Bacillus subtilis
Also called B. subtilis, spore probiotic, spore-forming probiotic, DE111, HU58, BS50.
Best grade C across 12 graded outcomes Other Last checked
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The short answer
From 14 sourcesResults depend on the strain. BS50 eased burping and bloating in a 76-person trial, and HU58 shortened antibiotic-related diarrhea in 68 children. Two 100-person bloating trials (MB40, ATCC 122264) found no overall benefit, only sex subgroups. Cholesterol and body-fat findings for DE111 come from small studies.
Every graded outcome on this page
12 rows · line = participants- CGrade CAntibiotic-associated diarrhea (two-strain product)Antibiotic diarrhean 5,700
- CGrade CStaphylococcus aureus carriage in the gut and noseStaph carriagen 115
- CGrade CBloating, burping and flatulence in healthy adultsGas and bloatingn 76
- CGrade CAntibiotic-associated diarrhea in childrenAntibiotic diarrhean 68
- CGrade CConstipation and indigestion symptomsConstipationn 67
- DGrade DGut symptoms and immune markersImmune markersn 46
- DGrade DCholesterol and blood-vessel functionCholesteroln 43
- DGrade DStrength, power and body fat during trainingPerformancen 23
- ∅No effectBloating, abdominal discomfort and gasGas and bloatingn 100
- ∅No effectIntestinal gas symptoms in functional bloatingGas and bloatingn 100
- ∅No effectCommon infections in older adultsCommon infectionsn 100
- ∅No effectGeneral wellness and gut symptoms (tolerance)Tolerancen 81
- 9 more graded outcomes, in the evidence chapter
Key facts
- What it is
- A spore-forming bacterium; spores survive the gut, and fecal counts rose with dose in a 81-person trial7
- Gas and bloating
- BS50: 47.4% improved vs 22.2% on placebo (76 adults); MB40 and ATCC 122264 null overall in 100 adults each3610
- Children's antibiotic diarrhea
- HU58: 93.5% had normal stools by day 3 vs 22.6% on placebo (68 children)11
- Staph carriage
- MB40: S. aureus fell 96.8% in stool and 65.4% in the nose after 30 days (115 adults)12
What it is
Bacillus subtilis is a spore-forming soil and food bacterium sold as a probiotic; each strain (DE111, HU58, BS50, MB40) is tested separately.
Forms, side by side
2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.
Bacillus subtilis forms compared
2 forms| 2 forms | Live spore capsules (DE111, HU58, BS50, MB40, R0179) | Heat-deactivated cells (BG01-4) |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption in people | Not absorbed; spores were recovered in stool at counts that rose with dose.7 | Not absorbed; non-living cells high in branched-chain fatty acids.5 |
| GI tolerance | Well tolerated from 0.1 to 10 billion CFU a day for 4 weeks; no meaningful changes in blood chemistry or hematology with BS50.73 | The abstract reports no safety concerns over 4 weeks.5 |
| Studied for | Gas and bloating, children's antibiotic diarrhea, cholesterol | Constipation and indigestion |
- Live spore capsules (DE111, HU58, BS50, MB40, R0179)
- Absorption in people
- Not absorbed; spores were recovered in stool at counts that rose with dose.7
- GI tolerance
- Well tolerated from 0.1 to 10 billion CFU a day for 4 weeks; no meaningful changes in blood chemistry or hematology with BS50.73
- Studied for
- Gas and bloating, children's antibiotic diarrhea, cholesterol
- Heat-deactivated cells (BG01-4)
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
Trial map
12 graded outcomes, largest study first12 graded outcomes: 5 improved, 3 mixed, 4 no effect. The largest, a 2026 meta-analysis of 5,700 people on Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (two-strain product), found an improvement.
1Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (two-strain product)
Improved · Grade C · Meta-analysis, 5,700 people, 2026
Children and adults on antibiotics in 33 trials (2,919 on the product, 2,781 controls)
Dose, result and source| Outcome | Found | People | Study | Who was studied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (two-strain product) | Improved | 5,700 | Grade C · Meta-analysis, 2026 | Children and adults on antibiotics in 33 trials (2,919 on the product, 2,781 controls) |
| Staphylococcus aureus carriage in the gut and nose | Improved | 115 | Grade C · RCT, 2023 | Adults in Thailand colonised by S. aureus |
| Intestinal gas symptoms in functional bloating | No effect | 100 | No-effect grade · RCT, 2025 | Adults with functional bloating (Rome IV) |
| Bloating, abdominal discomfort and gas | No effect | 100 | No-effect grade · RCT, 2021 | Healthy adults with bloating |
| Common infections in older adults | No effect | 100 | No-effect grade · RCT, 2015 | Healthy free-living adults aged 60 to 74 |
| General wellness and gut symptoms (tolerance) | No effect | 81 | No-effect grade · RCT, 2015 | Healthy adults aged 18 to 50 |
| Bloating, burping and flatulence in healthy adults | Improved | 76 | Grade C · RCT, 2022 | Healthy adults |
| Antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children | Improved | 68 | Grade C · RCT, 2025 | Children aged 1 to 12 in India with diarrhea after antibiotics |
| Constipation and indigestion symptoms | Mixed | 67 | Grade C · RCT, 2023 | Adults with self-reported functional gut disorders in Australia |
| Gut symptoms and immune markers | Mixed | 46 | Grade D · Pilot RCT, 2021 | Healthy adults |
| Cholesterol and blood-vessel function | Improved | 43 | Grade D · RCT, 2020 | Healthy adults aged 18 to 65 (DE111 arm 22, placebo 21) |
| Strength, power and body fat during training | Mixed | 23 | Grade D · RCT, 2020 | Female Division I soccer and volleyball players |
Every graded row
12 rowsShowing 12 of 12 outcomes. Human trials only.
CGrade CAntibiotic-associated diarrhea (two-strain product)Antibiotic diarrheaLess antibiotic diarrheaMeta-analysis · 33 studies
n 5,700 · 2026
Improved Added to symptomatic care, the product raised the treatment response rate (OR 6.54) and shortened symptoms by 1.8 days, and lowered the incidence of diarrhea when used to head it off (OR 0.275), vs symptomatic care alone.
- Design
- Meta-analysis, 33 studies, n = 5,700, 2026
- Population
- Children and adults on antibiotics in 33 trials (2,919 on the product, 2,781 controls)
- Form
- Live combined B. subtilis and Enterococcus faecium (granules or capsules)
- Dose
- Varied across trials
- Duration
- Varied across trials
- Source
- Reference 14 · PubMed 41125358 (opens PubMed)
CGrade CStaphylococcus aureus carriage in the gut and noseStaph carriageLess S. aureus carriageRCT
n 115 · 2023
Improved S. aureus fell 96.8% in stool (p < 0.0001) and 65.4% in the nose (p = 0.0002) with MB40; adverse effects and the wider gut microbiome did not differ from placebo.
- Design
- RCT, n = 115, 2023
- Population
- Adults in Thailand colonised by S. aureus
- Form
- B. subtilis MB40
- Dose
- 250 mg a day (CFU not stated in the abstract)
- Duration
- 30 days
- Source
- Reference 12 · PubMed 36646104 (opens PubMed)
CGrade CBloating, burping and flatulence in healthy adultsGas and bloatingLess burping and gasRCT
n 76 · 2022
Improved More people improved on the combined bloating, burping and flatulence score with BS50 than placebo (47.4% vs 22.2%; OR 3.2, p = .024); burping improved (44.7% vs 22.2%), bloating only trended (p = .071); other symptoms unchanged.
- Design
- RCT, n = 76, 2022
- Population
- Healthy adults
- Form
- B. subtilis BS50
- Dose
- 2 billion CFU a day
- Duration
- 6 weeks
- Source
- Reference 3 · PubMed 36269141 (opens PubMed)
CGrade CAntibiotic-associated diarrhea in childrenAntibiotic diarrheaFaster recoveryRCT
n 68 · 2025
Improved By day 3, 93.5% on HU58 had normal stools vs 22.6% on placebo (P < 0.001); almost all children in both groups were normal by day 7. Abdominal pain fell more with HU58.
- Design
- RCT, n = 68, 2025
- Population
- Children aged 1 to 12 in India with diarrhea after antibiotics
- Form
- B. subtilis HU58
- Dose
- 2 billion CFU a day
- Duration
- 7 days
- Source
- Reference 11 · PubMed 40716758 (opens PubMed)
CGrade CConstipation and indigestion symptomsConstipationConstipation easedRCT
n 67 · 2023
Mixed Constipation improved 33% vs 15% on placebo; total symptom and diarrhea scores improved equally in both groups; indigestion was not significant (p = 0.079) except in exploratory clusters.
- Design
- RCT, n = 67, 2023
- Population
- Adults with self-reported functional gut disorders in Australia
- Form
- Heat-deactivated B. subtilis BG01-4
- Dose
- Daily (dose not stated in the abstract)
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Source
- Reference 5 · PubMed 37960143 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DGut symptoms and immune markersImmune markersLab marker shifts onlyPilot RCT
n 46 · 2021
Mixed Anti-inflammatory immune cells rose after ex vivo challenge; perceived gut health, microbiota, IL-6, sIgA and zonulin were largely unaffected.
- Design
- Pilot RCT, n = 46, 2021
- Population
- Healthy adults
- Form
- B. subtilis DE111
- Dose
- Daily capsule (dose not stated in the abstract)
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Source
- Reference 9 · PubMed 33671071 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DCholesterol and blood-vessel functionCholesterolSmall cholesterol dropRCT
n 43 · 2020
Improved Total cholesterol fell 8 mg/dl (P = 0.04) and non-HDL cholesterol 11 mg/dl (P = 0.01) vs baseline; endothelial function (P = 0.05) and LDL (P = 0.06) only trended.
- Design
- RCT, n = 43, 2020
- Population
- Healthy adults aged 18 to 65 (DE111 arm 22, placebo 21)
- Form
- B. subtilis DE111
- Dose
- 1 billion CFU a day (full text)
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Source
- Reference 4 · PubMed 33161737 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DStrength, power and body fat during trainingPerformanceNo strength gain; less body fatRCT
n 23 · 2020
Mixed Strength, jump and muscle thickness rose equally in both groups; body fat fell more with DE111 (-2.05% vs -0.2%, p = 0.015).
- Design
- RCT, n = 23, 2020
- Population
- Female Division I soccer and volleyball players
- Form
- B. subtilis DE111
- Dose
- 5 billion CFU a day
- Duration
- 10 weeks
- Source
- Reference 8 · PubMed 33105368 (opens PubMed)
∅No effectBloating, abdominal discomfort and gasGas and bloatingNo overall benefitRCT
n 100 · 2021
No effect No difference from placebo in bloating intensity, bloating days, abdominal discomfort or gas; a male subgroup improved.
- Design
- RCT, n = 100, 2021
- Population
- Healthy adults with bloating
- Form
- B. subtilis MB40
- Dose
- 5 billion CFU a day
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Source
- Reference 6 · PubMed 31719214 (opens PubMed)
∅No effectIntestinal gas symptoms in functional bloatingGas and bloatingNo overall benefitRCT
n 100 · 2025
No effect No difference from placebo in the global gas score or any dimension at 4 or 8 weeks; in women only, belching and flatulence eased.
- Design
- RCT, n = 100, 2025
- Population
- Adults with functional bloating (Rome IV)
- Form
- B. subtilis ATCC 122264
- Dose
- 5 billion CFU a day
- Duration
- 8 weeks
- Source
- Reference 10 · PubMed 39929203 (opens PubMed)
∅No effectCommon infections in older adultsCommon infectionsNo fewer sick daysRCT
n 100 · 2015
No effect Days with common infection symptoms did not differ from placebo (5.1 vs 6.6 days, P = 0.2015); in a 44-person subset, stool and saliva IgA rose, and a post hoc analysis found fewer respiratory infections.
- Design
- RCT, n = 100, 2015
- Population
- Healthy free-living adults aged 60 to 74
- Form
- B. subtilis CU1
- Dose
- 2 billion spores a day in 10-day courses
- Duration
- 4 months (four 10-day courses)
- Source
- Reference 13 · PubMed 26640504 (opens PubMed)
∅No effectGeneral wellness and gut symptoms (tolerance)ToleranceWell tolerated, no symptom changeRCT
n 81 · 2015
No effect Wellness and gut symptom scores did not change at any dose; fecal B. subtilis counts rose with dose (P < 0.0001), showing the spores survive transit.
- Design
- RCT, n = 81, 2015
- Population
- Healthy adults aged 18 to 50
- Form
- B. subtilis R0179
- Dose
- 0.1, 1 or 10 billion CFU a day
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Source
- Reference 7 · PubMed 25062611 (opens PubMed)
What the numbers add up to
Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.
Bloating results split by strain
Most trials are funded by the strain maker
Studied doses
Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.
Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.
Doses studied in human trials
When trials measured an effect
2 outcomes| Outcome | Measured at | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Antibiotic diarrhea in children (HU58) | Day 3 | 93.5% on HU58 had normal stools by day 3 vs 22.6% on placebo; almost all children in both groups by day 711 |
| Staph carriage (MB40) | Day 30 | Carriage measured after the last of 30 daily doses12 |
Interactions and safety
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
Interactions
0 agentsNone found in our sources.
Check with what you take
Kept on this device onlyAdd what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Bacillus subtilis and your picks, and between your picks.
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Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Bacillus subtilis.
Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.
Who should be careful
4 groups- Immune-compromised conditions
- Health Canada's general probiotics monograph (which lists Bacillus subtilis among organisms it does not cover) advises against probiotics with an immune-compromised condition (for example AIDS, lymphoma, or long-term corticosteroid treatment).1
- Fever or severe gut symptoms
- The same Health Canada monograph: ask a health care practitioner before use if you have fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea or severe abdominal pain, and stop if digestive upset occurs, worsens or lasts beyond 3 days.1
- Premature infants and seriously ill people
- NCCIH reports severe or fatal infections in premature infants given probiotics, and higher risk in people with severe illness.2
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- No reliable data: the 2023 MB40 trial excluded pregnant and breastfeeding women, and LactMed has no entry for Bacillus subtilis.12
Where to buy Bacillus subtilis
Products from brands we partner with that contain Bacillus subtilis. Check the amount per serving against the doses studied above, and the label for other ingredients.
Bacillus subtilis products from partner brands
1 product Paid links · we earn a commission- HerbsProProbiogen Daily Spore Probiotic, 30 Veg Caps
1 capsule: 8 billion CFU total of a 4-strain blend (B. subtilis HU58, Bacillus clausii, Bacillus coagulans, Saccharomyces boulardii); the label does not give HU58's own count, unlike the single-strain HU58 trial
$21.59one-timeChecked Oct 15, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.
Common questions
7 answersDoes Bacillus subtilis help bloating?
Does it help diarrhea from antibiotics?
In 68 children in India, HU58 brought normal stools by day 3 in 93.5% vs 22.6% on placebo, though nearly all children recovered by day 7.11
Does Bacillus subtilis lower cholesterol?
DE111 lowered total cholesterol 8 mg/dl vs baseline in a 4-week study of 22 people on the strain; this was not a comparison with placebo.4
Is Bacillus subtilis safe?
Does Bacillus subtilis interact with medicines?
What is a spore probiotic?
A bacterium such as Bacillus subtilis that forms hardy spores. In a 81-person trial, R0179 spores were recovered in stool at counts that rose with dose.7
Sources
14 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.
Sources cited on this page
14 sources- 1Probiotics (Natural Health Product monograph, April 24, 2026)Guideline Health Canada, Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate, 2026 · webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca
- 2Probiotics: Usefulness and SafetyFact sheet National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2019 · nccih.nih.gov
- 3The probiotic Bacillus subtilis BS50 decreases gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.RCT Gut Microbes, 2022 · PMID 36269141
- 4Bacillus subtilis DE111 intake may improve blood lipids and endothelial function in healthy adults.RCT Benef Microbes, 2020 · PMID 33161737
- 5Bacillus Subtilis (BG01-4(TM)) Improves Self-Reported Symptoms for Constipation, Indigestion, and Dyspepsia: A Phase 1/2A Randomized Controlled Trial.RCT Nutrients, 2023 · PMID 37960143
- 6A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel Study Evaluating the Efficacy of Bacillus subtilis MB40 to Reduce Abdominal Discomfort, Gas, and Bloating.RCT Altern Ther Health Med, 2021 · PMID 31719214
- 7Evaluation of Bacillus subtilis R0179 on gastrointestinal viability and general wellness: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy adults.RCT Benef Microbes, 2015 · PMID 25062611
- 8Effects of Probiotic (Bacillus subtilis) Supplementation During Offseason Resistance Training in Female Division I Athletes.RCT J Strength Cond Res, 2020 · PMID 33105368
- 9Examining the Gastrointestinal and Immunomodulatory Effects of the Novel Probiotic Bacillus subtilis DE111.Pilot RCT Int J Mol Sci, 2021 · PMID 33671071
- 10Effect of Bacillus subtilis ATCC 122264 on intestinal gas symptoms and quality of life in adults with functional bloating.RCT Benef Microbes, 2025 · PMID 39929203
- 11Effects of spore-forming probiotic Bacillus subtilis HU58™ in children with antibiotic-associated diarrhoea: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.RCT Benef Microbes, 2025 · PMID 40716758
- 12Probiotic for pathogen-specific Staphylococcus aureus decolonisation in Thailand: a phase 2, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.RCT Lancet Microbe, 2023 · PMID 36646104
- 13Probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis CU1 stimulates immune system of elderly during common infectious disease period: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study.RCT Immun Ageing, 2015 · PMID 26640504
- 14Live Combined Bacillus Subtilis and Enterococcus Faecium for the Treatment and Prevention of Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea: A RCT-Based Meta-Analysis.Meta-analysis Tohoku J Exp Med, 2026 · PMID 41125358
What changed
Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.
Change log
2 entries| Date | Change | Who and why |
|---|---|---|
| evidence; key facts; who should be careful; time to effect; FAQ; questions; related | Searched PubMed for Bacillus subtilis meta-analyses and RCTs through 2026. Added three graded rows: the 2023 MB40 Staphylococcus aureus carriage trial (115 adults), the 2015 CU1 trial in older adults (100, null for sick days) and a 2026 meta-analysis of a two-strain B. subtilis + Enterococcus faecium product for antibiotic diarrhea (33 trials, graded C: no placebo controls). Added a pregnancy and breastfeeding note (no reliable data; MB40 trial excluded them; no LactMed entry), time-to-effect rows, a strain FAQ, an interactions FAQ, page questions and gut and immune goal-hub links. Corrected the Health Canada notes: its probiotics monograph lists B. subtilis as excluded, so its cautions are now described as general probiotic advice. Interactions checked in NCCIH, the Health Canada monograph, LiverTox and LactMed (no B. subtilis entries): none documented, so the list stays empty. Not added: the C-3102 loose-stool trial (abstract gives no n or dose) and blends with other spore strains. | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md |
| all | Initial editorial evidence review. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title, year, journal; none retracted) and each cited abstract read; numbers taken from the abstracts (full text only for the DE111 lipid-arm sizes and dose and the DE111 pilot enrolment). Funding disclosed per study: BIO-CAT (BS50), Deerland (DE111 pilot; strains for the NHLBI-funded lipid trial), Kerry (ATCC 122264), Novozymes-employed authors (HU58), Adepa-director authors with no external funding (BG01-4), Lallemand author (R0179); other abstracts name no funder (disclosed as not stated). Nulls shown: MB40 and ATCC 122264 bloating, R0179 wellness, DE111 strength and gut markers. Safety rows from the Health Canada Probiotics monograph and NCCIH probiotics page. Where to buy: Probiogen Daily Spore Probiotic (label and price checked 2026-10-15; a blend, flagged in the serving note). | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page |
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