Saccharomyces boulardii as a Probiotic 1

Saccharomyces boulardii as a Probiotic

What is Saccharomyces boulardii?

Definition

Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast. It’s a gut-friendly yeast that functions as a probiotic. It supports the protection of the intestinal lining from harmful bacteria. It promotes a healthy immune system and the continued function of the gastrointestinal barrier, as well as aids nutrient absorption and digestion.

It is a yeast that acts similarly to how the good bacteria in our body do; it neutralizes bad bacteria which may cause havoc in the gastrointestinal tract.

Benefits

Saccharomyces boulardii is most commonly used for treating and preventing several types of diarrhea like rotaviral diarrhea in children, diarrhea caused by gastrointestinal (GI) take-over (overgrowth) by “bad” bacteria in adults, traveler’s diarrhea, diarrhea associated with tube feedings, and diarrhea caused by the use of antibiotics.
Saccharomyces boulardii is also useful for general digestion problems, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBD, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis), Lyme disease, a bowel disorder called relapsing Clostridium difficile colitis, bacterial overgrowth in short bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, urinary tract infections (UTIs), vaginal yeast infections, high cholesterol levels, hives, fever blisters, canker sores, and teenage acne.

Is Saccharomyces boulardii yeast or bacteria?
Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast, which is a type of fungus, and is used as a medicine. Saccharomyces boulardii was previously identified as a unique species of yeast but is now believed to be a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast).

Is Saccharomyces boulardii the same as brewer’s yeast?
Saccharomyces boulardii is different from other strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae commonly known as brewer’s yeast and baker’s yeast.

What is the best source of Saccharomyces boulardii?
Food
When initially discovered, S. boulardii was found to be in the fruits mangosteen and lychee. In 1920, French scientist Henry Boulard noticed that natives of Indochina were using these plants by drinking the tea made from the fruit skins. He was later able to isolate S. boulardii (named for Boulard) from these fruits, giving rise to its use in supplementation.
Outside of these foods, S. boulardii is hard to find in natural substances and is, therefore, most commonly consumed through over-the-counter supplements.

Does Saccharomyces boulardii need to be refrigerated?
Like many answers it really depends. If you’re wondering which probiotics need to be refrigerated you need to look on the ingredients panel. In general, after opening a shelf-stable or room-temperature stable probiotic, you should refrigerate it. Probiotics are beneficial living organisms that can be consumed in food or in the form of a supplement. Because they are living organisms, they can perish if they aren’t protected. Refrigeration will improve the viability of all probiotics as it slows down metabolic processes and lowers the speed of degradation. However, there are Probiotics that do not need refrigeration are Saccharomyces boulardii, Bacillus coagulans, and/or Bacillus subtilis.

Clinical effects of Saccharomyces boulardii?
Uses
Diarrhea
Rotaviral diarrhea
Acne
Diarrhea in people taking antibiotics
Diarrhea caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile
Helicobacter pylori
Diarrhea related to HIV
Traveler’s diarrhea

Side Effects
Saccharomyces boulardii is likely safe for most adults when taken by mouth for up to 15 months. It can cause gas in some people. Rarely, it might cause fungemia, a fungal infections that can spread through the bloodstream to the entire body.

Precautions
Children. Saccharomyces boulardii is POSSIBLY SAFE for children when taken orally. However, diarrhea in children should be evaluated by a healthcare professional before using Saccharomyces boulardii.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking Saccharomyces boulardii if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Elderly: The elderly might have an increased risk of fungal infection when taking Saccharomyces boulardii.

Weakened immune system: There is some concern that taking Saccharomyces boulardii might cause fungemia, which is the presence of yeast in the blood.

Yeast Allergy: People with yeast allergy can be allergic to products containing Saccharomyces boulardii, and are best advised to avoid these products.

Interactions
Medications for fungal infections (Antifungals) interact with SACCHAROMYCES BOULARDII. Saccharomyces boulardii is a fungus. Medications for fungal infections help reduce fungus in and on the body. Taking Saccharomyces boulardii with medications for fungal infections can reduce the effectiveness of Saccharomyces boulardii.

Beneficial effects of Saccharomyces boulardii?
On weight
Saccharomyces boulardii administration reduced body weight gain, fat mass, hepatic steatosis, and inflammatory tone in obese and type 2 diabetic mice and significantly changed the gut microbiota composition with an increased proportion of Bacteroidetes

On the skin
As a probiotic yeast, S. boulardii was of interest for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. All wounds had healed with normal progression.
The results of this study indicate a lack of effect of S. boulardii applied in an acute wound-healing model. Our findings do not support the use of S. boulardii in a clinical acute wound healing environment.

On the digestive system
S. boulardii has beneficial effects on altered intestinal microbiota and epithelial barrier defects in different pathologies. The well-studied probiotic yeast S. boulardii plays a crucial role in the preservation and/or restoration of intestinal barrier function in multiple disorders. This could be of major interest in diseases characterized by alterations in intestinal barrier function.

On the immune system
S. boulardii stimulates the release of immunoglobulins and cytokines and also induces the maturation of immune cells. This suggests that S. boulardii is capable of activating the nonspecific immune system.

Is Saccharomyces boulardii good for Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Saccharomyces boulardii is one of the most clinically researched probiotics on the market, with over 80 clinical trials to its name. Trials have been conducted into the efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii in many different health conditions, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and infective diarrhea. It has just been granted an approved health claim in Canada. The allowed health claim is for one specific substrain of Saccharomyces boulardii, (Lesaffre Human Care’s Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856) and the exact claim that has been approved is that this strain of Saccharomyces boulardii ‘helps to reduce abdominal pain and discomfort associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)’.

Can Saccharomyces boulardii cure constipation?
A meta-analysis looking at probiotics for AAD in children and adults determined that L. rhamnosus and S. boulardii may be the most effective organisms for this particular purpose.
The conclusion says “using prebiotics for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea reduces the risk of AAD by 51%, and that probiotics can help both constipation and diarrhea.

Is Saccharomyces boulardii good for histamine intolerance?
For food-intolerant patients, suggest probiotics such as Lactobacilli, Bacillus coagulans, and Saccharomyces boulardii. For patients with histamine intolerance, histamine-degrading strains may provide the most relief.

Does Saccharomyces boulardii increase histamine?
Possible Histamine Intolerance Supports
There are a number of studies on the effectiveness of Saccharomyces Boulardii in treating gastroenteritis. Some researchers have linked this condition to high histamine/mast cell tissue. So possibly this strain could be a good support.

Can Saccharomyces boulardii cause yeast infection?
In some cases, Saccharomyces boulardii might cause fungal infections that can spread through the bloodstream to the entire body (fungemia).

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