Bifidobacterium lactis

Studies in people

• No harm found

  Infant growth²

  Babies fed formula with Bifidobacterium lactis grew the same as babies fed formula without it.

• Open question

  Gut transit time³

  In people, Bifidobacterium lactis was linked to faster gut transit, but scientists say evidence for health claims is still insufficient.

• Benefit

  Gut health in preterm babies⁴

  In preterm babies, Bifidobacterium lactis raised good gut bacteria, but studies were too small to prove it prevents gut disease.

• Benefit

  Immune system support⁵

  Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 may help the immune system, but most studies lasted only a few weeks.

• Benefit

  Constipation in women⁶

  Women with constipation who drank milk with Bifidobacterium lactis went to the toilet more often and more easily.

• No harm found

  Constipation relief⁷

  In people with constipation, Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 did not increase complete spontaneous bowel movements more than placebo.

• Benefit

  Gas and bloating⁸

  In people with gut-brain disorders, Bifidobacterium lactis in a fermented milk product for 28 days reduced reported flatulence and gas episodes.

• Benefit

  Mouth bacteria and tooth decay⁹

  Students who ate yogurt with Bifidobacterium lactis had fewer decay-causing mouth bacteria in their saliva.

• Benefit

  Inflammation and oxidative stress¹⁰

  People who took Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 in milk for 90 days had lower inflammation and oxidative stress markers.

• Benefit

  Gut health in adults¹¹

  In healthy adults, eating yogurt with Bifidobacterium lactis raised a gut substance and lowered mutagenicity.

• Benefit

  Immune health in older adults¹²

  In older people, drinking milk with Bifidobacterium lactis for six weeks boosted some immune defences.

• Open question

  Gut bacteria survival¹³

  Whether Bifidobacterium lactis stays in your gut may depend on the bacteria already living there.

• No harm found

  Gut bacteria during antibiotics¹⁴

  In adults taking antibiotics, eating yogurt with Bifidobacterium lactis caused no more reported side effects than plain yogurt.

• Benefit

  Seasonal hay fever symptoms¹⁵

  People with hay fever taking Bifidobacterium lactis had lower nasal symptom scores than those taking a placebo.

• Benefit

  Infant gut immunity¹⁶

  In infants fed formula with Bifidobacterium lactis, stool IgA rose in some, and immune response after shots rose in cesarean-delivered infants.

• Benefit

  Gut comfort in women¹⁷

  Women who drank milk with Bifidobacterium lactis daily reported better gut comfort, but the effect faded within a week of stopping.

• Benefit

  Baby immune development¹⁸

  In mothers who took Bifidobacterium lactis, early breast milk had more TGF-beta1 and IgA, and babies' cord blood had less sCD14.

• Benefit

  Mouth bacteria¹⁹

  In young adults, eating ice-cream with Bifidobacterium lactis daily may lower levels of mutans streptococci in saliva.

• Concern

  Gut bacteria and bowel habits²⁰

  Bifidobacterium lactis survived digestion and showed up in stool, and higher doses made stool looser.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Mould toxin in food²¹

  Bifidobacterium lactis reduced the mutation-causing effect of aflatoxin B1, a mould toxin sometimes found in food.

• Open question

  Gut inflammation and cancer²²

  In lab studies, Bifidobacterium lactis raised Cox-1 and lowered Cox-2 in gut cells, but the authors only suggest this may matter.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.