Nature Made Probiotics Extra Strength 15 Billion CFU Review

For occasional bloating and irregularity, the studies for both strains in this product point to little or no benefit. It is unclear whether the label amounts match the amounts studied. For Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a large review of 69 trials, mostly in children, found it shortened and prevented diarrhea but had limited effect on bloating, belly pain and other digestive symptoms ^[1]. In a placebo-controlled trial of 59 adults treated for a stomach infection, it did not significantly reduce side effects such as bloating ^[2]. In 17 adults with long-lasting diarrhea, two weeks did not change stool frequency, stool form or bloating compared with placebo ^[3]. One trial in 92 young children with food allergy found less bloating and gas, but it used a combination product and had no placebo, so the effect cannot be credited to this strain ^[4]. In healthy older adults, bloating was a common side effect ^[5]. For Bifidobacterium lactis HN019, three placebo-controlled trials in adults with constipation found it was no better than placebo for bowel movements or bloating ^[6][7][8]. A follow-up look at people with very few bowel movements hinted at more frequent stools, but this was not the main result ^[6]. Animal and cell studies are never counted.

The tier rests on counting Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG improvements that were mostly for diarrhea or an uncontrolled combination product, while the placebo-controlled trials given show neither strain helped bloating or regularity. So it is graded Tier 5, lower than the rules alone gave.