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Bacteria

Bifidobacterium lactis

Bifidobacterium lactis is a bacterial species found in the gut and in fermented milk products. It is one of the most common bacteria in probiotic products.

Gut HealthImmune SupportHair & Skin

What it is studied for

The strongest rated effects first. Bars show the size of the effect, the letter grades the evidence, and each rating lists the studies behind it.

DiarrheaStrongA3 studies
ConstipationStrongA3 studies
Microbiome healthGut HealthStrongA3 studies
Daily ImmunityImmune SupportModerateA3 studies
Immune SupportModerateA3 studies
Gut healthModerateA3 studies
All 11 rated effectsGrouped by health goal, with the publications behind each rating

What does the name mean?

B. lactis refers to Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. Probiotic effects can depend on the strain, identified by an additional code. 1

Key studies

The most recent publications linked to Bifidobacterium lactis's ratings.

Adjudicative efficacy of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80 in treating acute diarrhea in children: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study2024Effect of Probiotic Yogurt Supplementation(Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12) on Gut Microbiota of Female Taekwondo Athletes and Its Relationship with Exercise-Related Psychological Fatigue2023Bifidobacterium lactis CCT 7858 Improves Gastrointestinal Symptoms by Antibiotics Treatment: a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial2022Treatment With Multi-Species Probiotics Changes the Functions, Not the Composition of Gut Microbiota in Postmenopausal Women With Obesity: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study2022Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis HN019 Effects on Gut Health: A Review2021
All 13 studiesEvery publication linked to Bifidobacterium lactis

Why people take it

Gut Health26.1%
Immune Support25.6%
Essential Health22.6%
Detox7.8%
Energy5.6%
Women's Hormones2.9%

SuppCo community snapshot, 2026-09-28. Reasons for use are not evidence that it works.

Questions people ask

Does HN019 reliably relieve constipation?

The recent trials did not demonstrate superiority to placebo. 2 3

Is a higher dose better?

Neither 1 nor 10 billion CFU daily improved the main outcomes in the 2018 trial. 4

How long were recent trials?

The trials published in 2024 and 2025 lasted eight weeks. 2 3

Were the findings about HN019 or all strains?

These trials tested HN019 specifically. 2 3 4

Sources

  1. Probiotics: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals NIH Office of Dietary Supplements