Lacticaseibacillus casei

Lacticaseibacillus casei (L. casei) is a type of probiotic ("good" bacteria) found in the infant digestive tract. It produces lactic acid in the gut.

"Good" bacteria such as L. casei can help break down food, absorb nutrients, and fight off "bad" organisms that might cause diseases. L. casei is sometimes added to fermented foods like yogurt and is also found in probiotic supplements.

People use L. casei for eczema, constipation, high blood pressure, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these uses. There is also no good evidence to support using L. casei for COVID-19.

Don't confuse L. casei with other probiotics, or with fermented food products such as fermented milk, kefir, or yogurt. These are not the same. Also note that L. casei used to be classified under the Lactobacillus genus. But Lactobacillus was split up into 25 different genera in April 2020. Some product labels might still list this species as Lactobacillus casei rather than its new name, Lacticaseibacillus casei. Also note that some types of L. casei are now classified as a different species. Some product labels might still list these types incorrectly as L. casei rather than its new name, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei or L. paracasei.