> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.gutminds.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What probiotics make you poop? - URL: https://www.gutminds.com/what-probiotics-make-you-poop/ - Published: 2026-07-03T11:27:40.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-03T12:41:54.000Z - Description: Top 10 strains from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies for people who don't respond well to fibre or prefer not to use laxatives. - Author: GutMinds [Science Based](#probiotics-for-constipation-strains-and-doses) Although studies do show that specific strains can help with constipation, it’s still a bit of trial and error, because people respond to probiotics differently. That’s why I list 10 of them below, giving you more options in case the most popular ones don’t work for you. ## Best probiotics for constipation ### *L*. *reuteri* DSM 17938 A small, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled [study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25531996/?ref=gutminds.com) of 40 adults with chronic constipation found that this probiotic can make you poop more frequently but it doesn’t improve stool consistency. Participants took it for 4 weeks. By the end of the study people taking the probiotic had about 5 bowel movements per week, compared with about 4 per week in the placebo group. ### *L*. *rhamnosus* IDCC 3201 This small, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled [study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39333245/?ref=gutminds.com) looked at 30 people with IBS-C. Half took *L*. *rhamnosus* IDCC 3201 and half took a placebo for 8 weeks. The group taking the probiotic noticed improvements in bowel movements, bloating, and overall bowel-related comfort compared with the placebo group. ### *Bifidobacterium longum* CCFM 1112 Another small, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled [study](https://brill.com/view/journals/bm/17/2/article-p109%5F1.xml?ref=gutminds.com) with 56 participants found that after 4 weeks the probiotic group showed better stool consistency and noticed that constipation had less impact on their quality of life. ### *Lactobacillus casei* Shirota In the [study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14631461/?ref=gutminds.com), people who drank the *Lactobacillus casei* Shirota probiotic started to have less severe constipation after about 2 weeks. They took it for 4 weeks in total, and by the end, most people in the probiotic group said it helped their constipation compared to the placebo group. However, it didn’t help with bloating or gas. ### *Lactobacillus plantarum* Lp3a This probiotic was tested both in mice and in 120 people with constipation. The human [trial](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9011319/?ref=gutminds.com) lasted only 7 days, but patients in the probiotic group experienced significant improvements in constipation symptoms compared with the control group. It seems *Lactobacillus plantarum* Lp3a works really fast. ### *Lactiplantibacillus plantarum* P9 Another *L*. *plantarum* strain was tested for chronic constipation. In the [study](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661823001111?ref=gutminds.com), 78 participants took 100 billion live bacteria per day for 6 weeks. This is a very high dose compared with commercially available supplements, which typically contain between 1 and 10 billion per capsule. The probiotic group experienced constipation relief, meaning more complete, spontaneous bowel movements per week compared with placebo. ### *Bifidobacterium animali*s DN-173 010 The [study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11876714/?ref=gutminds.com) showed that *B*. *animalis* DN-173 010 helps stool move through the colon more quickly in healthy women. ### *L*. *plantarum* LP01, *B*. *breve* BR03 and *B*. *animalis lactis* BS01 These strains were used in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled [study](https://journals.lww.com/jcge/abstract/2010/09001/the%5Fuse%5Fof%5Fprobiotics%5Fin%5Fhealthy%5Fvolunteers%5Fwith.9.aspx?ref=gutminds.com): *L*. *plantarum* and *B*. *breve* combined, and *B*. *animalis* lactis alone, over 30 days. Participants took a total of 5 billion CFU per day. Here’s what the authors concluded: > The intake of an effective amount of mixed L. plantarum LP01 and B. breve BR03 or B. animalis subsp. lactis BS01 for 30 days is able to significantly relieve the evacuation disorders and hard stools, thus providing a useful tool for the management of such condition, which is particularly widespread in industrialized countries at any age. #### Probiotics for Constipation: Strains and Doses I can see that *L*. *plantarum* comes up more often than other strains, so it might be a useful option for people who do not respond well to fibre or prefer not to use laxatives. I was surprised by how much dosing varies across the studies. Sometimes 5 billion CFU is enough - this is a standard probiotic capsule - while other studies have used as much as 100 billion, which is quite high. #### 8 Sources [The effect of Lactobacillus Reuteri supplementation in adults with chronic functional constipation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controllled trial](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25531996/?ref=gutminds.com) [Effect of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus IDCC 3201 on irritable bowel syndrome with constipation: a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39333245/?ref=gutminds.com) [The impact of Bifidobacterium longum CCFM1112 on chronic constipation: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study](https://brill.com/view/journals/bm/17/2/article-p109%5F1.xml?ref=gutminds.com) [Probiotic beverage containing Lactobacillus casei Shirota improves gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with chronic constipation](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14631461/?ref=gutminds.com) [Lactobacillus plantarum Lp3a improves functional constipation: evidence from a human randomized clinical trial and animal model](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9011319/?ref=gutminds.com) [Effect of the probiotic strain, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P9, on chronic constipation: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661823001111?ref=gutminds.com) [Bifidobacterium animalis strain DN-173 010 shortens the colonic transit time in healthy women: a double-blind, randomized, controlled study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11876714/?ref=gutminds.com) [The use of probiotics in healthy volunteers with evacuation disorders and hard stools. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study](https://journals.lww.com/jcge/abstract/2010/09001/the%5Fuse%5Fof%5Fprobiotics%5Fin%5Fhealthy%5Fvolunteers%5Fwith.9.aspx?ref=gutminds.com)