The Best Probiotic For Sinus Infections

Probiotics are the future of sinusitis treatment. Research found that a probiotic (beneficial bacteria) that is lacking in those with chronic sinusitis, and which can successfully treat sinusitis is Lactobacillus sakei.

[See June 2022 updated version of this post.] This article is the summary of what has been learned over the past 7 years: the best L. sakei  products (such as kimchi and Lanto Sinus - which can treat even the worst recurring sinus infections, frequently within days), results of people trying various L. sakei products, and other possibilities for sinus health.

Back in 2012, a study by Abreu et al suggested Lactobacillus sakei as a possible treatment for sinusitis. In the past 6 years those conclusions have been supported by the experiences of hundreds of people contacting me, and my family's experiences with L. sakei products. It really is the best sinusitis treatment for most people!

When Lactobacillus sakei works as a treatment - it can seem miraculous as sinusitis symptoms gradually disappear or greatly improve. Many times within a few days! Unfortunately it doesn't work for everyone - for a minority there seems to be no effect, and it is not clear why. It also doesn't treat seasonal allergies or allergy symptoms.

Lactobacillus sakei works best when it is used only when needed, when there are sinus symptoms. No boosters needed when feeling well! (See Treatment Summary page for different ways to use products.)

The sinus microbiome is the community of microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi) that live in the sinuses. This community can become disrupted and imbalanced (dysbiosis) from illnesses, allergies, or antibiotics and cause a sinus infection or sinusitis.

Research in the last decade has found that not only do sinusitis sufferers lack L. sakei, they have too much of some other bacteria, and they don't have the bacteria diversity in their sinuses that healthy people without sinusitis have. There is a depletion of some bacterial species, and an increase in "abundance" of other species.

Luckily Lactobacillus sakei is found in some foods (such as some brands of live fermented kimchi), some sausage starter cultures (such as B-2), and recently in some probiotic supplements (e.g. Lanto Sinus). One reason it is used in sausage starter cultures is because L. sakei dominates over and inhibits growth of pathogenic bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus.

BACKGROUND STORY: Seven years ago there were no probiotics containing L. sakei. None. So instead members of my family experimented using a very easy kimchi sinusitis treatment (basically dabbing and smearing kimchi at certain stages of fermentation into the nostrils like a very messy eater) and found that it cured  chronic sinusitis of many years within several weeks. Obviously it contained L. sakei. It felt miraculous, especially because it was so easy to do.

After 7 years we still feel great! Because we no longer have chronic sinusitis and can easily treat sinusitis if it occurs with L. sakei, we have NOT taken antibiotics or any other bacteria killing spray or product (such as xylitol) for over 6 years. We do not use cortisone or antihistamine nasal sprays either.

WHEN A TREATMENT WORKS: Many of you have contacted me to report your own progress with various sinusitis treatments. People used terms such as "miraculous", "transformative", and "fabulous" when they had positive results with a product containing L. sakei.

When a treatment works, then all sinusitis symptoms go away  or there is major improvement - frequently within a few days. Symptoms that go away include post nasal drip, sinus headaches, "clogged ears", bad breath, and sinusitis-related coughs. Even tonsil stones! (Please note: trying products to treat sinusitis is self-experimentation - effects can be positive or negative. Always be cautious. Best results are to use L. sakei only when needed.)

OVERALL RESULTS: The majority of people contacting me with results reported positive results (chronic sinusitis greatly improved or totally gone) from some form of L. sakei treatment. Successes have been from the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Africa. Since it's from self-experimentation and not a clinical trial, I don't know the actual percentage of positive results.

Some of the people reporting success have had multiple operations, some currently have deviated septums, some with nasal polyps, and all have had long-standing chronic sinusitis, some for decades.

Chronic sinusitis sufferers also reported that the same treatments also worked to treat acute sinusitis. It seems that after colds, etc. many develop acute sinusitis again and need re-treatment (the L. sakei frequently doesn't stay in the sinuses from earlier treatments). However, the sinuses do continue improving over time, so fewer and more minimal treatments (perhaps only a few days) are needed over time.

Another very small group reported that other probiotic strains helped (but it is not always clear whether they also tried a L. sakei product), and a minority of people reported that nothing has helped and there could be a variety of reasons for this (see below). Some people reported that one product helped, but not another - whether kimchi or a L. sakei product.

THREE MAIN PRODUCT CATEGORIES: Products containing live Lactobacillus sakei which people have reported success in treating sinusitis: kimchi (and some sauerkraut), refrigerated products (e.g. Lanto Sinus), and frozen products. Note that currently the FDA does not allow any probiotics to be sold as a medical treatment – they can only be sold as a supplement.

Using the following products to treat sinusitis is self-experimentation (results are unknown and can vary). Always be cautious. (See Sinusitis Treament Summary page for methods.)

KIMCHI - Many people report that kimchi helped them. And one person reported a homemade kimchi worked great (he was finally symptom free after many years). A few have even mentioned that kimchi has helped sinusitis with fungal problems.

Kimchi brands that people reported helping their chronic sinusitis: Sunja's Kimchi (medium spicy cucumber kimchi and mild white kimchi), Sinto Gourmet brand kimchi, Mama-O's Premium Kimchi, the white Napa kimchi and cabbage kimchi made by Choi's Kimchi Company, Farmhouse Culture Kimchi, Mother-in-law's Kimchi, Ozuke Kimchi, in the United Kingdom the brand Mr Kimchi, and in Australia Kehoe's Kitchen white kimchi.

[Finding a kimchi brand with L. sakei is due to self-experimentation. The kimchi must be live, and not pasteurized. We found that kimchi may contain L. sakei from about day 14 (or earlier) to about 2 to 2 1/2 months (from the day it's made.]

When the kimchi contained L. sakei we felt the same or started feeling better within one or 2 days. If we felt more mucusy over the next 2 days, or the acute sinusitis kept getting worse, than it did not contain L. sakei. Researchers feel that it's the garlic in kimchi that encourages L. sakei growth.

SAUERKRAUT - Sauerkraut has worked for some people if it is a sauerkraut made with garlic, such as some varieties of Cleveland Kraut. Researchers feel that it's the garlic in kimchi that encourages L. sakei growth, and traditional sauerkraut typically doesn't contain garlic.

REFRIGERATED LACTOBACILLUS SAKEI PRODUCTS  – A high-quality refrigerated L. sakei product specifically meant for the sinuses and treatment of sinusitis is sold by Lanto Health. The kimchi derived Lactobacillus sakei product called Lanto Sinus is meant to be used when needed. Lanto Sinus  holds up well in the refrigerator, is effective, reliable, and easy to use. This product ships well because it holds up for a while (days) without refrigeration.

People have reported success using it mixed with bottled water (dabbing, smearing, spooning a little in nostrils), or swishing it dry in the mouth. I’ve been a consultant with Lanto Health on this product and have been testing and using this product successfully for over 2 years (self-experimentation!).   

FROZEN LACTOBACILLUS SAKEI PRODUCTS – The main L. sakei products available in many countries throughout the world are various frozen sausage starter cultures. All L. sakei products needing to be kept frozen are generally reliable and effective for sinusitis treatment. They should only be used when needed. Negatives with all frozen L. sakei products are that they must be kept frozen, they don’t hold up well once the package is opened, and they can easily die off during shipping.

Sausage starter cultures include BACTOFERM F-RM-52 (many countries, made by Chr. Hansen), PRIMAL SK NATUR 50 (Europe, made by Van Hees), and BITEC LS-25 (Europe, made by Frusarum). These starter cultures contain 2 types of bacteria (L. sakei and Staphylococcus carnosus) – little is known about S. carnosus, but it is considered non-pathogenic, and no one has reported negative effects from it. B-2, which is only L. sakei (made by Chr Hansen), is available in New Zealand and some EU countries. The starter culture BACTOFERM  SM 160 (L. sakei, Staphylococcus carnosus and  Debaryomyces hansenii) has also been used successfully. One should be very cautious because while the third bacteria is considered non-pathogenic, is common in food products - it is a yeast species (fungi).

Most use a frozen product by dabbing/smearing or spooning a little of the mixture (L. sakei and bottled water) into the nostrils, while a few others report using it in a neti pot. Sometimes a side effect on the day the product is used is a dry mouth and throat (and they can be very dry when overused - so it's important to use only a little in a treatment).

DOSE CONCERNS: I have overuse concerns (too strong a dose) with using L. sakei in a neti pot or nasal syringe, and so have never used any L. sakei product that way. My personal view: let the little suckers travel up to the sinuses on their own. And they do. Also, start first with the most cautious way to see if that works.

SOME L.SAKEI ISSUES: Think of L. sakei as fairly fragile – it is killed off by antibiotics, by oxygen, and it only lives a limited amount of time at room temperature. [For ex.: Bactoferm F-RM-52 package says that it dies off in less than 2 weeks at room temperature - therefore store in freezer.] On the other hand, many different Lactobacillus strains live and multiply in our bodies at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit - so L. sakei can handle warm temperatures just fine for a while.

The L. sakei in any product can also die off during shipping if it takes too long, it’s too hot (e.g. inside hot postal vehicles in extreme heat), etc. Thus we order 2 day shipping (if possible) and hope for the best. [Note: Consider overnight shipping during heat waves, especially when 100+ degrees Fahrenheit. USPS delivers to mailboxes while UPS typically delivers packages to the door.]

WHY DOESN'T L. SAKEI WORK FOR SOME PEOPLE? Some possibilities to explain why some people trying various L. sakei products has not resulted in their sinusitis improving is that perhaps some other "keystone species" (a very important microbial species for a normal healthy community) besides L. sakei is  missing in their sinus microbiomes. Or perhaps they have microbes that the Lactobacillus bacteria cannot overcome.

It is unclear whether the results are different if there are also nasal polyps. [Researchers now suspect that those with nasal polyps also have a problem with "primary inflammation".] Science knows so little about the normal healthy sinus microbiome that there are many unanswered questions.

PROBLEM WITH A PRODUCT SUDDENLY NOT WORKING, OR OVERUSE - Several people reported that a kimchi brand or L. sakei product that originally worked for them suddenly stopped working or not as well, but usually it had been the only product used for a while. There may be a feeling of "imbalance" or on rare occasions even symptoms (e.g. having more mucus, sore throat). This might be an issue of "too much of certain microbes".

Then immediately switching to  another product (e.g., from one brand or type of kimchi to another), or from a L. sakei product to kimchi, or swishing multi-strain probiotics (the dry powder from an opened capsule) in the mouth or refrigerated L.sakei in the mouth (if one used kimchi before that) has corrected the situation for us. (Finding what works is self-experimentation, and varies from time to time). And weeks later, we can use the original product once again. This is also why we only use a product when needed.

BOTTOM LINE: When feeling good or healthy, stop using the L. sakei product. Use L. sakei products sparingly - only as needed (e.g. when developing sinusitis). No boosters are needed if one feels well. L. sakei seems to be necessary for sinusitis treatment for most people (a keystone bacteria), but there are also other important microbes in the sinuses - a whole community.

Avoid products that also contain titanium dioxide – this is because it may be in nanoparticle form, and recent studies have raised concerns that the nanoparticles can travel to other organs in the body, and are also inflammatory. Read the ingredients!

OTHER PROBIOTICS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS - On the other hand, other people (including my family members) reported trying various multi-strain probiotics containing various Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species in the nostrils and found it did not help sinusitis. However, we found that when we feel a little “imbalanced” – perhaps a cough or mucusy – then swishing the dry powder from one capsule in the mouth and then swallowing it - frequently results in some improvement.

Since sinusitis sufferers don’t have the bacteria diversity of healthy people, and the sinus microbial community is different in each person, then adding what are viewed as beneficial bacteria to the sinus microbial community might help some people.

AVOID USING BACTERIA KILLING PRODUCTS WHILE USING LACTOBACILLUS SAKEI or other probiotics - Some products (silver, antibiotics, essential oils, tea tree oil, grapefruit extract, copper, etc.) kill all bacteria - pathogenic and beneficial bacteria.

NO EVIDENCE FOR JUST SWALLOWING PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS: Evidence so far has been that only directly dabbing/smearing/spraying probiotics in the nose, or even swishing probiotics in the mouth may help treat sinusitis. I have not found any studies finding that just swallowing a probiotic pill has helped sinusitis (including a 2009 study looking at swallowing L. rhamnosus tablets 2 times daily for 4 weeks).

PROBIOTICS TO AVOID - Some multi-strain probiotics contain E. faecium (Enterococcus faecium) which is considered very controversial. This is because strains of this specific bacteria show multi-drug resistance (including to antibiotics). (See my Sept 2, 2016 Comment after the August 30, 2016 post for more information.)

STILL UNKNOWN: Some multi-strain probiotics now contain L. sakei, but may be problematic if they don’t need refrigeration (e.g. Multi-strain Probiotic by Innovix Labs). L. sakei products typically die after a few weeks without refrigeration, and die when exposed to oxygen (anaerobic).

Also, will a multi-strain probiotic containing both L. sakei and S. salivarius K12 (such as Pro-Kids ENT by Hyperbiotics) help or make things worse for those with sinusitis?  S. salivarius K12 has caused problems for some people (scroll down to "Problems With BLIS K12?").

PROMISING PHAGE THERAPY - Some researchers in the USA and Australia are currently testing phage therapy to see if it could be used as a treatment for various conditions, including chronic sinusitis. A bacteriophage is a virus that infects bacteria, and the name literally means "bacteria eater". Phage therapy is the therapeutic use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections.

See the June 3, 2016 post Phage Therapy May Help Sinusitis Sufferers for more information. The authors of one study I posted said that they had found evidence for people having "virus-like particles" in their sinuses, which they thought were bacteriophages.

SNOT TRANSPLANTS IN THE FUTURE? – Currently a “snot transplant” study from healthy persons to sinusitis sufferers is going on in Europe, and another one in Vancouver, Canada. This possibility may work great as a sinusitis treatment, but researchers have the same concerns as with fecal microbial transplants (stool transplant) for the gut. For example, are diseases also being transplanted?

PROBLEMS WITH BLIS K12 ? - On a side note, a number of people tried the probiotic BLIS K12 bacteria (also known as Streptococcus salivarius BLIS K12), but found it brought on sinusitis-type symptoms. Scientific research finds it to be an immune booster. But for some - from the first tablet (by slowly dissolving it in the mouth) there were problems - feeling mucusy and with yellow mucus.

Several persons reported similar negative effects with PRO-dental tablets, which also contains BLIS K12. The message here is clear: these specific bacteria did not react well with some sinus and oral bacterial communities. Remember, whenever one introduces new bacteria into the human organism, there can be positive or negative effects.

PLEASE WRITE!  I would really like to hear how you are treating and curing your sinusitis. Or even what hasn't worked. 

[Last updated Feb. 2020)

Most comments are after this post, the SINUSITIS TREATMENT SUMMARY page, the CONTACT page, and some earlier sinusitis posts - see category SINUSITIS.]