Probiotics

    Written by:
    Daryl Nault

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Nick Milazzo
    Last Updated: September 28, 2023

    Probiotics are microorganisms that can have a positive effect on health.

    53,833 participants in 11 trials and 22 meta-analyses

    What are other names for Probiotics?

    Note that Probiotics is also known as:

    • probiotic

    Update History

    Examine Database References

    1. Fecal Calprotectin - Coffey MJ, Garg M, Homaira N, Jaffe A, Ooi CYProbiotics for people with cystic fibrosis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.(2020-Jan-22)
    2. Gestational Diabetes Risk - Li X, Zhang L, He Y, Zhang D, Zhang SProbiotics for the prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Biomol Biomed.(2024 Apr 20)
    3. Insulin Resistance - Farajipour H, Matin HR, Asemi Z, Sadr S, Tajabadi-Ebrahimi M, Sharifi N, Banikazemi Z, Taghizadeh M, Mirzaei HThe effects of probiotics supplements on metabolic indices and clinical signs in patients with diabetic retinopathy, a randomized double blind clinical trial.J Diabetes Metab Disord.(2024 Jun)
    4. Hair Regrowth - Mori-Ichioka A, Sunada Y, Koikeda T, Matsuda H, Matsuo SEffect of applying Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum N793 to the scalps of men and women with thinning hair: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study.Biosci Microbiota Food Health.(2024)
    5. Hair Regrowth - García-Navarro A, Vasallo-Morillas MI, Navarro-Belmonte R, Vilanova C, Torrent D, Kilasoniya A, Moles-Ugeda I, Gallego-Herrera E, Ramírez-Boscá ARandomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Effect of Probiotic Intake on Androgenic Alopecia.Nutrients.(2024 Aug 30)
    6. Sleep Quality - .(2024-05-30)
    7. Cognition - Casertano M, Dekker M, Valentino V, De Filippis F, Fogliano V, Ercolini DGaba-producing lactobacilli boost cognitive reactivity to negative mood without improving cognitive performance: A human Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Cross-Over study.Brain Behav Immun.(2024 Nov)
    8. Total cholesterol - Mozaffari S, Aliari M, Emamgholipour S, Hosseini H, Amirkiasar PR, Zare M, Katsiki N, Panahi G, Sahebkar AThe effect of probiotic consumption on lipid profile, glycemic index, inflammatory markers, and liver function in NAFLD patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Diabetes Complications.(2024 Jun 6)
    9. Total cholesterol - Song Y, Liu S, Zhang L, Zhao W, Qin Y, Liu MThe effect of gut microbiome-targeted therapies in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Front Nutr.(2024)
    10. Oral Cancer Symptoms - Lin P, Zhuang J, Lai J, Cui J, Jiang D, Huang JEfficacy of probiotics in the treatment of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Microb Pathog.(2024 Jul 4)
    11. Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms - Wu Y, Li Y, Zheng Q, Li LThe Efficacy of Probiotics, Prebiotics, Synbiotics, and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.Nutrients.(2024 Jul 2)
    12. Mucositis Symptoms - Zhu Z, Pan W, Ming X, Wu J, Zhang X, Miao J, Cui WThe effect of probiotics on severe oral mucositis in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy: A meta-analysis.J Stomatol Oral Maxillofac Surg.(2024 Aug 24)
    13. Diarrhea Symptoms - Siritientong T, Thet D, Leelakanok N, Areepium NOral probiotic supplementation to alleviate diarrhea induced by fluoropyrimidines or irinotecan-based chemotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Complement Ther Med.(2025 May)
    14. Autism Symptoms - Kotowska M, Kołodziej M, Szajewska H, Łukasik JThe impact of probiotics on core autism symptoms - A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Clin Nutr ESPEN.(2024 Aug 20)
    15. Autism Symptoms - Lin CH, Zeng T, Lu CW, Li DY, Liu YY, Li BM, Chen SQ, Deng YHEfficacy and safety of Bacteroides fragilis BF839 for pediatric autism spectrum disorder: a randomized clinical trial.Front Nutr.(2024)
    16. Autism Symptoms - Soleimanpour S, Abavisani M, Khoshrou A, Sahebkar AProbiotics for autism spectrum disorder: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of effects on symptoms.J Psychiatr Res.(2024 Sep 11)
    17. Psoriasis Symptoms - Zhu Y, Xu F, Chen H, Zheng QThe efficacy and safety of probiotics in the adjuvant treatment of psoriasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Front Med (Lausanne).(2024 Sep 4)
    18. Testosterone - Ljunggren L, Butler E, Axelsson J, Åström M, Ohlsson LEffects of probiotic supplementation on testosterone levels in healthy ageing men: A 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial.Contemp Clin Trials Commun.(2024 Jun)
    19. Weight - Paiandeh M, Maghalian M, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, Mirghafourvand MThe effect of probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic supplements on anthropometric measures and respiratory infections in malnourished children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.BMC Pediatr.(2024 Nov 6)
    20. Body Fat - Shin SM, Park JS, Kim SB, Cho YH, Seo H, Lee HSA 12-Week, Single-Centre, Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Design Clinical Trial for the Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SKO-001 in Reducing Body Fat.Nutrients.(2024 Apr 11)
    21. All-Cause Mortality - McDougall A, Nguyen R, Nguyen PY, Allen C, Cheang S, Makama M, Mills K, Hastie R, Ammerdorffer A, Gulmezoglu AM, Vogel JPThe effects of probiotics administration during pregnancy on preeclampsia and associated maternal, fetal, and newborn outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM.(2024 Mar 4)
    22. Blood glucose - Hejazi N, Ghalandari H, Rahmanian R, Haghpanah F, Makhtoomi M, Asadi A, Askarpour MEffects of probiotics supplementation on glycemic profile in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A grade-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Clin Nutr ESPEN.(2024 Sep 28)
    23. Depression Symptoms - Chen L, Zhou J, Xu T, Xu L, Yu CThe Effect of Probiotics on Obesity with Comorbid Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Br J Hosp Med (Lond).(2024 Sep 30)
    24. Asthma Symptoms - Balan D, Baral T, Manu MK, Mohapatra AK, Miraj SSEfficacy of probiotics as adjuvant therapy in bronchial asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol.(2024 Nov 19)
    25. Migraine Severity - Tirani SA, Khorvash F, Saneei P, Moradmand Z, Askari GEffects of probiotic and vitamin D co-supplementation on clinical symptoms, mental health, and inflammation in adult patients with migraine headache: a randomized, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.BMC Med.(2024 Oct 11)
    26. Helicobacter Pylori Infection Signs - Tanashat M, Abuelazm M, Abouzid M, Al-Ajlouni YA, Ramadan A, Alsalah S, Sharaf A, Ayman D, Elharti H, Zhana S, Altobaishat O, Abdelazeem B, Jaber FEfficacy of probiotics regimens for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A systematic review, pairwise, and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Clin Nutr ESPEN.(2025 Dec 3)
    27. Helicobacter Pylori Infection Signs - Li M, Xie YEfficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii as an adjuvant therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori: a meta-analysis.Front Cell Infect Microbiol.(2025)
    28. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) - Romero-Ferreiro V, García-Fernández L, Biscaia JM, Romero C, González-Soltero R, De la Fuente M, Álvarez-Mon MA, Wynn R, Rodriguez-Jimenez REffect of probiotics on C-reactive protein levels in schizophrenia: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis.Complement Ther Med.(2025 May)
    29. HbA1c - Japar KV, Hariyanto TI, Hamzah DV, Prasetya IB, Suastika KProbiotics Supplementation for Improving Glucolipid Parameters in Individuals with Prediabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins.(2025 Jan 14)
    30. Eczema Symptoms - Tan-Lim CSC, Esteban-Ipac NARSystematic review and meta-analysis on probiotics as treatment for food allergies among pediatric patients: A 2024 update.Pediatr Allergy Immunol.(2025 Jan 13)
    31. Vaginal Infection Risk - Yefet E, Suleiman A, Colodner R, Battino S, Wattad M, Kuzmin O, Nachum ZEfficacy of Oral Probiotic Supplementation in Preventing Vulvovaginal Infections During Pregnancy: A Randomized and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.Nutrients.(2024 Dec 22)
    32. Dental Health Metrics - Benavides-Reyes C, Cabello I, Magán-Fernández A, Rodríguez-Barranco M, Usta SN, Mesa FClinical effects of probiotics on the treatment of gingivitis and periodontitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Oral Health.(2025 Apr 4)