Lactobacillus reuteri

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    Katie Jantz

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    Giulia Guerrini
    Last Updated: November 4, 2025

    Lactobacillus reuteri is a bacterium with probiotic properties. Supplementation with L. reuteri seems to improve symptoms of infantile colic and could be beneficial in the management of a variety of gastrointestinal issues, including infectious diarrhea and H. pylori infection.

    Lactobacillus reuteri has been reclassified, resulting in a name change to Limosilactobacillus reuteri.

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    Overview

    Dosage information

    Formulation

    Lactobacillus reuteri is available in a variety of dosage forms, including capsules, regular tablets or chewable tablets, liquid drops, lozenges, and powders.

    There are many different strains of L. reuteri. Each strain has a slightly different genetic makeup, meaning the effect of the probiotic can vary between strains. The most commonly studied strains for infantile colic and gastrointestinal health are DSM 17938 and ATCC 55730.[1][2][3][4][5][6] For oral health, most studies have used strains DSM 17938 and ATCC PTA 5289.[7][8][9][10] Other studied strains include ATCC PTA 6475, RC-14, NCIMB 30242, and DSM 17648.[11][12]

    Of note, L. reuteri ATCC 55730 is not available commercially, but it is considered relatively equivalent to its daughter strain, DSM 17938.[13]

    Range of dosages studied

    Dosages of L. reuteri have ranged from 1 x 107 (ten million) colony-forming units (CFUs) to 1 x 1011 (one hundred billion) CFUs per day, for durations of 5 days to 6 months. In children and infants, dosages have usually been limited to 1 x 109 (one billion) CFUs daily.

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    Examine Database References

    1. Heart Rate - Jones ML, Martoni CJ, Di Pietro E, Simon RR, Prakash SEvaluation of clinical safety and tolerance of a Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 supplement capsule: a randomized control trialRegul Toxicol Pharmacol.(2012 Jul)
    2. Apolipoprotein B - Jones ML, Martoni CJ, Parent M, Prakash SCholesterol-lowering efficacy of a microencapsulated bile salt hydrolase-active Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 yoghurt formulation in hypercholesterolaemic adultsBr J Nutr.(2012 May)
    3. Apolipoprotein B - Jones ML, Martoni CJ, Prakash SCholesterol lowering and inhibition of sterol absorption by Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242: a randomized controlled trialEur J Clin Nutr.(2012 Nov)
    4. Plasma Vitamin D - Jones ML, Martoni CJ, Prakash SOral supplementation with probiotic L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 increases mean circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D: a post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trialJ Clin Endocrinol Metab.(2013 Jul)
    5. Triglycerides - Wolf BW, Wheeler KB, Ataya DG, Garleb KASafety and tolerance of Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation to a population infected with the human immunodeficiency virusFood Chem Toxicol.(1998 Dec)
    6. Infant crying - Vaz SR, Tofoli MH, Avelino MAG, da Costa PSSProbiotics for infantile colic: Is there evidence beyond doubt? A meta-analysis and systematic review.Acta Paediatr.(2024 Feb)
    7. Infant crying - Sung V, Collett S, de Gooyer T, Hiscock H, Tang M, Wake MProbiotics to prevent or treat excessive infant crying: systematic review and meta-analysisJAMA Pediatr.(2013 Dec)
    8. Infant crying - Sung V, Hiscock H, Tang ML, Mensah FK, Nation ML, Satzke C, Heine RG, Stock A, Barr RG, Wake MTreating infant colic with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri: double blind, placebo controlled randomised trialBMJ.(2014 Apr 1)
    9. Infant crying - Savino F, Cordisco L, Tarasco V, Palumeri E, Calabrese R, Oggero R, Roos S, Matteuzzi DLactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 in infantile colic: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialPediatrics.(2010 Sep)
    10. Infant crying - Indrio F, Di Mauro A, Riezzo G, Civardi E, Intini C, Corvaglia L, Ballardini E, Bisceglia M, Cinquetti M, Brazzoduro E, Del Vecchio A, Tafuri S, Francavilla RProphylactic use of a probiotic in the prevention of colic, regurgitation, and functional constipation: a randomized clinical trialJAMA Pediatr.(2014 Mar)
    11. Infant crying - Francesco Savino, Emanuela Pelle, Elisabetta Palumeri, Roberto Oggero, Roberto MinieroLactobacillus reuteri (American Type Culture Collection Strain 55730) versus simethicone in the treatment of infantile colic: a prospective randomized studyPediatrics.(2007 Jan)
    12. Infant crying - Roos S, Dicksved J, Tarasco V, Locatelli E, Ricceri F, Grandin U, Savino F454 pyrosequencing analysis on faecal samples from a randomized DBPC trial of colicky infants treated with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938PLoS One.(2013)
    13. Infant crying - Szajewska H, Gyrczuk E, Horvath ALactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 for the management of infantile colic in breastfed infants: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialJ Pediatr.(2013 Feb)
    14. Lung Function - del Campo R, Garriga M, Pérez-Aragón A, Guallarte P, Lamas A, Máiz L, Bayón C, Roy G, Cantón R, Zamora J, Baquero F, Suárez LImprovement of digestive health and reduction in proteobacterial populations in the gut microbiota of cystic fibrosis patients using a Lactobacillus reuteri probiotic preparation: a double blind prospective studyJ Cyst Fibros.(2014 Dec)
    15. Immunity - Mangalat N, Liu Y, Fatheree NY, Ferris MJ, Van Arsdall MR, Chen Z, Rahbar MH, Gleason WA, Norori J, Tran DQ, Rhoads JMSafety and tolerability of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and effects on biomarkers in healthy adults: results from a randomized masked trialPLoS One.(2012)
    16. Immunoglobulin A - Ericson D, Hamberg K, Bratthall G, Sinkiewicz-Enggren G, Ljunggren LSalivary IgA response to probiotic bacteria and mutans streptococci after the use of chewing gum containing Lactobacillus reuteriPathog Dis.(2013 Aug)
    17. TNF-Alpha - Di Nardo G, Oliva S, Menichella A, Pistelli R, De Biase RV, Patriarchi F, Cucchiara S, Stronati LLactobacillus reuteri ATCC55730 in cystic fibrosisJ Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr.(2014 Jan)
    18. Diarrhea Symptoms - Cimperman L, Bayless G, Best K, Diligente A, Mordarski B, Oster M, Smith M, Vatakis F, Wiese D, Steiber A, Katz JA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in hospitalized adultsJ Clin Gastroenterol.(2011 Oct)
    19. Allergic Disease Risk - Abrahamsson TR, Jakobsson T, Björkstén B, Oldaeus G, Jenmalm MCNo effect of probiotics on respiratory allergies: a seven-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial in infancyPediatr Allergy Immunol.(2013 Sep)
    20. Fecal Weight - Coccorullo P, Strisciuglio C, Martinelli M, Miele E, Greco L, Staiano ALactobacillus reuteri (DSM 17938) in infants with functional chronic constipation: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studyJ Pediatr.(2010 Oct)
    21. Helicobacter Pylori Infection Signs - Li M, Wang X, Dong X, Teng G, Dai Y, Wang WLactobacillus reuteri compared with placebo as an adjuvant in Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Therap Adv Gastroenterol.(2024)
    22. Helicobacter Pylori Infection Signs - Francavilla R, Lionetti E, Castellaneta SP, Magistà AM, Maurogiovanni G, Bucci N, De Canio A, Indrio F, Cavallo L, Ierardi E, Miniello VLInhibition of Helicobacter pylori infection in humans by Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 and effect on eradication therapy: a pilot studyHelicobacter.(2008 Apr)
    23. Helicobacter Pylori Infection Signs - Heidrun Mehling, Andreas BusjahnNon-viable Lactobacillus reuteri DSMZ 17648 (Pylopass™) as a new approach to Helicobacter pylori control in humansNutrients.(2013 Aug 2)
    24. Depression Symptoms - Cheng Q, Ran Y, Mo X, Xiao R, He D, Guo S, Wang H, Liu L, Xie PThe efficacy and acceptability of Lactobacillus reuteri for the treatment of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Gen Hosp Psychiatry.(2025 Jul-Aug)
    25. Diarrhea Symptoms - Collinson S, Deans A, Padua-Zamora A, Gregorio GV, Li C, Dans LF, Allen SJProbiotics for treating acute infectious diarrhoea.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.(2020 Dec 8)
    26. Diarrhea Symptoms - Hafiz H Ahmad, Blake Peck, Daniel TerryThe influence of probiotics on gastrointestinal tract infections among children attending childcare: A systematic review and meta-analysisJ Appl Microbiol.(2021 Nov 18)
    27. Diarrhea Symptoms - Sun X, Kong J, Zhu S, Liu CA systematic review and meta-analysis: the therapeutic and preventive effect of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17,938 addition in children with diarrhea.BMC Gastroenterol.(2023 May 5)
    28. Abdominal Pain - Ivana Trivić, Tena Niseteo, Oleg Jadrešin, Iva HojsakUse of probiotics in the treatment of functional abdominal pain in children-systematic review and meta-analysisEur J Pediatr.(2021 Feb)
    29. Blood Pressure - Liu J, Zhu R, Song J, Sohaib M, Wang S, Mao J, Qi J, Xiong X, Zhou W, Guo LLimosilactobacillus reuteri consumption significantly reduces the total cholesterol concentration without affecting other cardiovascular disease risk factors in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Nutr Res.(2023 Sep)
    30. Dental Health Metrics - Ambili R, Nazimudeen NBAdjunctive benefit of probiotic supplementation along with nonsurgical therapy for peri-implant diseases - A systematic review and meta-analysis.J Indian Soc Periodontol.(2023 Jul-Aug)