Lactobacillus plantarum
All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results Easily
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results
Import lab results from multiple providers, track changes over time, customize your reference ranges, and get clear explanations for each result. Everything is stored securely, exportable in one organized file, and shareable with your doctor—or anyone you choose.
Cancel or upgrade anytime
What does it mean if your Lactobacillus plantarum result is too low?
If Lactobacillus plantarum is low on a stool test (such as GI-MAP, GI 360, or similar), it may indicate a compromised gut microbiome and can be associated with a variety of health concerns—including digestive disorders, immune dysfunction, and systemic inflammation.
What is Lactobacillus plantarum?
Lactobacillus plantarum is a beneficial, lactic acid-producing bacterium found naturally in the human gastrointestinal tract, saliva, and in many fermented foods (like sauerkraut, kimchi, olives, and sourdough). It plays a crucial role in:
-
Maintaining a balanced gut microbiota
-
Protecting the intestinal barrier
-
Modulating the immune system
-
Producing antimicrobial substances that inhibit pathogens
-
Fermenting dietary fibers into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially lactic acid
Because of its resilience, L. plantarum is often described as one of the most versatile and robust probiotics—it can survive stomach acid, colonize the intestines, and adapt to various pH and oxygen levels.
What Does Low Lactobacillus plantarum Indicate?
1. Increased Susceptibility to Pathogens
L. plantarum competes with harmful bacteria (e.g., E. coli, Clostridium difficile, Candida) and produces antimicrobial peptides like plantaricin. Low levels may reduce this protective effect, allowing opportunistic or pathogenic microbes to thrive.
2. Compromised Gut Barrier Function
This strain helps strengthen tight junctions in the intestinal lining, preventing "leaky gut." Low levels can lead to increased intestinal permeability, allowing endotoxins and food particles to enter the bloodstream, triggering inflammation and systemic symptoms.
3. Weakened Immune Regulation
L. plantarum supports immune balance by enhancing regulatory T-cell responses and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Low levels may contribute to chronic inflammation, increased allergy risk, and autoimmune activity.
4. Digestive Symptoms
Because it aids in breaking down complex carbohydrates and fermentable fibers, low L. plantarum may cause:
-
Bloating
-
Gas
-
Constipation or loose stools
-
Poor absorption of nutrients (especially antioxidants and polyphenols)
5. Mood and Cognitive Effects
Through the gut-brain axis, L. plantarum helps regulate neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin. Low levels may influence mood, stress response, and cognitive performance.
What Causes Lactobacillus plantarum to Become Low?
-
Antibiotic use – Even one course can drastically reduce beneficial strains.
-
Poor diet – Low intake of fermented foods and fiber; high sugar or ultra-processed foods reduce probiotic survival.
-
Chronic stress – Alters gut microbiota and lowers lactic acid bacteria like L. plantarum.
-
Aging – Natural decline in beneficial strains over time.
-
GI diseases – IBD, IBS, SIBO, and infections can deplete L. plantarum levels.
-
Lack of exposure to fermented foods – Many Western diets lack traditional fermented sources.
Why Restoring Lactobacillus plantarum Matters
Studies have shown that L. plantarum supplementation or natural abundance can:
-
Reduce symptoms of IBS and IBD
-
Lower systemic inflammation (e.g., CRP, IL-6)
-
Improve skin health (e.g., acne, eczema)
-
Enhance antioxidant activity in the gut
-
Support cardiovascular health by reducing LDL cholesterol and blood pressure
-
Improve insulin sensitivity and glycemic control
How to Increase Lactobacillus plantarum
1. Targeted Probiotics
Use a clinically validated probiotic supplement that includes Lactobacillus plantarum. Look for strains like:
-
L. plantarum 299v – studied for IBS, stress resilience, and gut barrier support.
-
L. plantarum HEAL9 – shown to reduce colds and support immune health.
2. Fermented Foods Rich in L. plantarum
-
Sauerkraut (especially raw, unpasteurized)
-
Kimchi
-
Pickled vegetables (naturally fermented)
-
Sourdough bread (with wild fermentation)
-
Olives cured in brine
3. Prebiotics & Polyphenols
-
Eat fiber-rich foods (asparagus, garlic, leeks, bananas, oats)
-
Include polyphenol-rich foods (berries, green tea, red wine, dark chocolate)
-
Resistant starch (e.g., cooled potatoes, green bananas) also feeds lactobacilli
4. Reduce Gut Stressors
-
Minimize alcohol, sugar, ultra-processed foods, and unnecessary medications like NSAIDs
-
Avoid excessive hygiene or overuse of disinfectants (microbial exposure is important)
5. Stress Reduction
-
Mind-body practices, adequate sleep, exercise, and relaxation techniques all help preserve beneficial gut flora.
Summary
Low Lactobacillus plantarum suggests a disrupted microbiome and reduced gut resilience. It may compromise digestive function, immune balance, and even mental health. Restoring L. plantarum through probiotics, fermented foods, and lifestyle changes can have broad benefits—from gut healing to immune regulation and inflammation control.
Laboratories
Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place
We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.
Pricing Table
Gather Your Lab History — and Finally Make Sense of It
Finally, Your Lab Results Organized and Clear
Personal plans
$79/ year
Advanced Plan
Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 5 reports entered for you
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
$250/ once
Unlimited Account
Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 10 reports entered for you
- No subscriptions. No extra fees.
$45/ month
Pro Monthly
Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track lab results for multiple clients
- Customize reference ranges per client
- Export lab histories and reports
- Begin with first report entered by us
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
About membership
What's included in a Healthmatters membership
Import Lab Results from Any Source
See Your Health Timeline
Understand What Your Results Mean
Visualize Your Results
Data Entry Service for Your Reports
Securely Share With Anyone You Trust
Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story
Once your results are in one place, see the bigger picture — track trends over time, compare data side by side, export your full history, and share securely with anyone you trust.
Bring all your results together to compare, track progress, export your history, and share securely.
What Healthmatters Members Are Saying
Frequently asked questions
Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.
- Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
- Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.
With a Healthmatters account, you can:
- Upload lab reports from any lab
- View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
- Track trends and monitor changes over time
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export and share your full lab history
- Access your results anytime, from any device
Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 10000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
- The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
- GI-MAP,
- The NutrEval FMV®,
- The ION Profile,
- Amino Acids Profile,
- Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
- Organic Acids Test,
- Organix Comprehensive Profile,
- Toxic Metals,
- Complete Blood Count (CBC),
- Metabolic panel,
- Thyroid panel,
- Lipid Panel,
- Urinalysis,
- And many, many more.
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.