Best Supplements for Improved Gastrointestinal Health
Ranked by research evidence. Compare 42 supplements across 69 papers from the biomedical literature, with effect direction, evidence strength, and dose range for each.
Top picks by evidence
- Low evidence7 studies
All 7 studies reported beneficial effects of kefir culture on gastrointestinal health, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. However, none of the studies provided statistical significance, and the evidence is based solely on review articles, limiting the strength of conclusions.
- Low evidence3 studies
Across 3 studies (all review articles), all 3 reported beneficial moderate-sized effects of Bacillus clausii SC-109 on gastrointestinal health. No consistent dose, form, or duration data were reported, and one study was conducted in domestic cats, limiting generalizability to humans. The evidence base is small and preliminary.
- Low evidence3 studies
Across 3 review studies, all reported beneficial effects of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 on gastrointestinal health. Effect sizes were mixed (small to large) across the studies. Doses and populations were not consistently reported.
- Very lowLactobacillus salivarius UCC118Across all 10 available studies, every paper reported a beneficial effect of Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 on gastrointestinal health, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. The evidence is uniformly positive but consists entirely of review articles, case reports, and genome-sequence reports — no controlled human trials with reported statistical significance are present. No consistent dose range or study population emerges from the data, limiting the specificity of these findings.10 beneficial10 studies
- LowKefir CultureAll 7 studies reported beneficial effects of kefir culture on gastrointestinal health, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. However, none of the studies provided statistical significance, and the evidence is based solely on review articles, limiting the strength of conclusions.7 beneficial7 studies
- LowBacillus clausii SC-109Across 3 studies (all review articles), all 3 reported beneficial moderate-sized effects of Bacillus clausii SC-109 on gastrointestinal health. No consistent dose, form, or duration data were reported, and one study was conducted in domestic cats, limiting generalizability to humans. The evidence base is small and preliminary.3 beneficial3 studies
- LowBifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12Across 3 review studies, all reported beneficial effects of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 on gastrointestinal health. Effect sizes were mixed (small to large) across the studies. Doses and populations were not consistently reported.3 beneficial3 studies
- LowBifidobacterium plantarumAcross 3 studies, all reported beneficial effects of Bifidobacterium plantarum on gastrointestinal health, with a predominant small effect size. No consistent dose or population data were reported; studies were primarily reviews.3 beneficial3 studies
- Very lowLactobacillus rhamnosusAcross 3 studies (all reviews or non-clinical), all reported beneficial moderate-sized effects on gastrointestinal health, but no studies reported statistically significant results and no dose or duration data were available. The evidence base is small and preliminary.3 beneficial3 studies