Lactic Acid Bacteria: The Microbes Powering Fermentation

Meet the microbes powering fermentation: lactic acid bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria, or LAB, are a diverse group of Gram-positive bacteria including Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Pediococcus and Weissella. They thrive in sugary environments and convert sugars into lactic acid, which lowers pH and preserves food. That acidification, along with the production of aroma compounds like diacetyl and acetoin and even gentle CO2, carves the distinctive tang and complexity you taste in yogurt, sourdough, sauerkraut, kimchi, cheeses, and many other ferments. LAB also shape texture by driving curd formation and gelation, while exopolysaccharides and enzyme activity contribute to the mouthfeel and the characteristic crunch or creaminess of fermented foods. Beyond flavor and texture, lactic acid bacteria are central to how fermentation interacts with our bodies. LAB in everyday ferments can help improve digestibility of foods, contribute to a balanced gut environment, and produce metabolites that feed or modulate other microbes in the gut ecosystem. This is where platforms like InnerBuddies come in: as a white-label Gut Health Operating System, InnerBuddies enables brands to “power” their gut microbiome testing products with a modular, data-driven framework. The system offers a Gut Microbiome Health Index (a 0–100 score) based on an exclusive collaboration with EAFIT University in Colombia, helping you benchmark gut health at a glance and track changes over time. InnerBuddies also gives consumers and brands deep visibility into the players behind LAB-powered fermentation. It includes Bacteria Abundances, showing a top 40 bacterial lineup and how your results stack up against a healthy cohort; Bacteria Functions, categorized and labeled as positive or negative, with clear comparisons to the healthy baseline; and Target Group Analysis, which dives into how the gut microbiome and functional pathways align with goals like Healthy Aging, Endurance Sport, Skin & Hair Health, and more. Completing the picture, Personalized Nutrition Advice uses 3-day food diaries matched to stool data to tailor diet recommendations, while Personalized Probiotics and Prebiotics Advice suggests strains and prebiotic inputs that fit your unique gut microbiome. Whether you’re exploring LAB for culinary curiosity or looking to bring science-backed gut health insights to customers, InnerBuddies offers consumer-friendly gut test solutions alongside robust B2B options. All of the capabilities available to B2B partners are also accessible directly to consumers, so you can begin with a microbiome test, subscribe to ongoing insights, or partner with InnerBuddies to white-label a complete gut health solution. Learn more about the microbiome test at InnerBuddies microbiome test, consider a subscription at InnerBuddies gut health membership, or explore partnerships at InnerBuddies B2B partner page.