Lactobacillus plantarum
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Lactobacillus plantarum (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) is a dietary supplement with 8 published peer-reviewed studies involving 534 participants, researched for IBS & Gut Health, Gut Barrier & Inflammation, Metabolic Health.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
IBS & Gut Health
StrongGut Barrier & Inflammation
StrongMetabolic Health
ModerateResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
IBS & Gut Health
To evaluate L. plantarum 299v for IBS symptom relief.
Study Type
Double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT
Purpose
To evaluate L. plantarum 299v for IBS symptom relief.
Dose
10 billion CFU/day
Participants
60 IBS patients
Duration
4 weeks
Results
L. plantarum 299v significantly reduced abdominal pain and flatulence compared to placebo. Overall IBS symptom scores improved in 78% of treatment group.
How They Measured It
IBS symptom scores, abdominal pain, flatulence
To confirm efficacy of L. plantarum 299v in a larger IBS population.
Study Type
Multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To confirm efficacy of L. plantarum 299v in a larger IBS population.
Dose
10 billion CFU/day
Participants
214 IBS patients
Duration
4 weeks
Results
Significant reduction in abdominal pain frequency and severity with L. plantarum 299v. Bloating scores also improved significantly.
How They Measured It
Abdominal pain frequency and severity, bloating
To evaluate the efficacy of L. plantarum for IBS.
Study Type
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Purpose
To evaluate the efficacy of L. plantarum for IBS.
Dose
Various
Participants
Meta-analysis of 6 RCTs, 542 patients
Duration
4-12 weeks
Results
L. plantarum showed significant benefits for IBS symptoms, especially abdominal pain (SMD −0.54, 95% CI −0.85 to −0.23). Most benefit with 299v strain.
How They Measured It
Pooled symptom outcomes across RCTs
Gut Barrier & Inflammation
To evaluate L. plantarum on intestinal permeability in critically ill patients.
Study Type
Randomised controlled trial
Purpose
To evaluate L. plantarum on intestinal permeability in critically ill patients.
Dose
10 billion CFU/day
Participants
36 ICU patients
Duration
7 days
Results
L. plantarum significantly reduced intestinal permeability and markers of bacterial translocation compared to standard enteral nutrition alone.
How They Measured It
Lactulose/mannitol ratio, bacterial translocation markers
To assess L. plantarum effects on gut barrier function in healthy volunteers.
Study Type
Human intervention study
Purpose
To assess L. plantarum effects on gut barrier function in healthy volunteers.
Dose
10 billion CFU/day
Participants
30 healthy volunteers
Duration
4 weeks
Results
L. plantarum significantly increased tight junction protein (ZO-1, occludin) expression in duodenal biopsies and improved intestinal permeability measures.
How They Measured It
Duodenal biopsy tight junction protein expression, intestinal permeability tests
To evaluate L. plantarum on inflammatory markers in metabolic syndrome.
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate L. plantarum on inflammatory markers in metabolic syndrome.
Dose
10 billion CFU/day
Participants
80 patients with metabolic syndrome
Duration
12 weeks
Results
L. plantarum significantly reduced hs-CRP and IL-6 levels compared to placebo. TNF-alpha showed a non-significant trend towards reduction.
How They Measured It
hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha
Metabolic Health
To evaluate L. plantarum on cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic adults.
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate L. plantarum on cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic adults.
Dose
1.2 × 10^9 CFU/day
Participants
60 hypercholesterolemic adults
Duration
12 weeks
Results
L. plantarum reduced total cholesterol by 13.6% and LDL-C by 17.4% compared to placebo. HDL-C and triglycerides were not significantly affected.
How They Measured It
Total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides
To evaluate L. plantarum on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.
Study Type
Double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT
Purpose
To evaluate L. plantarum on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.
Dose
10 billion CFU/day
Participants
48 patients with type 2 diabetes
Duration
12 weeks
Results
L. plantarum supplementation significantly reduced fasting glucose and HbA1c levels. HOMA-IR also improved compared to placebo.
How They Measured It
Fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lactobacillus plantarum research
There are currently 8 peer-reviewed studies on Lactobacillus plantarum (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum), involving 534 total participants. Research covers IBS symptom relief, Gut barrier function, Inflammation and 1 more areas. The overall evidence strength is rated as Strong.
The evidence is currently rated as "Strong Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (7 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Lactobacillus plantarum has been researched for: IBS symptom relief, Gut barrier function, Inflammation, Metabolic health. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 7 out of 8 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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