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 found no benefit for reducing antibiotic-associated diarrhea with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12. The beneficial evidence comes from reviews, while the only RCT (evidence score 4) showed a neutral small effect. The most-studied population appears to be children, but evidence is limited and preliminary.

Studied populations: healthy children prescribed antibiotics for acute outpatient upper respiratory illnesses

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests. The only RCT (highest quality) found a neutral effect, while the two reviews that reported benefit may be subject to selective reporting; one review is from 2014 and may not reflect current evidence.

Generated Jun 11, 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].