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Probiotic strain · 2 human trials behind this page

B. lactis DN-173 010: what the human trials show

Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010

DN-173 010 is the strain used in Activia-style fermented milk. In randomized trials it shortened colonic transit in healthy women and eased bloating and discomfort in adults with constipation-type IBS, mostly when eaten as fermented milk three times a day.

The studies, one by one

  1. 2002Randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover trialFavored the strain

    36 healthy women, three 125 g cups a day of fermented milk with DN-173 010 or a control, in 10-day periods

    Total and sigmoid colonic transit times were significantly shorter while drinking the DN-173 010 product than the control. Stool weight, pH, bacterial mass and bile acids did not change.

    Marteau P, Cuillerier E, Meance S, et al. Bifidobacterium animalis strain DN-173 010 shortens the colonic transit time in healthy women: a double-blind, randomized, controlled study. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2002. PubMed 11876714

  2. 2007Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trialPartly favored

    274 primary care adults with constipation-predominant IBS, 6 weeks of the fermented milk or a heat-treated yogurt

    Discomfort scores improved in both groups. At week 3, more people responded on the DN-173 010 product (65% vs 48%) and bloating dropped more. Among people with fewer than three stools a week, stool frequency rose over the 6 weeks.

    Guyonnet D, Chassany O, Ducrotte P, et al. Effect of a fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010 on the health-related quality of life and symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome in adults in primary care: a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2007. PubMed 17635382

What the evidence doesn't show

  • Both trials used a fermented-milk product, not a capsule.
  • The transit study was small (36 people), short and in healthy women only.
  • In the IBS trial both groups improved on the main score; the advantage showed up as a higher responder rate and less bloating at week 3.
  • The 2007 trial's lead author worked for the product's maker.

How to find it on a label

DN-173 010 is a strain of Bifidobacterium animalis studied almost entirely inside a fermented-milk product rather than a capsule. That matters: the trials tested the strain together with the yogurt cultures and the milk itself, so a capsule with the same code is not guaranteed to behave the same way. It is a different strain from HN019, Bl-04 and BB-12, even though all of them are sold as B. lactis or B. animalis.

Names you may see: DN-173 010 · B. animalis DN-173 010 · B. lactis DN-173 010

Is it in anything we rank?

None of the products on our metabolic probiotic ranking lists this strain. Oweli Probiotic lists Bifidobacterium Lactis (Bl-04): the same species, but a different strain, so these trials don't apply to it.

Related reading

Questions

Is DN-173 010 the Activia strain?

It is the strain studied in Activia-type fermented milk. The trials tested the whole fermented-milk product, eaten up to three times a day in the transit study.

Does DN-173 010 help with bloating?

In one 6-week trial of 274 adults with constipation-type IBS, bloating fell more with the DN-173 010 fermented milk than with a heat-treated yogurt at week 3. It is one trial, in one product format.

Will a capsule with DN-173 010 work the same?

Nobody can say from these trials. Both tested a fermented milk, where the strain arrives with yogurt cultures and milk. A capsule is a different product that these studies did not test.

All probiotic strains · Strain-to-evidence lookup · Medical disclaimer

General information, not medical advice. Probiotic effects are strain-specific and modest; talk to a clinician about new, severe or persistent symptoms.