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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
B. infantis 35624 vs B. lactis (BB-12 / HN019): B. lactis (BB-12 / HN019) has the stronger overall evidence (6 vs 5/10); they're alternatives for improve digestion — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
B. lactis (BB-12 / HN019) wins 2 of 3 categories. Both are solid choices — the best pick depends on your specific goals.
Verdict
Too few graded studies
Top outcomes
Verdict
Too few graded studies
Top outcomes
Shared outcomes (1)
Outcomes where both B. infantis 35624 and B. lactis (BB-12 / HN019) have evidence — compare verdict strength side-by-side.
1 x 10^8 CFU (100 million) daily — the dose that won the only head-to-head dose comparison; 1 x 10^10 CFU also beat placebo in a separate trial, so higher doses are not ruled out
Any time of day
Freeze-dried capsule standardized to 35624 at 1 x 10^8 CFU
1-10 billion CFU daily for BB-12 (1 billion is enough); 10-20 billion CFU daily for HN019 if transit is the goal
Any time of day
Capsule or sachet standardized to a named strain (BB-12 or HN019)
4 weeks
4 weeks
n/a
n/a
2 weeks
4 weeks
n/a
n/a
Efficacy of an encapsulated probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 in women with irritable bowel syndrome.
Am J Gastroenterol (2006) · Rct · n=362
1 x 10^8 CFU significantly superior to placebo AND to all other doses for the primary endpoint of abdominal pain
Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in irritable bowel syndrome: symptom responses and relationship to cytokine profiles.
Gastroenterology (2005) · Rct · n=77
Beat placebo on composite score and on abdominal pain, bloating/distention and bowel-movement difficulty for most treatment weeks
Efficacy of Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis.
Curr Med Res Opin (2017) · Meta analysis
Single-strain 35624 had no effect on abdominal pain, bloating/distention, or bowel-habit satisfaction
Dose-response effect of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 on whole gut transit time and functional gastrointestinal symptoms in adults.
Scand J Gastroenterol (2011) · Rct · n=100
Whole-gut transit fell 49 to 21 hours on high dose (p<0.001) and 60 to 41 hours on low dose (p=0.01); placebo unchanged
Eight-Week Supplementation With Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 and Functional Constipation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
JAMA Netw Open (2024) · Rct · n=229
Primary outcome (change in complete spontaneous bowel movements per week): +0.80 with HN019 vs +0.66 placebo — no difference
Effects of 28-day Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis HN019 supplementation on colonic transit time and gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with functional constipation: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, and dose-ranging trial.
Gut Microbes (2018) · Rct · n=228
No significant differences vs placebo in the primary outcome (colonic transit time) or any secondary outcome
B. lactis (BB-12 / HN019) has a higher evidence score (6/10 vs 5/10) and wins in 2 of 3 categories.
For improve digestion, B. lactis (BB-12 / HN019) has a higher relevance score (68 vs 58).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.