Probiotic did not slow bone loss soon after menopause
Over 12 months, shinbone density near the ankle fell 3.7 milligrams of hydroxyapatite, a bone mineral, per cubic centimeter more with the probiotic than with placebo.
Our read
Interventions- Studied:
- Randomized trial in 114 early postmenopausal women, 12 mo, against placebo (Double-blind, placebo-controlled, registered ACTRN12621000810819)
- What changed:
- Bone density at the lower shinbone fell more with probiotics than placebo (difference: −3.7 mg HA/cm³)
- The catch:
- Lower energy, protein, and calcium intake in the probiotic group could explain greater bone loss
- Stake:
- Probi funded the study.
- In the record:
- One of 3 papers on lacticaseibacillus paracasei + lactiplantibacillus plantarum on record: 1 with results in people, 1 in animals.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Healthy women aged 45 to 65 who were one to eight years past menopause participated in a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 114 participants. They took one capsule daily for 12 months: either a three-strain probiotic blend or placebo. Each probiotic capsule contained 10 billion colony-forming units, a measure of live bacteria.
Both groups experienced modest bone-density declines. The probiotic group had a small but statistically significant greater decline at the lower shinbone near the ankle, the main measurement site. Most secondary bone measurements showed no significant differences after researchers accounted for testing multiple outcomes. Blood tests showed no evidence of treatment effects on bone formation, bone breakdown, calcium-regulating hormones or inflammation.
Why it matters
Rapid bone loss early after menopause makes preserving bone a concern as women age. The authors concluded that the findings did not support this probiotic blend as a standalone approach to preserving bone.
Caveats
The main outcome measured bone density, not fractures. The trial tested one probiotic blend in healthy women early after menopause and excluded women with diagnosed bone disease.
From the paper
- Primary outcome
For the primary outcome, distal tibia total vBMD, the probiotic group showed a greater reduction than the placebo group (between-group difference in change: −3.7 mg HA/cm³; 95% CI: −6.9, −0.4 mg HA/cm³; P = 0.027).
Quoted word for word from the full text on PubMed Central.
- Lacticaseibacillus paracasei + lactiplantibacillus plantarum
- Inflammation
- Osteoporosis
- Areal bone mineral density
- Bone mineral density
- Humans
The paper
La Trobe University
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jun 8, 2026, Open access
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