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Bacillus coagulans

Bacillus Coagulans is a bacterium that is used as a beneficial bacterium similar to Lactobacillus and other probiotics.

Bacillus Co agulans is used for diarrhea including infectious diarrhea such as rotaviral diarrhea in children, traveler's diarrhea and antibiotic-induced diarrhea. Bacillus coagulans is also used for general digestive problems, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Clostridium difficile colitis, excessive growth of harmful bacteria in short bowel syndrome and infections caused by Heliocobacter bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.

Some people use Bacillus Coagulans to prevent respiratory infections and to improve the function of the immune system. It is also used to prevent cancer or the formation of carcinogenic substances. There is also interest in using this bacterium as an additive for vaccines to increase their effectiveness. Bacillus coagulans produces lactic acid and is therefore often wrongly classified as a lactic acid bacterium like Lactobacillus. Some commercial products containing Bacillus coagulans are in fact marketed as Lactobacillus spores or spore-forming lactic acid bacteria. Unlike lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria, Bacillus Coagulans forms reproductive structures called spores. The spores are an important factor in distinguishing Bacillus coagulans from lactic acid bacteria.

How effective is Bacillus coagulans?

There is not enough scientific data to determine whether Bacillus coagulans is effective for diarrhea, including viral diarrhea in children, traveler's diarrhea and diarrhea caused by bacteria, digestive problems, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, for Clostridium difficile colitis, to combat unwanted bacteria, against Helicobacter infections that can cause stomach ulcers, for respiratory tract infections, to prevent cancer, to strengthen the immune system or as an additive for vaccines to increase their effectiveness. Further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of Bacillus coagulans in these applications. No reliable studies have yet been carried out on humans.

How does Bacillus coagulans work?

There is not enough information to say how Bacillus Coagulans might work for medical purposes. Some animal studies show that Bacillus coagulans may improve the function of the immune system and reduce the levels of harmful bacteria.

Is Bacillus Coagulans safe and harmless?

There is not enough information to say whether Bacillus Coagulans is safe and harmless as this product has not yet been studied in humans. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should refrain from taking Bacillus Coagulans to be on the safe side.

Interactions with medication?

Care should be taken when combining Bacillus Coagulans with the following medications:

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are used to fight harmful bacteria in the body, but they can also reduce the levels of other bacteria in the body. Taking antibiotics in conjunction with Bacillus Coagulans may reduce the potential benefits of Bacillus Coagulans. To avoid this potential interaction, Bacillus Coagulans products should be taken at least two hours before or two hours after taking antibiotics.

Drugs that suppress the function of the immune system

Bacillus Coagulans can increase the activity of the immune system. Taking Bacillus Coagulans in combination with drugs that reduce the activity of the immune system could reduce the effectiveness of these drugs.

Are there any interactions with medicinal plants or supplements?

There are no known interactions with medicinal plants or supplements.

Are there any interactions with food?

There are no known interactions with food.

Recommended dosage

The correct dose of Bacillus Coagulans depends on several factors, including age, health status and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific information to determine an appropriate dosage range for Bacillus Coagulans. It should be kept in mind that even natural products cannot necessarily be considered safe and harmless at every dosage. For this reason, you should follow the recommended dosage on the product label or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

References

  1. Czaczyk K, Tojanowska K, Mueller A. Antifungal activity of Bacillus coagulans against Fusarium sp. Acta Microbiol Pol 2002;51:275-83.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Probiotics for antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Pharmacist's Letter / Prescriber's Letter 2000;16:160103.
  5. Duc LH, Hong HA, Barbosa TM, et al. Characterization of Bacillus probiotics available for human use. Appl Environ Microbiol 2004;70:2161-71.
  6. 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.
  7. McGroarty JA. Probiotic use of lactobacilli in the human female urogenital tract. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 1993;6:251-64.
  8. 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.