Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and Reduced Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea

Research synthesisLow evidenceMixed effect size3 studies · 2 beneficial · 1 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 3 studies, 2 reported beneficial effects (one large, one moderate) and 1 reported a neutral small effect. The predominant effect direction is beneficial, with mixed effect sizes (small to large). The only statistically significant finding comes from a review citing large effects in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea, while a recent RCT in healthy children showed no benefit. Most studies did not specify dose or population, limiting generalizability.

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. The most recent RCT (2026) in healthy children found no benefit, conflicting with older reviews that reported beneficial effects, raising concern that earlier positive results may reflect publication bias or different populations.

Generated May 12, 2026

3 of 3 papers

Probiotic intervention not beneficial to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea in absence of antibiotic-induced microbiome disruption.
- 2026-02-16
- RCT
- Scientific reports 16(1)
- - Daniel Merenstein
  - Silvia Grant-Beurmann
  - Mary Ellen Sanders
  - Tina Tan
  - Brendan Burke
  - Aneesha Kumar
  - Keisha Herbin-Smith
  - Jessy Sparenborg
  - Frank D'Amico
  - Bob Roberts
  - Claire Fraser
- PubMed: 41699149
- DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-39826-4
2 Insights on
- Reduced Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
"Thus, our study did not find any differences in the incidence of AAD between those who took the probiotic and the control group."
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
The Science behind the Probiotic Strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12®
- 2014-03-28
- Review
- Microorganisms 2(2)
- - Mikkel Jungersen
  - A. Wind
  - E. Johansen
  - J. Christensen
  - Birgitte Stuer-Lauridsen
  - D. Eskesen
- PubMed: 27682233
- DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms2020092
15 Insights on
- Reduced Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
- High evidence
- Highly Cited
- Rigorous Journal
BB-12(®) has been shown to improve bowel function, to have a protective effect against diarrhea, and to reduce side effects of antibiotic treatment, such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large
Significant
Yes
[Probiotics' position in clinical practice: focus on the combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA-5) and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12). A review].
- 2026-02-14
- Review
- Terapevticheskii arkhiv 97(12)
- - A V Gorelov
  - R S Kozlov
  - I V Andreeva
  - A A Arova
  - I A Bavykina
  - M S Grigorovich
  - E V Dovgan
  - K D Ermolenko
  - O V Zaytseva
  - S M Zakharenko
  - V V Zelenskaia
  - S K Zyryanov
  - N A Ilyenkova
  - M A Kachkovskii
  - T A Kogut
  - E G Kondyurina
  - V V Krasnov
  - E E Lokshina
  - V F Privorotsky
  - M N Repetskaya
  - M F Rzyankina
  - S N Serikova
  - O U Stetsiouk
  - D V Usenko
  - L V Khanipova
  - A M Shabalov
  - M A Shevyakov
  - L V Yakovleva
- PubMed: 41705617
- DOI: 10.26442/00403660.2025.12.203481
2 Insights on
- Reduced Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
- Low evidence
The purpose of our review is to highlight what we consider to be the most significant clinical studies on the use of probiotics for preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea...
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and Reduced Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea

Probiotic intervention not beneficial to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea in absence of antibiotic-induced microbiome disruption.

The Science behind the Probiotic Strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12®

[Probiotics' position in clinical practice: focus on the combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA-5) and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12). A review].