“Ackermansia is a guardian,” says Lee. — It helps control insulin — if you’re doing well Ackermansia working on your behalf, it actually lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes. It also seems to have an effect on fitness.” He cites a study in which a large number Ackermansia is associated with a lower risk of obesity2. “This association is really important because of the role Ackermansia and control your insulin and metabolism,” he adds.

Suffice it to say, this is one powerful gut bacterium. However, despite the complex nature of your gut microbiome, it’s not too difficult to promote Ackermansia naturally. According to Lee, all it takes is a little pomegranate juice: “It turns out that certain types of polyphenols, ellagitannins, actually make your gut produce more mucus,” he notes. And mucus serves as the “soil” these bacteria need to thrive.

Pomegranate and pomegranate juice contain these ellagitannins3which were shown stimulate growth 4Ackermansia4 in in vitro culture studies. Lee recommends drinking an 8-ounce cup of pure pomegranate juice to perk up: “Two glasses’ worth is enough to get the mucus flowing in your gut,” he notes. While pure pomegranate juice can be quite tart, many commercial products often contain added sugar, and consuming refined sugar has its own problems with gut health.