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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
B. infantis 35624 vs L. plantarum 299v: L. plantarum 299v has the stronger overall evidence (5 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.
L. plantarum 299v wins 1 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 L. plantarum 299v 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 x 10^9 CFU (1 billion) daily taken WITH the iron-containing meal is sufficient for the iron effect — in the dual-isotope crossover trial 10^9 was significant (28.6% vs 18.5%, p<0.028) while 10^10 was NOT (29.1% vs 20.1%, p=0.080). The freeze-dried capsule and IBS trials used 1 x 10^10 CFU daily, and the pregnancy trial used 1 x 10^10 CFU twice daily (2 x 10^10 CFU/day)
With meals
Freeze-dried capsule standardized to 299v (DSM 9843)
4 weeks
4 weeks
n/a
n/a
Immediate, per meal
12-25 weeks
4 weeks
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
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Probiotic Species on Iron Absorption and Iron Status.
Nutrients (2019) · Meta analysis
Pooled SMD 0.55 (95% CI 0.22-0.88, p=0.001) for increased iron absorption across 8 studies
The effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v together with a low dose of iron on iron status in healthy pregnant women: A randomized clinical trial.
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand (2021) · Rct · n=326
Iron deficiency at week 35: 59% vs 78% (p=0.017); iron-deficiency anaemia 7.4% vs 21% (p=0.023)
Efficacy of Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Gastroenterology (2023) · Meta analysis
For global IBS symptoms, certainty of evidence was LOW for this strain (moderate only for Escherichia strains)
L. plantarum 299v has a higher evidence score (5/10 vs 5/10) and wins in 1 of 3 categories.
For improve digestion, B. infantis 35624 has a higher relevance score (58 vs 50).
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.