Home Ingredients Gastro-AD® (Fermented Soy Postbiotic — Lallemand)
Gut Health

Gastro-AD® (Fermented Soy Postbiotic — Lallemand)

Evidence Level
Limited
1 Clinical Trial
3 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

Gastro-AD® is a heat-treated postbiotic made by fermenting soybean flour with Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii R0187, from Lallemand. It is marketed for stomach comfort, including occasional heartburn. In the only PubMed-indexed placebo-controlled human trial, heartburn severity and frequency during use did not differ from placebo.

Studied Dose 1 g sachet at each heartburn episode, repeated after 30 minutes if needed, up to 3 sachets per episode, for 3 weeks (the only PubMed-indexed placebo-controlled trial, which found no difference from placebo on heartburn severity). Daily dosing has not been tested in a placebo-controlled trial.
Active Compound Heat-treated fermentation product of soybean flour fermented by Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii R0187 (also written R-187 or Rosell-187): inactivated bacterial cells plus fermentation metabolites, including aglycone isoflavones such as genistein and short-chain fatty acids.

Benefits

Occasional heartburn severity and frequency

In the only PubMed-indexed placebo-controlled trial, 50 adults with mild to moderate heartburn took 1 g sachets as needed for 3 weeks. The primary outcome was null: heartburn severity 5, 15 and 30 minutes after a dose did not differ from placebo, and neither did heartburn frequency during use. Frequency was lower than placebo during a 1-week washout, a secondary finding.

Supported by Trial 1

Stomach lining support in animal research

In rats whose stomachs were injured with ethanol and hydrochloric acid, Gastro-AD at 100 and 200 mg/kg reduced mucosal lesion scores and gastric acid volume, and the authors also reported less bleeding, higher serum prostaglandin E2 and lower inflammatory markers. This is animal research; no PubMed-indexed human study has measured stomach acid or the stomach lining with Gastro-AD.

Supported by Trial 1

Heartburn-related quality of life

In the same trial, the overall quality-of-life domains and digestive symptom syndromes did not differ from placebo. Four individual questionnaire items, such as fear of eating and disturbed after-meal activities, favored fermented soy. These are secondary, item-level results from a small trial funded by Lallemand and need confirmation.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Postbiotic metabolites

A Lallemand-coauthored composition study found that fermentation converts soy isoflavone glycosides into aglycones such as genistein and identified other metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids. The authors propose these compounds may dampen inflammatory signaling; the study measured composition only, not effects in the body.

2

Acid-secretion modulation

In a rat gastric-injury model, Gastro-AD lowered gastric acid secretion and the levels of acid secretion-related receptors in stomach tissue and in isolated parietal cells, and raised serum prostaglandin E2. Whether this occurs in people at supplement doses is unknown.

Clinical trials

1
Gastro-AD sachets in adults with mild to moderate heartburn
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial: 1-week baseline, 3 weeks of as-needed use, 1-week washout. Funded by Lallemand, with one Lallemand-employed author; the registration NCT03867591 identifies the product as Gastro-AD. (Fatani et al. 2020, BMC Res Notes)

50 adults aged 18 to 60 in Florida with mild or moderate heartburn on at least 2 days a week (23 fermented soy, 27 maltodextrin placebo).

Primary outcome null: heartburn severity 5, 15 and 30 minutes after a 1 g sachet (up to 3 per episode) did not differ from placebo (change at 30 minutes -0.9 vs -1.1 points on a 5-point scale). Heartburn frequency during use, GSRS syndromes and GERD-QOL domains also did not differ. Four individual quality-of-life items favored fermented soy, and heartburn frequency was lower than placebo during washout (secondary findings). No study-related adverse events were reported.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

No study-related adverse events were reported in a 3-week trial of 1 g sachets taken as needed (23 users); longer-term safety data in people are limited.
Contains soy; avoid if you have a soy allergy.
See a doctor for persistent stomach pain to rule out other causes.

Important Drug interactions

Acid-reducing medication: no interaction studies have been published; tell your doctor if combining.
Tell your doctor if you have a diagnosed stomach condition.

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Frequently asked questions about Gastro-AD® (Fermented Soy Postbiotic — Lallemand)

What is Gastro-AD?

Gastro-AD® is a heat-treated postbiotic made by fermenting soybean flour with Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii R0187, from Lallemand. It is marketed for stomach comfort, including occasional heartburn.

What is Gastro-AD used for?

Gastro-AD is researched primarily for Gut Health. In the only PubMed-indexed placebo-controlled trial, 50 adults with mild to moderate heartburn took 1 g sachets as needed for 3 weeks.

What is the recommended dosage of Gastro-AD?

The clinically studied dose is 1 g sachet at each heartburn episode, repeated after 30 minutes if needed, up to 3 sachets per episode, for 3 weeks (the only PubMed-indexed placebo-controlled trial, which found no difference from placebo on heartburn severity). Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Gastro-AD safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Gastro-AD include: No study-related adverse events were reported in a 3-week trial of 1 g sachets taken as needed (23 users); longer-term safety data in people are limited. Contains soy; avoid if you have a soy allergy. It may also interact with some medications. Gastro-AD is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Gastro-AD interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Acid-reducing medication: no interaction studies have been published; tell your doctor if combining. Tell your doctor if you have a diagnosed stomach condition. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Gastro-AD?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Gastro-AD as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 1 study summary and 3 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(3 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Ethier R, Krishnamurthy A, Jeffrey M, Tompkins TA. Profiling of Metabolites in a Fermented Soy Dietary Supplement Reinforces its Role in the Management of Intestinal Inflammation. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2024;68(7):e2300770. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202300770.PubMedUsed to support: Composition study of Gastro-AD (soy flour fermented by Lactobacillus delbrueckii R0187), coauthored by a Lallemand scientist: NMR, HPLC and GC showed fermentation deglycosylated soy isoflavones (for example to genistein) and identified other metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids. The authors propose, without testing it, that compounds such as genistein and short-chain fatty acids could modulate anti-inflammatory signaling in stomach tissue, while the title frames the work around intestinal inflammation. No biological or clinical outcome was measured.
  2. Lee M, Kim D, Kim H, Jo S, Kim OK, Lee J. Gastro-Protective Effect of Fermented Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in a Rat Model of Ethanol/HCl-Induced Gastric Injury. Nutrients. 2022;14(10):2079. doi: 10.3390/nu14102079.PubMedUsed to support: Animal study of Gastro-AD (soybean fermented by L. delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii Rosell-187, supplied by Lallemand) in rats with ethanol/HCl gastric injury (n = 8 per group; 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg; lesion and acid-volume reductions reported at 100 and 200 mg/kg): reduced mucosal lesions, hemorrhage and gastric acid secretion, raised serum prostaglandin E2, and lowered acid secretion-related receptors and inflammatory and apoptotic markers. Not human evidence.
  3. Fatani A, Vaher K, Rivero-Mendoza D, Alabasi K, Dahl WJ. Fermented soy supplementation improves indicators of quality of life: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial in adults experiencing heartburn. BMC Res Notes. 2020;13(1):364. doi: 10.1186/s13104-020-05205-z.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (registration NCT03867591 names the product Gastro-AD; funded by Lallemand) in 50 adults with mild to moderate heartburn taking 1 g sachets as needed, up to 3 per episode, for 3 weeks. The primary outcome (heartburn severity at 5, 15 and 30 minutes), heartburn frequency, GSRS syndromes and GERD-QOL domains did not differ from placebo; some individual quality-of-life items and washout heartburn frequency favored fermented soy.