Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 and Improved Glucose Metabolism

Research synthesisLow evidenceModerate effect4 studies · 4 beneficial · 0 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 studies, all reported beneficial effects of Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 on glucose metabolism, with 2 of 4 showing statistical significance. The predominant effect size is moderate, particularly in pregnant women and those with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). No consistent dose range was identified across studies.

Studied populations: pregnant women, women with gestational diabetes mellitus, overweight/obese pregnant women

Caveats: The evidence base is very small (4 papers), with only 2 studies reporting statistically significant findings. All studies focus on pregnant women or those with GDM, so generalizability to other populations is unclear. Doses were not reported in the available studies.

Generated May 10, 2026

4 of 4 papers

Probiotics improve glucose and lipid metabolism in pregnant women: a meta-analysis.
- 2019-03
- Meta-Analysis · n = 139
- Annals of translational medicine 7(5)
- - Man-Man Han
  - Jin-Fang Sun
  - Xiang-Hui Su
  - You-Fan Peng
  - Hemant Goyal
  - Chun-Hua Wu
  - Xiang-Yun Zhu
  - Ling Li
- PubMed: 31019949
- DOI: 10.21037/atm.2019.01.61
4 Insights on
- Improved Glucose Metabolism
- High evidence
probiotics supplementation effectively reduced the fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels (MD -0.11 mmol/L, P=0.0003), serum insulin levels (MD -2.06 µU/mL, P<0.00001), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (MD -0.38, P<0.00001)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
The Effects of Probiotics/Synbiotics on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- 2023-03-12
- Meta-Analysis · n = 11
- Nutrients 15(6)
- - Jinhao Mu
  - Xian Guo
  - Yanbing Zhou
  - Guoxia Cao
- PubMed: 36986107
- DOI: 10.3390/nu15061375
6 Insights on
- Improved Glucose Metabolism
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
Compared with the placebo, probiotics/synbiotics were associated with a statistically significant improvement in FPG (MD = -2.33... p = 0.02), FSI (MD = -2.47... p = 0.0003), HOMA-IR (MD = -0.40... p = 0.02), and TC (MD = -6.59... p = 0.02)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
Improvement of glucose metabolism in pregnant women through probiotic supplementation depends on gestational diabetes status: meta-analysis.
- 2020-10-20
- Meta-Analysis
- Scientific reports 10(1)
- - Karolina Łagowska
  - Anna M Malinowska
  - Bogna Zawieja
  - Emilia Zawieja
- PubMed: 33082439
- DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74773-8
5 Insights on
- Improved Glucose Metabolism
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
The meta-analysis showed that supplementation lowers serum glucose, insulin levels, and HOMA-IR index, but only in pregnant women with GDM.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Probiotics for preventing gestational diabetes in overweight or obese pregnant women: A review.
- 2022-12-26
- Review
- World journal of clinical cases 10(36)
- - Ya-Fang Deng
  - Li-Ping Wu
  - Yan-Ping Liu
- PubMed: 36683622
- DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i36.13189
2 Insights on
- Improved Glucose Metabolism
- Low evidence
This review discusses the mechanism of probiotics on GDM, as well as the dose, method and duration of probiotics use, and summarizes current evidence on probiotics in improving glucose metabolism and other maternal and infant outcomes in overweight/obese pregnant women.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small

Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 and Improved Glucose Metabolism

Probiotics improve glucose and lipid metabolism in pregnant women: a meta-analysis.

The Effects of Probiotics/Synbiotics on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Improvement of glucose metabolism in pregnant women through probiotic supplementation depends on gestational diabetes status: meta-analysis.

Probiotics for preventing gestational diabetes in overweight or obese pregnant women: A review.