Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 and Improved Gut Health

Research synthesisVery low evidenceSmall effect6 studies · 6 beneficial · 0 neutral · 0 harmful

All 6 studies (all reviews) reported beneficial effects of Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 on improved gut health. The predominant effect size is small, though two reviews described moderate-sized benefits. No human clinical trials with statistically significant findings were identified; the evidence base consists entirely of review articles summarizing experimental models and mechanistic studies.

Caveats: Available evidence is overwhelmingly positive — clinical literature in this area is subject to publication bias (null-result studies are less likely to be published or indexed). Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests. All papers are reviews; no primary human intervention trials were found. One study examined a porcine strain, not directly applicable to humans.

Generated May 12, 2026

6 of 6 papers

The Role of Probiotics Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Ligilactobacillus salivarius, and Lactobacillus johnsonii in Inhibziting Pathogens, Maintaining Gut Health, and Improving Disease Outcomes.
- 2026-02-04
- Review
- International journal of molecular sciences 27(3)
- - Li Li
  - Xiangqi Qiu
  - Shengyong Lu
  - Haitao Yu
  - Panpan Lu
  - Sumei Zeng
  - Aihua Deng
  - Min Zhu
  - E Xu
  - Jin Niu
- PubMed: 41683964
- DOI: 10.3390/ijms27031545
8 Insights on
- Improved Gut Health
- Moderate evidence
- Rigorous Journal
they summarize the current progress of research on the probiotic properties of these strains in terms of their ability to protect against harmful pathogens, maintain intestinal health, and improve disease outcomes.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Bacteriocins: potentials and prospects in health and agrifood systems.
- 2024-04-25
- Review
- Archives of microbiology 206(5)
- - Rine Christopher Reuben
  - Carmen Torres
- PubMed: 38662051
- DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03948-y
2 Insights on
- Improved Gut Health
- Low evidence
Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 ... has been shown to provide a range of health benefits in experimental models and in some human studies.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Biological tuners to reshape the bile acid pool for therapeutic purposes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- 2023-01
- Review
- Clinical science (London, England : 1979) 137(1)
- - Justine Gillard
  - Isabelle A Leclercq
- PubMed: 36601783
- DOI: 10.1042/cs20220697
1 Insight on
- Improved Gut Health
- Low evidence
Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Beyond probiotics: a narrative review on an era of revolution.
- 2022-11-30
- Review
- Food science and biotechnology 32(4)
- - Neha Sharma
  - Dae-Kyung Kang
  - Hyun-Dong Paik
  - Young-Seo Park
- PubMed: 36911329
- DOI: 10.1007/s10068-022-01212-x
2 Insights on
- Improved Gut Health
- Low evidence
Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 has been associated with health benefits in humans, including protection against gastrointestinal infection and inflammation.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
d-Amino Acids and Lactic Acid Bacteria.
- 2019-12-12
- Review
- Microorganisms 7(12)
- - Jyumpei Kobayashi
- PubMed: 31842512
- DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7120690
2 Insights on
- Improved Gut Health
- Low evidence
Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 has previously been shown to confer a number of health benefits in model systems
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Evaluation of Safety and Probiotic Traits from a Comprehensive Genome-Based In Silico Analysis of Ligilactobacillus salivarius P1CEA3, Isolated from Pigs and Producer of Nisin S.
- 2023-12-28
- Foods (Basel, Switzerland) 13(1)
- - Ester Sevillano
  - Irene Lafuente
  - Nuria Peña
  - Luis M Cintas
  - Estefanía Muñoz-Atienza
  - Pablo E Hernández
  - Juan Borrero
- PubMed: 38201135
- DOI: 10.3390/foods13010107
3 Insights on
- Improved Gut Health
- Low evidence
This study identifies several probiotic and safety traits of L. salivarius P1CEA3 and suggests its potential as a promising probiotic in swine production.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate

Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 and Improved Gut Health

The Role of Probiotics Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Ligilactobacillus salivarius, and Lactobacillus johnsonii in Inhibziting Pathogens, Maintaining Gut Health, and Improving Disease Outcomes.

Bacteriocins: potentials and prospects in health and agrifood systems.

Biological tuners to reshape the bile acid pool for therapeutic purposes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Beyond probiotics: a narrative review on an era of revolution.

d-Amino Acids and Lactic Acid Bacteria.

Evaluation of Safety and Probiotic Traits from a Comprehensive Genome-Based In Silico Analysis of Ligilactobacillus salivarius P1CEA3, Isolated from Pigs and Producer of Nisin S.