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Lp25.0
L. plantarum 299v Research
Mostly mechanism / observational
16 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Mostly mechanism / observational
Most L. plantarum 299v studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from medium-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 2001–2025 with a typical study size of 79 participants.
Based on 16 studies · 2 meta-analyses · 9 RCTs · 1,509 total participants
Confidence
High confidence
By outcome
IBS & digestive symptomsReduced IBS abdominal pain and bloating in several trials, but rated low certainty and contradicted by one negative crossover trial · 4 weeks
Mostly mechanism / observational7 studies
Iron absorption & iron status
Mostly mechanism / observational6 studies
Women's healthCombined with a low iron dose, reduced iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anaemia by late pregnancy in one large trial · 12-25 weeks
Too few graded studies2 studies
Safety profile
Too few graded studies2 studies
Mood & depression
Too few graded studies1 study
Cognitive function
Too few graded studies1 study
Active research area
8 studies in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2023
200120132025
1Meta-Analysis2023
In plain English: The current definitive IBS synthesis rates the evidence for this strain as low certainty for global symptom benefit.
Goodoory VC et al. · Gastroenterology (2023)
For global IBS symptoms, certainty of evidence was LOW for this strain (moderate only for Escherichia strains)
Only 24 of 82 eligible RCTs were at low risk of bias across all domains
Pooled relative risk of any adverse event with probiotics was not significantly higher than placebo
In plain English: Paired with just 8.4 mg of iron a day, this strain reduced iron deficiency from 78% to 59% and iron-deficiency anaemia from 21% to 7.4% by late pregnancy.
Axling U et al. · Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand (2021)
Iron deficiency at week 35: 59% vs 78% (p=0.017); iron-deficiency anaemia 7.4% vs 21% (p=0.023)
Attenuated ferritin decline at week 28 (p=0.003) and week 35 (p<0.001)
Benefits also on soluble transferrin receptor (p=0.011) and total body iron (p<0.001)
In plain English: The findings of this review advocate for the integration of L. plantarum strains into clinical practice, emphasizing the need for further research to elucidate their mechanisms of action, optimal dosages, and long-term safety profiles.
Chatsirisakul O et al. · Nutrients (2025)
L. plantarum LB931 showed promise in decreasing pathogenic colonization, supporting women's vaginal health.
Additionally, L. plantarum CCFM8724 demonstrated potential in reducing early childhood caries, highlighting its promise in pediatric oral care.
Conclusions: The therapeutic potential of L. plantarum is extensive, with certain strains exhibiting promising clinical benefits for specific health concerns.
In plain English: The strain is patent protected for a wide range of indications and applications worldwide as well as trademarked as LP299V®.
Nordström EA et al. · Beneficial microbes (2021)
Besides studying health benefits, research groups around the globe have investigated L. plantarum 299v in a range of applications and processes.
L. plantarum 299v is used in many different food applications as well as in various dietary supplements.
In a freeze-dried format, L. plantarum 299v is robust and stable at room temperature, enabling long shelf-lives of consumer healthcare products such as capsules, tablets, or powder sachets.
In plain English: Finally, we describe the future challenges facing us in our attempt to modulate the microbiome to treat IBS.
Goodoory VC et al. · Drugs (2023)
Rifaximin, a non-absorbable antibiotic, is the most studied antibiotic and has now been licensed for use in IBS with diarrhoea in the USA, but the drug remains unavailable in many countries for this indication.
Current evidence also suggests that certain probiotics, including Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 9843 and Bifidobacterium bifidum MIMBb75, may be efficacious in some patients with IBS.
Finally, we describe the future challenges facing us in our attempt to modulate the microbiome to treat IBS.
In plain English: A freeze-dried capsule taken with breakfast increased iron absorption, showing the supplement format carries the effect rather than requiring a fermented food.
Hoppe M et al. · PLoS One (2017)
Study 1: absorption 22.4% with the strain vs 17.4% without (p=0.040)
Study 2: 24.5% vs 20.9% (p=0.003)
Used capsulated freeze-dried 10^10 CFU taken simultaneously with a light breakfast
In plain English: The largest positive IBS trial for this strain reported reduced pain and bloating, though the subjective satisfaction gap was implausibly large.
Ducrotté P et al. · World J Gastroenterol (2012)
Pain severity 0.68 vs 0.92 (p<0.05) and daily pain frequency 1.01 vs 1.71 (p<0.05) vs placebo
Similar improvements for bloating
78.1% rated the effect excellent or good vs 8.1% on placebo (p<0.01) — a gap large enough to raise unblinding concerns
In plain English: Using dual-isotope whole-body counting, this strain raised iron absorption by about 50% — but with no dose-response between 1 and 10 billion CFU.
Hoppe M et al. · Br J Nutr (2015)
At 10^9 CFU: absorption 28.6% vs 18.5% control (p<0.028), roughly a 50% relative increase
At 10^10 CFU: 29.1% vs 20.1%, NOT significant (p=0.080)
In plain English: As an add-on to an SSRI, this strain improved cognitive test performance and lowered kynurenine — but did not show a significant benefit on depression severity itself.
Rudzki L et al. · Psychoneuroendocrinology (2019)
8 weeks as adjunct to an SSRI: improvement on attention and verbal learning tests vs placebo
Significant decrease in kynurenine and increased 3HKYN:KYN ratio
No significant change in TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta or cortisol
In plain English: Adding the strain to oral iron therapy cut gastrointestinal intolerance from 46.5% to 13.0% and early discontinuation from 15.9% to 3.6% — but the trial had no placebo arm.
Koker G et al. · Br J Nutr (2024)
Gastrointestinal intolerance over the course of iron therapy: 13.0% vs 46.5% (P<0.001)
Treatment discontinuation within the first 30 days: 3.6% vs 15.9% (P<0.001)
At month 3, higher serum iron (76.0 vs 60.0 µg/dl, P<0.001) and transferrin saturation (20.1% vs 14.5%, P<0.001)
In plain English: A crossover trial found no benefit on IBS symptoms and no effect on objectively measured colonic fermentation.
Sen S et al. · Dig Dis Sci (2002)
Median symptom score 8 on the probiotic vs 8.5 on placebo — no significant difference
24-hour calorimetry measures were numerically higher on the probiotic (max gas production 0.92 vs 0.55 ml/min; hydrogen 208.2 vs 189.7 ml/24 hr) but none of these differences reached significance
The one statistically significant fermentation result went the OTHER way: breath hydrogen after lactulose was REDUCED by the probiotic (median at 120 min 6 ppm vs 17 ppm on placebo, P=0.019)
In plain English: Every single treated patient reported resolution of abdominal pain versus 11 of 20 on placebo — an effect size large enough to be implausible.
Niedzielin K et al. · Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol (2001)
All 20 patients on the strain reported resolution of abdominal pain vs 11 of 20 on placebo (P=0.0012)
Improvement across all IBS symptoms in 95% vs 15% of placebo patients (P<0.0001)
Normalisation of stool frequency in constipated patients was only a trend: 6 of 10 vs 2 of 11 (P=0.17)
In plain English: In real-world use the overall symptom score fell continuously across 12 weeks, suggesting benefit accrues beyond the 4 weeks used in the controlled trials — but there was no control group.
Krammer H et al. · Z Gastroenterol (2021)
Significant and continuous reduction of the overall symptom score across 12 weeks of treatment (p<0.05)
Severity reductions for abdominal pain -67%, flatulence -61%, diarrhoea -70% and constipation -79%
Quality of life improved (mental well-being +110%, negative influence on everyday life -67%, p<0.01)