Bacillus Coagulans

Last Editorial Review: 6/11/2021
Other Name(s):

B. Coagulans, Bacillus Bacteria, Bacillus Probiotics, Bactéries Bacilles, Bactéries à Gram Positif Sporogènes, Bactérie Gram Positive en Forme de Bâtonnet, Gram Positive Spore-Forming Rod, L. Sporogenes, Lactobacillus Sporogenes, Lactobacillus Sporogènes, Probiotic, Probiotique, Spore-Forming Lactobacillus.

Overview

Bacillus coagulans is a type of bacteria. It is used similarly to lactobacillus and other probiotics as "beneficial" bacteria.

People take Bacillus coagulans for diarrhea, including infectious types such as rotaviral diarrhea in children; traveler's diarrhea; and diarrhea caused by antibiotics. Bacillus coagulans is also used for general digestion problems, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), a bowel disorder called Clostridium difficile colitis, excessive growth of "bad" bacteria in the intestine, and infection due to the ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

Some people use Bacillus coagulans to prevent respiratory infections and ramp up the immune system. It is also used to prevent cancer or the formation of cancer-causing agents. There is also some interest in using it as an additive to vaccines to improve their effectiveness.

Bacillus coagulans produces lactic acid and, as a result, is often misclassified as lactic acid bacteria such as lactobacillus. In fact, some commercial products containing Bacillus coagulans are marketed as Lactobacillus sporogenes or "spore-forming lactic acid bacterium." Unlike lactic acid bacteria such as lactobacillus or bifidobacteria, Bacillus coagulans forms reproductive structures called spores. Spores are actually an important factor in telling Bacillus coagulans apart from lactic acid bacteria.

How does it work?

There is not enough information to know how Bacillus coagulans might work for medical purposes. Some research in animals (but not yet in humans) shows that Bacillus coagulans might increase immune system function and decrease harmful bacteria.

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Next to red peppers, you can get the most vitamin C from ________________. See Answer

Uses & Effectiveness

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

More evidence is needed to rate Bacillus coagulans for these uses. There has been no reliable research done in people.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

Side Effects

Bacillus coagulans is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth. Some research in people has shown that Bacillus coagulans can be safely used by adults for up to 6 months.

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Special Precautions & Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Pregnant or breast-feeding women should stay on the safe side and avoid using Bacillus coagulans.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of Bacillus coagulans depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for Bacillus coagulans. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

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References

Czaczyk K, Tojanowska K, Mueller A. Antifungal activity of Bacillus coagulans against Fusarium sp. Acta Microbiol Pol 2002;51:275-83. View abstract.

Donskey CJ, Hoyen CK, Das SM, et al. Effect of oral Bacillus coagulans administration on the density of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in the stool of colonized mice. Lett Appl Microbiol 2001;33:84-8. View abstract.

Duc LH, Hong HA, Barbosa TM, et al. Characterization of Bacillus probiotics available for human use. Appl Environ Microbiol 2004;70:2161-71. View abstract.

Hyronimus B, Le Marrec C, Urdaci MC. Coagulin, a bacteriocin-like inhibitory subtances produced by Bacillus coagulans I4. J Appl Microbiol 1998;85:42-50. View abstract.

Khalighi AR, Khalighi MR, Behdani R, et al. Evaluating the efficacy of probiotic on treatment in patients with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)--a pilot study. Indian J Med Res. 2014 N ov;140(5):604-8. View abstract.

McGroarty JA. Probiotic use of lactobacilli in the human female urogenital tract. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 1993;6:251-64. View abstract.

Probiotics for antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Pharmacist's Letter / Prescriber's Letter 2000;16(1):160103.

Reid G, Bruce AW, Cook RL, et al. Effect on urogenital flora of antibiotic therapy for urinary tract infection. Scand J Infect Dis 1990;22:43-7. View abstract.

Velraeds MM, van der Mei HC, Reid G, Busscher HJ. Inhibition of initial adhesion of uropathogenic Enterococcus faecalis by biosurfactants from Lactobacillus isolates. Appl Environ Microbiol 1996;62:1958-63. View abstract.