Lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria 乳酸菌・ビフィズス菌
Bacteria that produce lactic acid and other substances. For Foods with Function Claims (FFC), notifications are made for each type and strain of bacteria (examples: Bifidobacterium BB536, Plasma lactic acid bacteria L. lactis strain Plasma).
In Japan: Foods with Function Claims notifications
Functions claimed (counted from notifications with this ingredient alone)
Examples of notified claims (our translation)
This product contains lactic acid bacteria strain NY1301. Lactic acid bacteria strain NY1301 has been reported to have a function of improving the intestinal environment and keeping the stomach and bowels in good condition.
This product contains Bifidobacterium BB536. Bifidobacterium BB536 has been reported to have a function of improving the intestinal environment of the large intestine and improving bowel movements in people prone to constipation.
This product contains Plasma lactic acid bacteria (L. lactis strain Plasma). Plasma lactic acid bacteria act on pDCs (plasmacytoid dendritic cells) and have been reported to help maintain immune function in healthy people.
Cautions written in the notifications (most common)
- “Do not take this product if you are taking warfarin (an anticoagulant).” (3 notifications)
- “Depending on your constitution or condition, your stool may loosen.” (5 notifications)
- “Eating a large amount at once may loosen your stool, depending on your constitution.” (4 notifications)
- “Eating too much may loosen your stool.” (2 notifications)
Under Foods with Function Claims, the company notifies the Consumer Affairs Agency of the scientific evidence on its own responsibility; the government does not review or approve it. You can look up each product's notification by the number on the package in the Consumer Affairs Agency's database (Japanese).
In Japan: Foods for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU)
Approved claims by category: Gut condition 56, Triglycerides 1, Body fat 1
Through the action of LB81 lactic acid bacteria, this product balances the intestinal bacteria and keeps the stomach and bowels in good condition.
Through the action of Shirota strain lactic acid bacteria (L. casei YIT 9029), which reach the intestines alive, this product increases good bacteria and reduces bad bacteria, improves the intestinal environment, and keeps the stomach and bowels in good condition.
FOSHU products are reviewed and approved one by one by the government (Consumer Affairs Agency) for effectiveness and safety. The counts are of products whose functional ingredient matches this ingredient. Source: Consumer Affairs Agency, list of approved FOSHU products (Japanese). Claims are our translation.
In the EU: the register of health claims
Claim not authorised in the EU
- The register lists more than 300 claims for lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and similar, and none has been authorised. (A claim that live cultures in yogurt help digest lactose is authorised separately, as a claim for the yogurt's live cultures rather than for the bacteria in general.)
In the EU, only health claims whose evidence has been assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and authorised by the European Commission may be used on food. “Not authorised” means the evidence for that claim was not established under EU standards — not that the ingredient is dangerous.
What the US NIH says
- There are promising results for uses such as preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea, but in many cases it is still not known which bacteria help, or how much is needed.
- They have been used safely for a long time in healthy people, but the risk is higher in people who are seriously ill or have weakened immune systems. Serious infections and deaths have been reported in premature infants, and the US FDA has issued a warning.
Sources: NCCIH "Probiotics"
Find products PR
These are Japanese online shops (affiliate links).
Example of a product notified with this ingredient
免疫サポート 粒タイプ （株式会社ファンケル）
Food with Function Claims, notification No. G384. Chosen from products sold on Rakuten whose names match a current notification to the Consumer Affairs Agency, picking one with many reviews.
See on Rakuten (fancl-shop)See on Amazon.co.jpThis database does not guarantee any product's effect. For Foods with Function Claims, check the notification number on the package; for Foods with Nutrient Function Claims, check the amount per daily serving.
Compare “乳酸菌 サプリ 機能性表示食品” products on RakutenCompare “乳酸菌 サプリ 機能性表示食品” products on Amazon.co.jpRelated articles
Other ingredients in the same categories
This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.