Can probiotics help fight COVID-19?

Based on Science

There is currently no evidence--and it is therefore unlikely--that probiotics can help your body fight COVID-19.

Pandemics

Health and Medicine

Food Safety

Last update June 30, 2020

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are living microbes (e.g., bacteria, viruses, and some fungi) that may provide health benefits when they are consumed or applied to the body in adequate amounts. There are many kinds of probiotics and they can be found in some foods, such as yogurt. Probiotics can also be taken as dietary supplements.

Probiotics have potential to benefit your heath in different ways. For example, the bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus in yogurt have been found to help with the digestion of lactose in people who usually have a hard time digesting lactose. Other ways probiotics may benefit human health include:

Regulating the immune system
Promoting cell growth in the lining of the intestines

However, the evidence that probiotics may provide these health benefits is not very strong. When studying probiotics, scientists try to figure out which probiotic works best and how much needs to be taken to help with a particular health condition—for example, a chest cold or a case of diarrhea. Sorting out what, if any, effect a probiotic has in a system as complex as the human body is difficult.

Also, even though some probiotics (like those found in yogurt) have been consumed safely for a long time, few studies on the safety of probiotics or possible side effects have been done. People with severe illnesses or compromised immune systems are at greater risk for harmful side effects from probiotics.

There is no evidence that probiotics can help prevent or treat COVID-19.

Taking probiotics probably won’t keep you from getting an infection if you are exposed to the novel coronavirus. Currently, there is no evidence that probiotics could destroy the coronavirus inside your body.

Some scientists think it is possible that probiotics could help reduce some COVID-19 symptoms. However, this has not been proven, and it is unlikely that probiotics could fight the viral infection itself. Beware of false claims about COVID-19 cures.