About B. coagulans
Bacillus coagulans (reclassified in 2020 as Weizmannia coagulans) is a Gram-positive, lactic-acid-producing, spore-forming bacterium. The spore form is heat-stable, acid-stable, and shelf-stable at room temperature — a meaningful manufacturing advantage over most Lactobacillus species. Clinical evidence is strain-specific and IBS-dominant. The three strains with credible human data are GBI-30, 6086 (Ganeden BC30, Kerry/Ganeden), MTCC 5856 (LactoSpore, Sabinsa), and Unique IS-2 (MTCC 5260, Unique Biotech). A 2022 network meta-analysis (43 RCTs, n=5,531) ranked B. coagulans highest among species for IBS global symptom relief, abdominal pain, bloating, and straining. A 2023 outcome-specific NMA (81 RCTs, n=9,253) ranked MTCC 5856 (SUCRA 96.9%) and Unique IS-2 (SUCRA 92.6%) at the top for abdominal pain. Effective doses cluster at 1–6 × 10⁹ CFU/day with 2 × 10⁹ CFU/day as the modal dose. Generic 'Bacillus coagulans' on a label without a strain identifier should not be assumed to deliver the published clinical effects. Generally well-tolerated; like any live organism, theoretical bacteremia risk exists for severely immunocompromised, critically ill, or central-line patients — caution warranted in those populations. No RDA or UL established.
What B. coagulans supports
- Top-ranked species for IBS symptom relief in a 2022 network meta-analysis (n=5,531)
- MTCC 5856 (LactoSpore) reduces abdominal pain and bloating in IBS-D and functional bloating RCTs
- Spore form is shelf-stable and survives gastric acid — practical advantage over most Lactobacillus strains
How much B. coagulans to take
The RDA prevents deficiency. The effective range is what clinical trials used to actually move the outcome.
Effective
1–6
billion_cfu
Clinical range 1–6 billion CFU/day; modal effective dose 2 billion CFU/day. MTCC 5856 (LactoSpore) IBS-D and functional bloating trials: 2 × 10⁹ CFU/day (Majeed 2016 PMID 26922379; Madempudi 2023 PMID 36862903). BC30 RA-adjunct trial used 2 × 10⁹ CFU/day (Mandel 2010 PMID 20144208). Pediatric persistent diarrhea trials use up to 5 × 10⁹ CFU/day. Dose is measured in CFU, not mg — labels in mg without a CFU declaration cannot be scored (engine uses extractBillionCFU to parse 'X Billion CFU' from the ingredient name or notes).
Clinical evidence
Moderate clinical evidence. 2022 IBS network meta-analysis (43 RCTs, n=5,531) ranked B. coagulans highest for symptom relief; 2023 outcome-specific NMA (n=9,253) ranked MTCC 5856 and Unique IS-2 highest for abdominal pain; Majeed 2016 PMID 26922379; Madempudi 2023 PMID 36862903; Mandel 2010 PMID 20144208. Evidence is strain-specific and IBS-narrow
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