Condition
C. difficile
C. difficile is a bacterium that causes severe diarrhea and colitis, mostly after antibiotics upset the gut's normal microbes and let it overgrow and release toxins that damage the intestinal lining. Probiotics, including a Lactobacillus combination, are the main supplements people look at, and a review found supportive evidence for them in lowering the chance of infection, though the evidence is limited. Much of that support came from animal or lab work, so it says less about how people fare.
Sources: PMID 29702133; PMID 24856984
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 1
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. difficile Infection Risk A review of clinical evidence assessed the use of a specific probiotic combining L. acidophilus with L. casei and L. rhamnosus for primary prevention of C. difficile infections, finding supportive evidence. Preclinical work showed L. acidophilus modulates the virulence of C. difficile in vitro, providing mechanistic support. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 3 studies | 300 people | ||
Studies that measured c. difficile infection risk
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Key findings
- C. difficile Infection RiskImproves (the measure goes down)
The Clostridioides difficile Infection Prevention and Recovery protocol
2 primary supplements · 5 supporting supplements
- Probiotics (Saccharomyces boulardii)250–500 mg twice daily during and after antibiotic treatment
- Probiotics (Lactobacillus/Bifidobacterium)20–50 billion CFU daily (multi-strain formula)
Studies cited
20 studies from PubMed
- Potential benefits of L. acidophilus in dyslipidemic rats
- Effect of a Probiotic Supplement Containing Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium Animalis Lactis on Urine Oxalate in Calcium Stone Formers with Hyperoxaluria: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind and In-vitro Trial
- Preventive Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus XY27 on DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice
- Immune enhancing effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus on Newcastle disease vaccination in chickens
- Lactobacillus acidophilus attenuates toxin production by Vibrio cholerae and shigella dysenteriae following intestinal epithelial cells infection
- Primary prevention of Clostridium difficile infections with a specific probiotic combining Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, and L. rhamnosus strains: assessing the evidence
- Lactobacillus acidophilus Alleviated Salmonella-Induced Goblet Cells Loss and Colitis by Notch Pathway
- Lactobacillus acidophilus ameliorates pain and cartilage degradation in experimental osteoarthritis
- Efficacy of a standardized extract of Matricariae chamomilla L., Melissa officinalis L. and tyndallized Lactobacillus acidophilus (HA122) in infantile colic: An open randomized controlled trial
- Uromodulin-SlpA binding dictates Lactobacillus acidophilus uptake by intestinal epithelial M cells
- Lactobacillus acidophilus Mixture in Treatment of Children Hospitalized With Acute Diarrhea
- Efficacy of prolonged ingestion of Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92 in adult patients with atopic dermatitis
- Lactobacillus acidophilus attenuates Salmonella-induced intestinal inflammation via TGF-β signaling
- The effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus as feed supplement on skin mucosal immune parameters, intestinal microbiota, stress resistance and growth performance of black swordtail
- Lactobacillus acidophilus CP23 with weak immunomodulatory activity lacks anchoring structure for surface layer protein
- Lactobacillus acidophilus modulates the virulence of Clostridium difficile
- Effects of oral administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92 on the symptoms and serum cytokines of atopic dermatitis in Japanese adults: a double-blind, randomized, clinical trial
- Effects of oral administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92 on the symptoms and serum markers of atopic dermatitis in children
- Probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. casei mix sensitize colorectal tumoral cells to 5-fluorouracil-induced apoptosis
- Transmission of Lactobacillus jensenii and Lactobacillus acidophilus from mother to child at time of delivery