Posted 3/16/07 |
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| NAME: | Saccharomyces boulardii | |
| DESCRIPTION: | Probiotic yeast
Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms, including Lactobacillus species, Bifidobacterium species and yeasts, that may beneficially affect the host upon ingestion by improving the balance of the intestinal microflora. Probiotics may also have antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, anticarcinogenic, antidiarrheal, antiallergenic and antioxidant activities. The dietary use of live microorganisms has a long history. Mention of cultured dairy products is found in the Bible and the sacred books of Hinduism. Soured milks and cultured dairy products, such as kefir, koumiss, leben and dahi, were often used therapeutically before the existence of microorganisms was recognized. |
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| FUNCTION: | Saccharomyces boulardii, the “friendly” yeast, has a proven ability to increase the immune response in the GI tract and can help to control chronic diarrhea. Part of the way this works is to replenish vital intestinal flora that have the added benefit of competing for the site of other infections.
It may be a good idea to use this product if you are taking antibiotics. One problem with chronic, long-term antibiotic use is that it can cause the eruption of a bacterial infection known as clostridium (C. difficile) which can cause serious diarrhea. |
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| SOURCES: | ||
| DOSAGE: | Typical doses of probiotics range from one to ten billion colony-forming units (CFU) a few times a week. Probiotics need to be consumed at least a few times a week to maintain their effect on the intestinal microecology.
Suggested use of Florastor (below) is one (250 mg) capsule in the morning and one in the evening. |
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| DATA: | One patient who had been through the range of antibiotics was reported to gain complete relief from C. difficile-induced diarrhea when she used two 250 mg capsules twice a day over 2 months. This dose constitutes about 2 billion viable cells. (At the end of which she took one capsule a day for 10 days). This was reported by Kimmey et al. in Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 1990; 35(7):897–901. Other rat and mice evidence bear this out. In addition, studies in healthy humans have been conducted to assess the effects of S. boulardii on immune function. Basically, what they found was there were increases in different blood cell types, particularly erythrocytes and white blood cells (particularly neutrophils and polymorphonuclear cells). Numbers of some members of a set of molecules called complement, which are important infection-fighters, were also elevated. |
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| CAUTIONS: | Do not rely on this product as a sole treatment for diarrhea! If you have serious, severe diarrhea, it is essential that you get an accurate diagnosis. This may require several stool samples, blood work, and other diagnostic procedures. The cause of the diarrhea must be clearly determined so appropriate therapy can be undertaken.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers should only use probiotic nutritional supplements if recommended by their physicians. Though generally well tolerated, the most common side effects with use of probiotics are gastrointestinal and include flatulence and constipation. |
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| FOR MORE INFORMATION: |
Physician's Desk Reference has a detailed entry on probiotics.
Article from SUPPLEMENT Vol.1, Issue 2: "Beauty and the Yeast: Saccharomyces boulardii" |
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| RELATED PRODUCTS: |
Florastor (Biocodex) Each bottle, 50 capsules. Each capsule contains 250 mg of Saccharomyces boulardii. | |
| PRODUCT NOTES: | Biocodex has been manufacturing and selling saccharomyces worldwide from their base in France for over 50 years. Biocodex informs us that people with yeast allergies can safely use this product. Does not need to be refrigerated. | |
| DISCLAIMER: | These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. | |
