Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Reduced Duration of Diarrhea

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

Across 3 studies, 2 reported beneficial effects on reducing diarrhea duration, but the largest and highest-quality randomized controlled trial (n=943) found no significant difference. Effect sizes among beneficial studies were mixed (small to large). The most-studied dose was at least 10^10 CFU per day, and all studies focused on children with acute diarrhea.

Effective dose range: ≥10^10 CFU per day (e.g., 1×10^10 CFU twice daily)
Studied populations: Children with acute diarrhea or gastroenteritis

Caveats: The largest, highest-quality RCT (n=943) found no significant difference between L. rhamnosus GG and placebo, while a meta-analysis reported a large beneficial effect. Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary.

Generated Jul 25, 2026

Doses used in studies

CFU/day: 10 billion–20 billion (median 15 billion, IQR 12.5 billion–17.5 billion) — 2 studies

Safety in these studies

Overall tolerabilityReported
The use of this strain in infant formulas for cow's milk protein allergy may promote an earlier tolerance acquisition.
from: Approach to probiotics in pediatrics: the role of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.

3 of 3 papersPopulation:

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG versus Placebo for Acute Gastroenteritis in Children
- 2018-11-22
- RCT · n = 943
- New England Journal of Medicine 379(21)
- - D. Schnadower
  - P. Tarr
  - C. Casper
  - M. Gorelick
  - M. J. Dean
  - Karen J. O’Connell
  - P. Mahajan
  - A. Levine
  - S. Bhatt
  - C. Roskind
  - E. Powell
  - A. Rogers
  - C. Vance
  - R. Sapién
  - Cody S. Olsen
  - M. Metheney
  - Viani Dickey
  - C. Hall-Moore
  - S. Freedman
- PubMed: 30462938
- DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1802598
5 Insights on
- Reduced Duration of Diarrhea
- High evidence
- Large Human Trial
- Highly Cited
- Rigorous Journal
There were no significant differences between the L. rhamnosus GG group and the placebo group in the duration of diarrhea (median, 49.7 hours in the L. rhamnosus GG group and 50.9 hours in the placebo group; P=0.26).
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
1×10^10 colony-forming units twice daily
Efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in treatment of acute pediatric diarrhea: A systematic review with meta-analysis.
- 2019-09-07
- Meta-Analysis
- World journal of gastroenterology 25(33)
- - Ya-Ting Li
  - Hong Xu
  - Jian-Zhong Ye
  - Wen-Rui Wu
  - Ding Shi
  - Dai-Qiong Fang
  - Yang Liu
  - Lan-Juan Li
- PubMed: 31543689
- DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i33.4999
2 Insights on
- Reduced Duration of Diarrhea
- High evidence
- Clinical
LGG administration notably reduced the diarrhea duration [mean difference (MD) -24.02 h, 95% confidence interval (CI) (-36.58, -11.45)]. More effective results were detected at a high dose ≥ 10^10 CFU per day [MD -22.56 h, 95%CI (-36.41, -8.72)]
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large
Significant
Yes
Dose
≥ 10^10 CFU per day
Approach to probiotics in pediatrics: the role of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.
- 2022-02-01
- Review
- Archivos argentinos de pediatria 120(1)
- - Christian Boggio Marzet
  - Fernando Burgos
  - Mónica Del Compare
  - Ingrid Gerold
  - Omar Tabacco
  - Gabriel Vinderola
- PubMed: 35068121
- DOI: 10.5546/aap.2022.eng.e1
5 Insights on
- Reduced Duration of Diarrhea
- Low evidence
- Children
L. rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii may shorten their duration and symptoms.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Reduced Duration of Diarrhea

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG versus Placebo for Acute Gastroenteritis in Children

Efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in treatment of acute pediatric diarrhea: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Approach to probiotics in pediatrics: the role of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.