Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG vs Unstudied Multi-Strain Blends
How Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and unstudied multi-strain blends differ in how they work, evidence, tolerance, and cost.
This page contains affiliate links. Titrate earns a small commission when you purchase through them, at no cost to you. This does not affect our recommendations.
Side by Side
| Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG | Multi-Strain Blends (Unstudied) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Survives stomach acid and bile and adheres to intestinal mucus; detectable in stool during use and for a short time after. | Combinations assembled for marketing rather than tested as a product. Strain designations are often missing, and CFU may be counted at manufacture rather than expiration. |
| Typical dose | 10-20 billion CFU daily | Varies |
| Common uses | antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children, acute infectious diarrhea in children | general gut health (unproven) |
| Side effects | Gas, bloating. | Gas, bloating. |
| Cost | Moderate | Moderate |
| Also called | LGG, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, Culturelle | 50 billion CFU blends, 10-strain formulas |
When to Choose Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
Choose Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG when you want the best-studied single bacterial strain for antibiotic-associated diarrhea. In 2020 the genus was renamed Lacticaseibacillus; labels may use either name. Look for the GG strain designation.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
The best-studied bacterial strain for antibiotic-associated diarrhea, especially in children.
What to look for: "GG" in the strain name and 10 billion CFU or more through expiration.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkWhen to Choose Multi-Strain Blends (Unstudied)
There is rarely a reason to choose unstudied multi-strain blends: choose a strain matched to a trial instead. The trials that support probiotics tested specific strains, not blends built from their species names.
Multi-Strain Blends (Unstudied)
There is rarely a reason to choose unstudied multi-strain blends: choose a strain matched to a trial instead.
What to look for: Multi-Strain Blends named on the Supplement Facts panel, with the amount per serving stated.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkProducts on Titrate
The Probiotics category in Titrate's index holds 5,145 labels from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database, 2,852 of them currently on market, out of 214,745 labels indexed in total.
Supplement Search loads one category at a time. Choose the Probiotics tab and filter by ingredient, form, or what the product leaves out.
Related
References
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Probiotics: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
Gionchetti P, Rizzello F, Venturi A, et al. Oral bacteriotherapy as maintenance treatment in patients with chronic pouchitis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Gastroenterology. 2000;119(2):305-309.
Whorwell PJ, Altringer L, Morel J, et al. Efficacy of an encapsulated probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 in women with irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006;101(7):1581-1590.
Hill C, Guarner F, Reid G, et al. Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;11(8):506-514.
Szajewska H, Kołodziej M. Systematic review with meta-analysis: Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2015;42(7):793-801.
Goldenberg JZ, Yap C, Lytvyn L, et al. Probiotics for the prevention of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in adults and children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;12(12):CD006095.
Suez J, Zmora N, Zilberman-Schapira G, et al. Post-antibiotic gut mucosal microbiome reconstitution is impaired by probiotics and improved by autologous FMT. Cell. 2018;174(6):1406-1423.
Ford AC, Harris LA, Lacy BE, Quigley EMM, Moayyedi P. Systematic review with meta-analysis: the efficacy of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics and antibiotics in irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2018;48(10):1044-1060.
Guo Q, Goldenberg JZ, Humphrey C, El Dib R, Johnston BC. Probiotics for the prevention of pediatric antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;4(4):CD004827.
Su GL, Ko CW, Bercik P, et al. AGA clinical practice guidelines on the role of probiotics in the management of gastrointestinal disorders. Gastroenterology. 2020;159(2):697-705.