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CompletedNCT06375668Updated Mar 12, 2026

The Effect of the Probiotic Strains on Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women

An interventional study of Probiotic and Placebo in Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal and Bone Density, Low, sponsored by Nordic Biotic Sp. z o.o.. Completed at 3 sites in Poland. Open to female participants. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-12.

Sponsored by Nordic Biotic Sp. z o.o. · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 2 years 1 month after the study started (first participant enrolled Mar 2022, registered Apr 2024).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
170
Allocation
Randomized
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

Osteoporosis is a systemic condition characterized by low bone mass and altered bone tissue microarchitecture, with the resulting greater bone fragility leading to fractures. Osteoporosis develops as a result of genetic and environmental factors, with the patient's lifestyle playing an important role. Recent years saw an emergence of reports on the significance of the intestinal microbiota in the development of osteoporosis, thus new ways of modifying the composition and activity of microbiota have been sought, and the potential role of probiotics has been considered. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms, which-when administered at appropriate doses-are beneficial to the host's health. Probiotics both modify the gut microbiota composition and directly affect the human body. Recently published clinical studies demonstrated that probiotics may facilitate osteoporosis treatment and prevention. The current randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study will assess the effect of a dietary intervention via oral supplementation of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei in a population of Polish postmenopausal women on their bone mineral density assessed via bone densitometry-derived T-scores of the lumbar segment of the spine (L1-L4). Study subjects will take the provided probiotic formulation/placebo orally once daily for 12 months.

Read the detailed description

The main purpose of the study is to assess the effect of oral probiotic supplementation on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. A total of 170 female subjects who meet all the inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria are to be included and randomized to one of two arms (the probiotic arm or the placebo arm) at a ratio of 1:1.

The subjects who provide their written informed consent will receive oral probiotic formulation containing a mixture of two strains Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei or placebo. The probiotic formulation and placebo will be provided by Nordic Biotic Ltd. (the company will also ensure study drug blinding). Study subjects will take the provided probiotic formulation/placebo orally once daily for 12 months.

The study timeline spans 54 weeks and involves 13 visits, including:

  1. Screening visit - subjects eligibility to participate in the study will be assessed based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria - the screening period will last up to 14 before the study drug is administered;
  2. Randomization visit (visit 0) - subjects will be randomly allocated to study groups and will receive a supply of the study probiotic or placebo;
  3. 6 office visits (at months 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 of visit 0);
  4. 5 remote visits (at months 1, 3, 7, 9, and 11 of visit 0).

All subjects included in the study will undergo:

  • History-taking and physical examination at each office visit,
  • Nutritional status assessment (measurements of body weight and height, with a BMI calculation) at the screening visit and at months 6 and 12 of the study intervention,
  • Two densitometry scans (DEXA) of the lumbar segment of the spine (L1-L4) at the screening visit and at month 12 of visit 0,
  • Treatment satisfaction assessment (treatment satisfaction questionnaire) at months 2, 6, 10, and 12 of the study intervention.

At each visit, whether conducted at the doctor's office or remotely, subjects will be asked about their use of the study drug and any gastrointestinal symptoms (number of bowel movements, stool consistency, bloating, abdominal pain), and the use of any other medications (including antibiotics). Each time, the subjects will be also asked about any side effects. Stool consistency will be assessed with the Bristol Stool Form Scale, and abdominal pain, bloating, and nausea will be assessed with a 5-grade Likert scale.

Blood samples will be collected from all subjects during the screening period, after 6 months of intervention and at the completion of intervention (i.e. at month 12).

The following blood tests will be conducted:

  1. Complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein levels (at screening and at months 6 and 12 of the study intervention);
  2. Serum calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase levels (at screening and at months 6 and 12 of the study intervention);
  3. Serum vitamin D and parathormone levels (at screening and at month 12 of intervention).
02

Conditions studied

  • Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal
  • Bone Density, Low

Keywords

  • bone mineral density
  • osteoporosis
  • probiotics
03

In context

Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal

325 studies on the registry are indexed under Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; 28 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 170 is above the median of 110 across 255 interventional studies indexed under Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal.

Browse Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal studies →

Lead sponsor

Nordic Biotic Sp. z o.o. is the lead sponsor of 7 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. Postmenopausal women (between 2 and 5 years after their last menstrual period)
  2. A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan-based T-score of the lumbar spine (L1-L4) of less than -1.49 (i.e. a normal value according to the World Health Organization)
  3. Body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 30
  4. Vitamin 25 (OH)D levels between 31-50 ng/mL

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. The last menstrual period less than 2 or more than 5 years before study recruitment
  2. BMI under 18 or above 30
  3. Oral or transdermal hormone therapy with estrogens and/or progestogens within the last 6 months
  4. Corticosteroid or thyroid hormone therapy within the last 6 months
  5. History of osteopenia or osteoporosis
  6. Neoplastic disease treated with cytostatic agents within the last 12 months
  7. Autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis; malabsorption syndromes, including celiac disease; chronic kidney disease; chronic liver failure; endocrine disorders, including Hashimoto thyroiditis, Graves' disease, Cushing disease or syndrome, hyperparathyroidism, hypogonadism, hyperprolactinemia, acromegaly, diabetes mellitus; and other chronic conditions affecting bone metabolism
  8. Antibiotic therapy within the last 2 months prior to study recruitment
  9. Probiotic use within the last 2 months prior to study recruitment
  10. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation within the 2 months prior to study recruitment
  11. Treatment with antidepressant or antipsychotic agents involving a change of the agents or dosage within the last 3 months
  12. Substance use disorder (alcohol, drugs, nicotine)
  13. History of organ transplantation
  14. Exposure to the SARS-Cov-2 virus within 14 days prior to study recruitment (based on patient declaration)
  15. An acute COVID-19 infection within 14 days prior to study recruitment (based on patient declaration)
  16. A surgical procedure scheduled to take place during this study
  17. Participation in another study within the last 6 months
  18. Inability to give an informed consent in writing
  19. Any disease or circumstances that, according to the Investigator or Sponsor, might prevent the subject from completing the study or following study procedures and requirements
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
170 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Probiotic

    A dietary supplement in the form of capsules containing probiotic bacterial strains.

    Dietary Supplement: Probiotic

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Placebo capsules with the same appearance and weight as probiotic capsules.

    Other: Placebo

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementProbiotic

    The patients who give their consent to take part in this study, will receive one time per day for a period of 12 month a capsule containing ten billions of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP 140 NORDBIOTIC™) and Lactobacillus paracasei (LPC 100 NORDBIOTIC™).

  • OtherPlacebo

    The patients who give their consent to take part in this study, will receive one time per day for a period of 12 months a capsule containing maltodextrin.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The effect of intervention on bone mineral density

    Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar segment of the spine (L1-L4) will be measured by two densitometry scans (DEXA) and presented as T-score. T-score is measured in standard deviations and reflects the difference between the patient's measured BMD and the mean value of BMD in healthy, young, matched controls (30-year-old women).

    Time frame: From baseline and after 12 months of intervention

Secondary outcomes

  1. Changes in the level of calcium

    The level of calcium will be measured in serum and expressed in mg/dL.

    Time frame: From baseline and after 6 and 12 months of intervention

  2. Changes in the level of phosphorus

    The level of phosphorus will be measured in serum and expressed in mg/dL.

    Time frame: From baseline and after 6 and 12 months of intervention

  3. Changes in the level of alkaline phosphatase

    The level of alkaline phosphatase will be measured in serum and expressed in U/L.

    Time frame: From baseline and after 6 and 12 months of intervention

  4. Changes in the level of vitamin D

    The level of vitamin D will be measured in serum and expressed in ng/mL.

    Time frame: From baseline and after 12 months of intervention

  5. Changes in the level of C-reactive protein

    The level of C-reactive protein will be measured in serum and expressed in mg/L.

    Time frame: From baseline and after 6 and 12 months of intervention

  6. Changes in Body Mass Index (BMI)

    Weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m2.

    Time frame: From baseline and after 6 and 12 months of intervention

  7. Changes in type of stools

    The stool type will be assessed with the Bristol Stool Formation Scale. The Bristol Stool Formation Scale is designed to classify faeces into seven groups: type 1-2 indicate constipation, type 3-4 are "normal" stools; type 5-7 indicate diarrhea.

    Time frame: From baseline for 12 months of intervention in 1 month intervals

  8. Changes in the number of bowel movements

    The number of bowel movements per day will be assessed as mean of bowel movements during the last 7 days before visit.

    Time frame: From baseline for 12 months of intervention in 1 month intervals

  9. Changes in severity of abdominal pain

    The severity of pain will be assessed with a patient-defined 5 point Linkert scale: point 0 - no pain, and 1-4 the severity of pain with higher scores indicating worse pain.

    Time frame: From baseline for 12 months of intervention in 1 month intervals

  10. Changes in severity of bloating

    The bloating will be assessed with a patient-defined 5 point Linkert scale: point 0 - no bloating, and 1-4 the severity of bloating with higher scores indicating worse bloating.

    Time frame: From baseline for 12 months of intervention in 1 month intervals

  11. Occurrence of adverse events

    Adverse events will be recorded and described throughout the intervention period

    Time frame: For 12 months of intervention in 1 month intervals

  12. Satisfaction with the intervention

    Satisfaction with the intervention will be assessed by a questionnaire consisting of 6 questions regarding satisfaction with the form of the preparation, ease of administration, benefits, and course of treatment on a scale of 1-7, with the higher the score, the higher the satisfaction.

    Time frame: At months 2, 6, 10, and 12 of the intervention

07

Study locations

3 sites
  • Private Specialist Practice
    Bytom, 41-902, Poland
  • Specialist Practice
    Katowice, 40-750, Poland
  • Clinical Research Center
    Poznan, 60-773, Poland
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Glogowska-Szelag J, Palka-Kisielowska I, Porawska W, Bierla JB, Szczepankowska AK, Aleksandrzak-Piekarczyk T, Cukrowska B. The Effect of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LPC100 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP140 on Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women: A Multicenter, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. J Clin Med. 2024 Oct 8;13(19):5977. doi: 10.3390/jcm13195977. PubMed 39408038 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 12, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06375668
Lead sponsor
Nordic Biotic Sp. z o.o.
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 19, 2024
Start date
Mar 15, 2022
Primary completion
Jan 15, 2024
Completion
Jun 15, 2024
Last update
Mar 12, 2026

Study contacts

Joanna Głogowska-Szeląg, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Private Specialist Practice

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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