Condition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition happens when the body doesn't get the nutrients it needs to work properly, whether from too little food, poor absorption, or higher needs. The evidence is strongest for high-calorie nutritional supplements and protein supplements, which supply concentrated energy and the building blocks for tissue repair. Studies of probiotics and synbiotics found no clear difference in height, and that evidence is very limited.
Sources: PMID 37051178; PMID 39154665
- Supplements studied
- 4
- Graded outcomes
- 3
- People studied
- 8,008
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant Birth Weight Small Increase | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | 4,922 people | ||
Studies that measured infant birth weight
| ||||||
| Offspring BMI | Improves (the measure goes down) | 4,922 people | ||||
| Preterm Birth Risk | Changes; see studies | 4,922 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height No effect | NoneNo effect | 530 people | ||||
| Weight | Changes; see studies | 1 study | 562 people | |||
| Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Risk | Changes; see studies | 3,086 people | ||||
Synbiotics
- Height
- Weight: changes; see studies
- Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Risk: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height No effect | NoneNo effect | 706 people | ||||
| Weight | Changes; see studies | 1 study | 708 people | |||
| Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Risk | Changes; see studies | 3,086 people | ||||
Prebiotics
- Weight: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Changes; see studies | 1 study | 213 people | |||
Key findings
- Infant Birth WeightImproves (the measure goes down)
- Height
The Malnutrition Recovery Support protocol
2 primary supplements · 7 supporting supplements
- High-Calorie Nutritional Supplements250–500 kcal supplements 1–3 times daily between meals
- Protein Supplements1.2–1.5 g protein/kg body weight daily (may need more in severe cases)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Support alongside medical care. These supplements are not a treatment for Malnutrition. If you are being treated for it, talk to your clinician before adding one: supplements can interact with medicines.
The supplement graded A or B for Malnutrition. Each opens third-party tested products for that supplement.
- Grade B
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Studies cited
69 studies from PubMed
- The effects of probiotic supplementation on cardiometabolic health in patients with prediabetes: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and GRADE assessment.
- Lactococcus lactis strain Plasma activates plasmacytoid dendritic cells and mitigates common cold-like symptoms in healthy adults: a meta-analysis of individual participant data.
- The efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on anxiety, depression, and sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Probiotics and Immune Health: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives
- Probiotics for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Probiotics for Prevention and Treatment of Diarrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Probiotics for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Effects of Probiotics on Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials
- Probiotics and Weight Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- The Gut Microbiome, Probiotics, and Their Impact on Skin Health: A Review
- Health Benefits of Probiotics: A Review
- Probiotics: Comprehensive Review of Growth Promotion Mechanisms and Action in Food Products
- Probiotics: Classification, Mode of Action and Role in Human Nutrition
- Safety of Probiotics: A Comprehensive Review
- Probiotics, Prebiotics and Inflammation: A Review of the Science
- Probiotics and Healthy Ageing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- World Gastroenterology Organisation Global Guidelines: Probiotics and Prebiotics
- Probiotics for Human Use: Current Advances and Future Perspectives
- Effect of Prebiotic Supplementation on Health Status in Adults with Prediabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.
- Effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation during pregnancy on maternal, birth, child health and development outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review.
- Effects of prenatal small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements on pregnancy, birth, and infant outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data from randomized controlled trials in low- and middle-income countries.
- Probiotics for people with cystic fibrosis.
- Probiotics for the prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- The effects of probiotics supplements on metabolic indices and clinical signs in patients with diabetic retinopathy, a randomized double blind clinical trial.
- Effect of applying Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum N793 to the scalps of men and women with thinning hair: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study.
- Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Effect of Probiotic Intake on Androgenic Alopecia.
- Impact of probiotics on sleep quality and mood states in patients with insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Gaba-producing lactobacilli boost cognitive reactivity to negative mood without improving cognitive performance: A human Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Cross-Over study.
- The effect of probiotic consumption on lipid profile, glycemic index, inflammatory markers, and liver function in NAFLD patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- The effect of probiotics on severe oral mucositis in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy: A meta-analysis.
- Oral probiotic supplementation to alleviate diarrhea induced by fluoropyrimidines or irinotecan-based chemotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- The impact of probiotics on core autism symptoms - A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
- Efficacy and safety of Bacteroides fragilis BF839 for pediatric autism spectrum disorder: a randomized clinical trial.
- Probiotics for autism spectrum disorder: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of effects on symptoms.
- The efficacy and safety of probiotics in the adjuvant treatment of psoriasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Effects of probiotic supplementation on testosterone levels in healthy ageing men: A 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial.
- A 12-Week, Single-Centre, Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Design Clinical Trial for the Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SKO-001 in Reducing Body Fat.
- Effects of oral supplementation of probiotics on body weight and visceral fat in obese patients: a meta-analysis and systematic review.
- The effects of probiotics administration during pregnancy on preeclampsia and associated maternal, fetal, and newborn outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Effects of probiotics supplementation on glycemic profile in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A grade-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- The Effect of Probiotics on Obesity with Comorbid Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- A network meta-analysis of probiotics in the treatment of childhood asthma.
- Efficacy of probiotics as adjuvant therapy in bronchial asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii as an adjuvant therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori: a meta-analysis.
- Efficacy of probiotics regimens for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A systematic review, pairwise, and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Effect of probiotics on C-reactive protein levels in schizophrenia: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Probiotics Supplementation for Improving Glucolipid Parameters in Individuals with Prediabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.
- Systematic review and meta-analysis on probiotics as treatment for food allergies among pediatric patients: A 2024 update.
- Efficacy of Oral Probiotic Supplementation in Preventing Vulvovaginal Infections During Pregnancy: A Randomized and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.
- Clinical effects of probiotics on the treatment of gingivitis and periodontitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Evaluation of the efficacy of probiotics in the chemoradiotherapy of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- Clinical efficacy of probiotic supplementation in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis.
- The effect of probiotics on select cognitive domains in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Efficacy of probiotic supplementation in influencing cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Effectiveness of probiotic supplements on cognitive function in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Probiotics are a good choice for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial
- Efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 for the treatment of pediatric acute diarrhea in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Efficacy of probiotics in reducing the duration and severity of acute gastroenteritis in children: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Investigating the effects of probiotics during the menopause transition: A systematic review & meta-analysis.
- Effects of probiotic supplements on bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in postmenopausal women: A systematic review.
- Impact of probiotic supplementation on serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor: GRADE-based dose-response meta-analysis.
- Probiotic Supplementation and Inflammatory Status in Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- The Efficacy of Probiotics, Prebiotics, Synbiotics, and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.
- The effect of gut microbiome-targeted therapies in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
- The effect of probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic supplements on anthropometric measures and respiratory infections in malnourished children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Effectiveness of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Symbiotic Supplementation in Cystic Fibrosis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.
- The effect of synbiotics on liver enzymes, obesity indices, blood pressure, lipid profile, and inflammation in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Effect of synbiotics on the cardiovascular risk factors in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver: a GRADE assessed systematic review and meta-analysis.