Please Note that the price is significantly less if you are an NYBC Member!

Florastor (Biocodex) Each bottle, 50 capsules. Each capsule contains 250 mg of Saccharomyces boulardii. Biocodex has been manufacturing and selling Saccharomyces worldwide from their base in France for over 50 years. Does not need refrigeration. Generally, dosage is one in the morning, one in the evening. See further dosage information below.

Saccharomyces boulardii, sometimes abbreviated Sac. boulardii or S. boulardii, is a very well-researched probiotic, with several hundred peer-reviewed studies to its credit, many from the past two decades. It's now the first choice among probiotics for antibiotic-associated diarrhea, C. difficile colitis, and "traveler's diarrhea." It can also help with irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Here are some recent research highlights:

-Harvard Medical School researchers have identified specific pathways by which Saccharomyces boulardii decreases intestinal inflammatory responses; their 2006 report helps explain the broad range of protective effects that this probiotic exerts in a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. (Sougioultzis S, et al. Saccharomyces boulardii produces a soluble anti-inflammatory factor that inhibits NF-kappaB-mediated IL-8 gene expression. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2006 Apr 28;343(1):69-76.)

-A 2006 meta-analysis (combined analysis of multiple individual studies) found that Saccharomyces boulardii was the only probiotic studied that was effective against Clostridium difficile disease, a common form of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. (McFarland L V. Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhea and the treatment of Clostridium difficile disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006 Apr;101(4):812-22.)

-A 2008 study found that Crohn's patients receiving Saccharomyces boulardii treatment showed significant improvements in intestinal function compared with those given a placebo. (Garcia Vilela E, et al. Influence of Saccharomyces boulardii on the intestinal permeability of patients with Crohn's disease in remission. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2008;43(7):842-8.)

-An investigation published in 2009 found that, of a variety of probiotics, Saccharomyces boulardii was uniquely able to stimulate production of secretory IgA, the main immunoglobin found in mucus, saliva, and secretions from the intestine and the lining of the lungs, and a main component of the body's protective mechanism against pathogens. Thus Saccharomyces boulardii may now be credited with an ability to enhance immune function in general. (Flaviano S. et al. Comparative study of Bifidobacterium animalis, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus casei and Saccharomyces boulardii probiotic properties. Archives of Microbiology, Volume 191, Number 8 / August, 2009.)

NYBC stocks Florastor, which is Saccharomyces boulardi lyo (lyo = a freeze drying process, used to preserve shelf life and therefore effectiveness). We're glad that Florastor has become available in the United States in the last five years, since before then we were obliged to import this pharmaceutical grade probiotic from Europe; alternative US versions of Saccharomyces boulardii often seemed less effective, perhaps because the European production techniques were more advanced.

Here are the main conditions for which Saccharomyces boulardii has been investigated:

Acute Diarrhea
A controlled study found a significant reduction in symptoms of diarrhea in adults taking 250mg of S. boulardii twice a day for five days or until symptoms were relieved. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
A placebo-controlled study found that patients with diarrhea due mainly to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) had a significant reduction in number and consistency of bowel movements. Suggested dosage is 250mg twice daily.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Additional benefits to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients may be found in 1) prevention of relapse in Crohn's disease patients currently in remission and 2) benefits to ulcerative colitis patients with moderate symptoms. Suggested dosage is three 250mg capsules a day.

Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
Evidence for its use in the prophylaxis (prevention) of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) in adults. Suggested dosage: 250mg twice a day with the standard antibiotic course.

HIV/AIDS-Associated Diarrhea
Saccharomyces boulardii was shown to significantly increase the recovery rate of stage IV AIDS patients suffering from diarrhea. On average, patients receiving S. boulardii gained weight while a placebo group lost weight over the 18 month study. No reported adverse reactions in these immunocompromised patients.

Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection
Two 500mg doses per day of Saccharomyces boulardii when taken with one of two antibiotics (vancomycin or metronidazole) were found to significantly reduce the rate of recurrent Clostridium difficile (pseudomembranous colitis) infection. However, note that significant benefit was not found for prevention of an initial episode of Clostridium difficile-associated disease.

For more information and updates, click here to see the NYBC Blog entry "Saccharomyces boulardii."