Bifidobacterium was first isolated in 1899 at the Pasteur Institute by Dr.Henry Tissier from the feces of a breast-fed infant.
Newborns normally start life free from microbes, but by one week after birth, almost their entire intestinal tract becomes inhabited by bifidobacteria.
This population begins a gradual decline when the infant starts weaning, temporarily levels off during adulthood, and then decreases with old age.
The fewer the “good” bifidobacteria in the intestine, the more the harmful bacteria riside, leading to increased production of putrefactive products such as ammonia.