Best Supplements for Reduced Upper Respiratory Infections
Ranked by research evidence. Compare 16 supplements across 21 papers from the biomedical literature, with effect direction, evidence strength, and dose range for each.
Top picks by evidence
- Moderate evidence6 studies
Across 6 studies, 5 reported beneficial effects of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 on reducing upper respiratory infections, with 4 reaching statistical significance. The predominant effect size was moderate, though individual study effects ranged from small to large. The most studied population was healthy infants and young children, and a specific effective dose was reported in one trial as 10 billion colony-forming units/day.
Dose: 10 billion colony-forming units/day (from one study; other studies did not report dose)
16 supplements
- ModerateBifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12Across 6 studies, 5 reported beneficial effects of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 on reducing upper respiratory infections, with 4 reaching statistical significance. The predominant effect size was moderate, though individual study effects ranged from small to large. The most studied population was healthy infants and young children, and a specific effective dose was reported in one trial as 10 billion colony-forming units/day. · Dose: 10 billion colony-forming units/day (from one study; other studies did not report dose)5 beneficial1 neutral6 studies