Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 — Benefits & Dosage

Bone density research as one of three strains in Probi Osteo

HEAL19 has reached human bone research only inside Probi Osteo, a blend with HEAL9 and L. paracasei 8700:2 at 10 billion CFU a day. In 249 Swedish women after menopause, spine bone loss was smaller than on placebo over 12 months, but in 114 Australian women shin bone density fell slightly more on the blend. See the Probi Osteo page for both trials.

Cholesterol and blood pressure markers within a multi-food diet

In a 4-week crossover trial in 44 healthy overweight adults aged 50 to 73, a diet that combined 10 billion CFU a day of HEAL19 with oily fish, plant stanols, almonds, soy, barley, fiber and berries lowered LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, hs-CRP and systolic blood pressure more than the control diet did. The share due to HEAL19 is unknown.

Memory and attention tests within the same multi-food diet

In the same 44-person crossover trial, the active diet that included HEAL19 improved a word list recognition test and a selective attention test compared with the control diet. Because the diet changed many foods at once, these results cannot be credited to HEAL19, and no trial has tested its effect on thinking on its own.

Rectal lining during radiotherapy (with oat bran and blueberry husks)

In 30 patients with rectal cancer having short-course radiotherapy, oat bran with HEAL19 and blueberry husks for two weeks was compared with oat bran alone or nothing. Biopsies showed less inflammation and fibrosis and better preserved bacterial variety on the synbiotic, but white blood cell changes did not differ among groups. HEAL19 cannot be separated from the berry husks.

Blood sugar and gut markers in rodent studies (animal research)

In mice on a high-fat diet for 20 weeks, the strain alone lowered fasting glucose and insulin release but did not change body fat, and weight gain was higher. In rats with chemically induced gut inflammation, it lowered a disease activity score and bacterial spread from the gut. These are animal results that have not been tested in people.

Breakdown of berry polyphenols (animal and lab research)

Researchers describe DSM 15313 as producing tannase, an enzyme that breaks down plant tannins, and rats fed blueberries fermented with it had lower blood pressure. In mice, colon oxidative damage fell with bilberry with or without HEAL19 but not with the strain alone, so the berries appeared to carry that effect.

Immune signaling in a mouse model (animal research)

In a mouse model of autoimmune nerve inflammation, DSM 15313 given beforehand raised blood IL-27, an immune signaling protein. On its own it did not help mice that were already ill, whereas a mix with HEAL9 and L. paracasei 8700:2 did, through IL-10 producing regulatory T cells. This has not been shown in people.

Short-chain fatty acids and gut survival (animal research)

In rats, the strain raised cecal acetic, propionic and butyric acid, short-chain fatty acids made by gut bacteria, and it was recovered from cecal content when given with blueberry. In mice on a high-fat diet, the strain with green tea raised intestinal lactobacilli and bacterial variety. In high-fat fed mice given the strain alone, cecal short-chain fatty acids did not differ from control. No human data on these effects exist.

Common Potential side effects

No human safety study of HEAL19 on its own has been published.

In the two 12-month trials of Probi Osteo, which contains HEAL19, adverse events were similar on the blend and on placebo, and liver and kidney markers did not change differently in the Australian trial.

As with any live probiotic, people who are severely immunocompromised or critically ill should ask their doctor before use.

Important Drug interactions

Antibiotics: these can reduce the number of live probiotic bacteria; taking the two a few hours apart is a common precaution.

Immunosuppressive medications: ask your doctor before using any live probiotic.

No drug interaction studies of HEAL19 have been published. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about any supplement you take.

Frequently asked questions about Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DSM 15313)

What is L. plantarum HEAL19?

HEAL19 is a single strain of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, deposited as DSM 15313 and owned by Probi AB of Sweden. It is a different strain from Probi's HEAL9 (DSM 15312) and 299v (DSM 9843). Its best known use is as one of the three strains in Probi Osteo, together with HEAL9 and L. paracasei 8700:2.

Has HEAL19 been tested on its own in people?

No. Every human study found gave HEAL19 with something else: two Probi Osteo bone trials, a 4-week multi-food diet trial in 44 healthy adults, and a 30-patient synbiotic study with oat bran and blueberry husks. Their results belong to those combinations. Studies of the strain alone have been done only in mice and rats.

Does HEAL19 support bone density?

This is unknown for HEAL19 alone. Probi Osteo, which contains it, reduced lumbar spine bone loss versus placebo in one 12-month Probi-funded trial in 249 women, while a second 12-month trial in 114 women found slightly more shin bone loss on the blend. Neither trial can show what HEAL19 contributes.

How much HEAL19 has been used, and is it safe?

There is no studied dose of HEAL19 alone. Probi Osteo used 10 billion CFU a day of three strains combined, and a diet trial used 10 billion CFU of HEAL19 a day. Adverse events in the Probi Osteo trials were similar to placebo. People who are severely immunocompromised or critically ill should ask a doctor before taking live probiotics.

What is Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19?

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HEAL19 (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19) is a probiotic strain deposited as DSM 15313 and owned by the Swedish company Probi AB, which calls it one of its proprietary strains. No human trial has tested HEAL19 on its own.

What is Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 used for?

NutraSmarts does not list Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 under a health category. What the research covers: HEAL19 has reached human bone research only inside Probi Osteo, a blend with HEAL9 and L. paracasei 8700:2 at 10 billion CFU a day.

Is Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 include: No human safety study of HEAL19 on its own has been published. In the two 12-month trials of Probi Osteo, which contains HEAL19, adverse events were similar on the blend and on placebo, and liver and kidney markers did not change differently in the Australian trial. It may also interact with some medications. Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 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 Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Antibiotics: these can reduce the number of live probiotic bacteria; taking the two a few hours apart is a common precaution. Immunosuppressive medications: ask your doctor before using any live probiotic. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 15 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(15 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.

Ohlsson C, Engdahl C, Fåk F, Andersson A, Windahl SH, Farman HH, Movérare-Skrtic S, Islander U, Sjögren K. Probiotics protect mice from ovariectomy-induced cortical bone loss. PLoS One. 2014;9(3):e92368. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092368.PubMedUsed to support: Animal study and source for the strain identity. Its competing interests statement (full text) names the study products as L. paracasei DSM13434 (8700:2), L. plantarum DSM 15312 (HEAL 9) and L. plantarum DSM 15313 (HEAL 19), states that Probi AB provided them and is the main applicant on a pending patent application (SE 1351571-3) naming two authors as inventors. In ovariectomized mice, L. paracasei alone or the three-strain mix in drinking water prevented cortical bone loss; HEAL19 was not tested on its own.
Probi AB. New study indicates effect of Probi® Osteo in both genders. Probi AB (company news). 2022;Company news release, 4 July 2022; accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (manufacturer web page, read online). Describes Probi® Osteo as based on three proprietary strains, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HEAL9 (HEAL9™), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HEAL19 and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei 8700:2, which identifies Probi AB as the owner of HEAL19. The release reports a mouse study and is promotional.
Jansson PA, Curiac D, Lazou Ahrén I, Hansson F, Martinsson Niskanen T, Sjögren K, Ohlsson C. Probiotic treatment using a mix of three Lactobacillus strains for lumbar spine bone loss in postmenopausal women: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial. Lancet Rheumatol. 2019;1(3):e154-e162. doi: 10.1016/S2665-9913(19)30068-2.PubMedUsed to support: Three-strain blend (Probi Osteo), not HEAL19 alone. Probi-funded randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 249 healthy early postmenopausal women of L. paracasei DSM 13434, L. plantarum DSM 15312 (HEAL9) and L. plantarum DSM 15313 (HEAL19), 10 billion CFU per capsule in total, daily for 12 months (NCT02722980). Lumbar spine bone density loss, the primary outcome, was smaller than on placebo (mean difference 0.71 percent); adverse events were similar. Two authors were affiliated with Probi.
Resciniti S, Dacaya P, Yim K, Esmaili T, Vinh A, Galvão HB, Ghasem-Zadeh A, Biesiekierski JR, Moschonis G. Effects of 12-month probiotic supplementation on bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in early postmenopausal females: A double-blind randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2026;124(2):101384. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2026.101384.PubMedUsed to support: Three-strain blend (Probi Osteo), not HEAL19 alone. Probi-funded, university-run 12-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 114 early postmenopausal women of L. plantarum DSM 15312 and DSM 15313 with L. paracasei DSM 13434 (10 billion CFU per capsule). Distal tibia volumetric bone density, the primary outcome, fell slightly more on the blend than on placebo (-3.7 mg HA/cm3, p = 0.027), and bone turnover and inflammatory markers did not differ. No Probi employees were among the authors.
Tovar J, Nilsson A, Johansson M, Ekesbo R, Aberg AM, Johansson U, Björck I. A diet based on multiple functional concepts improves cardiometabolic risk parameters in healthy subjects. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2012;9:29. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-9-29.PubMedUsed to support: Multi-food diet, not HEAL19 alone. Randomized crossover trial in 44 healthy overweight adults aged 50 to 73 comparing 4 weeks of an active diet with 4 weeks of a control diet, separated by a 4-week washout. The active diet combined low glycemic meals, oily fish, viscous fibers, soy and barley products, almonds, plant stanols, berries and 10 billion CFU a day of L. plantarum Heal19 (DSM 15313) (full text). On the active diet, total cholesterol (-26 percent), LDL cholesterol (-34 percent), triglycerides, HbA1c, hs-CRP and systolic blood pressure fell from baseline and differed significantly from the control diet, which changed none of these (full text table). Fasting glucose rose slightly on the active diet (6 percent, significant versus control) and HDL cholesterol fell on both diets. The effect of HEAL19 cannot be separated from the other foods. Funded by a Lund University center; the authors declared no competing interests.
Nilsson A, Tovar J, Johansson M, Radeborg K, Björck I. A diet based on multiple functional concepts improves cognitive performance in healthy subjects. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2013;10:49. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-10-49.PubMedUsed to support: Multi-food diet, not HEAL19 alone. Cognitive results from the same 44-person randomized crossover trial, whose active diet included L. plantarum Heal19 (DSM 15313) among many active foods (full text). Compared with the control diet, the active diet improved a word list recognition test (n = 42) and a selective attention test that also involved working memory (n = 40). The authors declared no competing interests.
Stene C, Xu J, Fallone de Andrade S, Palmquist I, Molin G, Ahrné S, Thorlacius H, Johnson LB, Jeppsson B. Synbiotics protected radiation-induced tissue damage in rectal cancer patients: A controlled trial. Clin Nutr. 2025;49:33-41. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2025.03.025.PubMedUsed to support: Synbiotic with oat bran and blueberry husks, not HEAL19 alone. Thirty patients with rectal adenocarcinoma scheduled for short-course preoperative radiotherapy were divided into no supplement, oat bran, or oat bran with L. plantarum HEAL19 and blueberry husks, taken daily for two weeks starting one week before radiotherapy; the abstract does not state the HEAL19 dose. White blood cell counts fell in both supplement groups, with no significant difference in change among the three groups (p = 0.12). Biopsies showed less inflammation and fibrosis in the synbiotic group than in the other two, and bacterial species fell by 25.1 percent on the synbiotic versus 55.4 percent on oat bran. Funded by public and foundation grants (Europe PMC grant list); the authors declared no conflicts and none was affiliated with Probi.
ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine (sponsor: Region Skåne). Action of Synbiotics on Irradiated GI Mucosa in Rectal Cancer Treatment (FIPIREX), NCT03420443. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2026;Registry record NCT03420443, last updated 2018-02-05; accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (trial registry record, read via the ClinicalTrials.gov API). A randomized, triple-masked, parallel trial at Region Skåne with 30 enrolled, run 2008 to 2015 and registered retrospectively (submitted November 2017, first posted February 2018), with arms of 45 g oat bran, 22 g oat bran with 13 g freeze-dried blueberry husks plus probiotic bacteria, or no supplement. Its primary outcomes are mucosal bacterial diversity and inflammation over 2 weeks. The registry names no probiotic strain and the 2025 paper's abstract cites no registry number, so this record is a likely, but not confirmed, match for that trial.
Jakesevic M, Aaby K, Borge GI, Jeppsson B, Ahrné S, Molin G. Antioxidative protection of dietary bilberry, chokeberry and Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 in mice subjected to intestinal oxidative stress by ischemia-reperfusion. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011;11:8. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-11-8.PubMedUsed to support: Animal study. Mice were fed bilberry or chokeberry with or without L. plantarum HEAL19, described as a strain of human origin, or HEAL19 alone for 10 days before intestinal ischemia-reperfusion. Colon lipid peroxidation (MDA) fell significantly in the bilberry group (p = 0.030) and the bilberry with HEAL19 group (p = 0.021), not in the group given the strain alone. The authors suggest HEAL19 shifted the gut microbiota toward a more polyphenol-tolerant, metabolically active community. The authors declared no competing interests.
Andersson U, Bränning C, Ahrné S, Molin G, Alenfall J, Onning G, Nyman M, Holm C. Probiotics lower plasma glucose in the high-fat fed C57BL/6J mouse. Benef Microbes. 2010;1(2):189-96. doi: 10.3920/BM2009.0036.PubMedUsed to support: Animal study of L. plantarum DSM 15313 alone. In mice fed a high-fat diet for 20 weeks, the strain lowered fasting plasma glucose and insulin release during a glucose tolerance test compared with control, while glucose clearance, insulin, lipids, body fat and cecal short-chain fatty acids did not differ, and body weight gain was higher in the probiotic group.
Osman N, Adawi D, Ahrné S, Jeppsson B, Molin G. Probiotics and blueberry attenuate the severity of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Dig Dis Sci. 2008;53(9):2464-73. doi: 10.1007/s10620-007-0174-x.PubMedUsed to support: Animal study in rats with chemically induced colon inflammation. L. plantarum DSM 15313, L. fermentum 35D and blueberry, alone or combined, lowered the disease activity index, bacterial translocation and myeloperoxidase compared with untreated controls. The L. plantarum group had higher cecal acetic, propionic and butyric acid, and L. plantarum was recovered from cecal content when given with blueberry.
Lavasani S, Dzhambazov B, Nouri M, Fåk F, Buske S, Molin G, Thorlacius H, Alenfall J, Jeppsson B, Weström B. A novel probiotic mixture exerts a therapeutic effect on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mediated by IL-10 producing regulatory T cells. PLoS One. 2010;5(2):e9009. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009009.PubMedUsed to support: Animal study in a mouse model of autoimmune nerve inflammation. Given preventively, L. plantarum DSM 15313 raised serum IL-27, while L. paracasei DSM 13434 and L. plantarum DSM 15312 induced regulatory T cells. Each single strain failed to be therapeutic in diseased mice, whereas the three-strain mix suppressed the disease through IL-10 producing regulatory T cells. The authors declared no competing interests.
Ahrén IL, Xu J, Önning G, Olsson C, Ahrné S, Molin G. Antihypertensive activity of blueberries fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 15313 and effects on the gut microbiota in healthy rats. Clin Nutr. 2015;34(4):719-26. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2014.08.009.PubMedUsed to support: Animal study. Describes L. plantarum DSM 15313 as a tannase-producing strain. Rats given 2 g a day of freeze-dried blueberries fermented with the strain for 4 weeks had lower blood pressure than controls, both healthy rats and rats with drug-induced raised blood pressure, and their gut microbiota changed. The strain was given with fermented blueberries, not alone. Two authors (Ahrén, Önning) were affiliated with Probi AB.
Axling U, Olsson C, Xu J, Fernandez C, Larsson S, Ström K, Ahrné S, Holm C, Molin G, Berger K. Green tea powder and Lactobacillus plantarum affect gut microbiota, lipid metabolism and inflammation in high-fat fed C57BL/6J mice. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2012;9(1):105. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-9-105.PubMedUsed to support: Animal study. In mice fed a high-fat diet for 22 weeks, L. plantarum DSM 15313 in drinking water combined with green tea powder increased intestinal Lactobacillus and bacterial diversity and lowered inflammation markers compared with control; green tea itself drove the drop in body fat and liver fat.
Håkansson A, Bränning C, Molin G, Adawi D, Hagslätt ML, Jeppsson B, Nyman M, Ahrné S. Blueberry husks and probiotics attenuate colorectal inflammation and oncogenesis, and liver injuries in rats exposed to cycling DSS-treatment. PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e33510. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033510.PubMedUsed to support: Animal study of a different three-strain mix (Bifidobacterium infantis DSM 15159, L. gasseri DSM 16737 and L. plantarum DSM 15313) with blueberry husks in rats with chemically induced colon inflammation; the probiotics lowered fecal Enterobacteriaceae, raised lactobacilli and lessened liver injury. Cited also for its disclosure that three Lund University researchers on HEAL19 papers, Ahrné, Molin and Jeppsson, were minority shareholders in Probi AB.

Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19 (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DSM 15313)

Benefits