About L. plantarum
Lactobacillus plantarum (reclassified in 2020 as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) is a versatile lactic acid bacterium found in fermented foods. Clinical evidence is strain-dependent. Strain 299v (DSM 9843, branded as ProViva/IbSium) has the deepest dataset for IBS — Ducrotté 2012 RCT (n=214) showed symptom improvement vs placebo. PS128 has emerging psychobiotic data. Generic 'L. plantarum' on a label without a strain identifier should not be assumed to deliver the clinical effects published for specific strains. No established RDA/UL.
What L. plantarum supports
- Strain 299v may reduce IBS bloating and abdominal pain (Ducrotté 2012; mixed across other trials)
- 299v co-administered with iron may improve non-heme iron absorption (Hoppe 2017)
How much L. plantarum to take
Clinical studies typically use 1–50 billion_cfu of L. plantarum. Clinical range 1-50 billion CFU/day. Strain-specific evidence: 299v at 10 billion CFU/day (Ducrotté 2012 IBS, Niedzielin 2001); PS128 at 30 billion CFU/day (psychobiotic trials); DR7 at 10 billion CFU/day (stress/cognition). Generic 'L. plantarum' on labels without strain ID is essentially unverifiable for clinical match. Dose is measured in CFU, not mg.
- Effective range
- 1–50 billion_cfu
Clinical evidence
Limited clinical evidence. Strain-specific evidence varies widely. 299v has the strongest IBS data; PS128 and DR7 have small psychobiotic/mood trials. Unspecified 'L. plantarum' has no guaranteed clinical effect since outcomes don't generalize across strains.
NIH Fact Sheet