evidence level: Primarily preclinical (animal and in vitro); limited human data.
L. helveticus-fermented milk has been shown to increase calcium absorption compared to ordinary sour milk. Animal studies examined the possible effect of L. helveticus-fermented milk on bone in growing rats. Strains L. helveticus 16H and LBK-16H have been reported to have a positive effect on calcium metabolism, bone volume, bone formation, and bone mineral density. An in vitro study examined the effect of milk fermented with L. helveticus LBK-16H and its isolated peptides IPP and VPP, and found an anabolic effect on bone. Milk fermented with L. helveticus 16H was also shown to increase bone mineral density and bone mineral content in growing rats. Human clinical evidence for this application remains limited.
Evidence level: Moderate in vitro and animal evidence; human clinical evidence limited.
Several in vitro studies showed that L. helveticus possesses many common probiotic properties, such as the ability to survive gastrointestinal transit, adhere to epithelial cells, and antagonize pathogens. In vivo studies in murine models showed that L. helveticus could prevent gastrointestinal infections, enhance protection against pathogens, modulate host immune responses, and affect the composition of the intestinal microbiota.
L. helveticus is used as a probiotic with many direct and indirect health-promoting properties, including the antagonism of pathogens, the modulation of host immune responses, the impact on the composition of the intestinal microbiota, and the reduction of blood pressure, allergens, and toxic compounds.
Evidence level: In vitro and limited in vivo animal/human data.
Use of L. helveticus strain HY7801, both orally and intra-vaginally, decreased myeloperoxidase activity in vaginal tissue, which is normally caused by Candida albicans proliferation. It was also demonstrated that L. helveticus exerted its protective effect when administered orally. It has been suggested that L. helveticus may act not only through the production of hydrogen peroxide, lactic acid, or other antimicrobial products, but also by stimulating host immunity at the systemic level. The beneficial effects in the vagina are of particular relevance to recurrent vulvo-vaginal candidiasis, which is at least partially caused by the spread of resistant C. albicans strains that can originate from prolonged antimicrobial treatments.
L. helveticus produces less D(−)-lactic acid than Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus during milk fermentations. In some yogurt products for infants where the presence of the D(−) isomer may be a problem, this characteristic is advantageous. The organism's highly active proteolytic system has been studied for its potential to reduce the allergenicity of milk proteins, although this work remains largely experimental.
L. helveticus has most often been taken by mouth alone in doses of 0.4–20 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) daily for up to 14 weeks in studies involving adults.
In blood pressure studies involving fermented milk, hypertensive subjects ingested 95 mL of the fermented milk, containing 3.4 mg of VPP and IPP, daily for 8 weeks. In the Finnish RCT by Seppo et al. (2003), 39 hypertensive patients received 150 mL/d of either L. helveticus LBK-16H fermented milk or a control product for 21 weeks after a 2-week run-in period.
In psychobiotic research, the clinical trial by Romijn et al. randomly allocated participants to receive either a probiotic preparation containing Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum or a matched placebo in a double-blind trial for 8 weeks. The specific strain and CFU count in this trial were those of the commercially available R0052/R0175 combination.
When taken by mouth, L. helveticus is possibly safe for most people. It has been used safely alone or together with other probiotics in doses of up to 20 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) daily for up to 14 weeks, and it seems to be well tolerated.
Genome sequencing of L. helveticus KLDS1.8701 disclosed that the genome carries no transferable antibiotic resistance genes, no virulence factors, and only 3 genes related to adverse metabolites. In vitro results showed that the strain was resistant against 6 antimicrobials but did not raise safety concerns about biogenic amine, D-lactic acid, and nitroreductase. In vivo results revealed that no adverse effects were observed in oral toxicity tests in experimental rats. Overall, findings suggested that L. helveticus KLDS1.8701 is safe and can be used as a potential probiotic for human consumption.
Acute oral treatment of rats showed that signs of toxicity or mortality were not caused in any of the animals by a single dose of 6 × 1010 CFU of L. helveticus KLDS1.8701 per kg body weight through the oral route. There were no changes in general behavior or physical activity during 14 days of observation, and body weight change and feed consumption were not significantly different from the control group. No treatment-related pathological changes of internal organs were detected by macroscopic observations.
L. helveticus is a type of live bacteria. Antibiotics are used to reduce harmful bacteria in the body. Taking antibiotics along with L. helveticus can reduce the effects of L. helveticus. To avoid this interaction, L. helveticus products should be taken at least 2 hours before or after antibiotics.
There is insufficient reliable information to know if heat-killed L. helveticus is safe or what the side effects might be. There is not enough reliable information to know if L. helveticus is safe to use when pregnant or breastfeeding, though there are no reasons to expect safety concerns when used appropriately. L. helveticus is possibly safe in most children when taken by mouth appropriately.
Genome analysis disclosed that L. helveticus KLDS1.8701 carries no transferable antibiotic resistance genes, no virulence factors, and only 3 genes related to adverse metabolites. This is a critical safety criterion for probiotic strains, as transferable antibiotic resistance poses a public health risk. Not all strains have been fully characterized, and safety assessments are considered strain-specific.
Studies on L. helveticus-derived peptides and blood pressure have displayed major methodological limitations, including in randomization, treatment allocation, blinding, and statistical analysis. EFSA concluded in 2011 that a cause-and-effect relationship between consumption of IPP and VPP and the maintenance of normal blood pressure has not been established.
Clinical findings on mental health and depression suggest that evidence for probiotics in this area relies mainly on evidence from animal studies in which certain probiotic strains affected emotional behaviour and brain activity. Human trials are limited in number, population heterogeneity, and statistical power, and results have not been consistently replicated.
Condiciones de salud que Lactobacillus helveticus puede ayudar a apoyar.
Lactobacillus helveticus is a thermophilic probiotic species used in Swiss and Italian cheese fermentation that produces bioactive peptides (lactotripeptides) with documented gut microbiome-modulating and immunomodulatory effects. Clinical studies confirm it modulates gut microbiota composition and reduces gut inflammation.
Lactobacillus helveticus, particularly strain R0052, has RCT evidence in humans for gut-brain axis effects including reduced anxiety and depression when combined with Bifidobacterium longum. An fMRI study showed that a combination including L. helveticus R0052 reduced activation in key emotional regulation brain areas. It is one of the best-characterized psychobiotic strains.
Lactobacillus helveticus is included in the probiotic significance literature for urogenital health, recognized among the highly regarded probiotic Lactobacillus species with documented roles in the urinary and gastrointestinal tract flora. A PMC review (2024) lists it among recognized probiotic Lactobacillus strains with impacts on the urinary microbiome. It contributes to urinary flora balance through lactic acid production and antimicrobial activity.
Lactobacillus helveticus is a native vaginal isolate found in healthy women and has been shown in vitro to reduce viability of G. vaginalis and Prevotella bivia (BV-associated bacteria) and to interfere with pathogen adhesion to the urovaginal surface. It was a component of a multi-strain vaginal capsule (W74 strain) that restored Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbiota in a clinical study. L. helveticus was the dominant species observed during lactoferrin treatment in a BV RCT.
Sistemas corporales que Lactobacillus helveticus puede ayudar a apoyar.
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