5 Key Benefits of the Probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii
If you’ve ever taken a probiotics supplement or checked the ingredients label on yogurt for its probiotics or live cultures, you’ve probably heard of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus or Streptococcus thermophiles. These are all common bacteria-based live cultures that act as probiotics to help foster good bacteria in the gut.
Saccharomyces boulardii is a different kind of probiotic that is not bacteria based. It’s naturally yeast based (from fruit skin), and because of this, it offers some key advantages and benefits as a probiotic.
5 Saccharomyces boulardii Benefits
1. Actively stimulates immunity
Did you know 70% of the immune system resides in the digestive tract? This is why paying attention to gut health and choosing the right probiotic are so important. While bacteria-based probiotics work by adding more good bacteria to the gut, Saccharomyces boulardii works by actively stimulating immunity.
Florastor®, which consists of a proprietary probiotic strain (Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745) that has been studied and clinically tested for over 60 years, helps strengthen your digestive balance for increased immune support, without adding more bacteria to the mix. It also actively stimulates the production of Immunoglobulin A (IgA) — the main antibody in your digestive tract that helps defend against infections.
2. Survives antibiotics to help maintain gut health
Antibiotics are prescribed to fight bacterial infections. Taking antibiotics helps get rid of bacteria from your body, unfortunately, including some of the “good” bacteria in your gut along with the bad. Because S. boulardii is yeast based, it is not a target of antibiotics. This means the S. boulardii probiotic survives the antibiotics and continues to foster healthy intestinal flora, even if you’re taking it at the same time as antibiotics. Only Florastor® is proven resistant to 16 of the most common oral antibiotics—a distinct advantage to help protect and restore digestive balance when your immune system is under attack.
3. Survives the low pH environment in the stomach
Let’s face it—the stomach is a harsh environment and many bacteria-based probiotics don’t survive the low pH environment well. This means that some probiotics ingredients or supplements may be less effective than you think. S. boulardii is able to withstand stomach acid, bile and pancreatic juices that occur through the digestive process. So, this type of probiotic is able to reach the colon in an active state, helping to balance intestinal bacteria and promote healthy intestinal flora throughout the digestive system.
4. Does not permanently colonize the gut
For maximal digestive health and function, you want a balanced gut microbiota—the system of bacteria, yeast, fungi and other organisms that play a large role in gut health and overall health. The intent of probiotics is to help restore and maintain an environment that favors the growth of normal gut microbiota, which in turn has a positive effect on the digestive and immune system. Unlike bacteria-based probiotics, S. boulardii probiotics do not permanently colonize the gut—they help restore the balance of microbiota by flushing out harmful bacteria to make room for good bacteria to flourish.
5. Helps digestion and nutrient absorption
S. boulardii helps protect the intestinal lining from harmful bacteria and increases the production of digestive enzymes, which help break down dietary sugars. This action improves the absorption of water and nutrients in your small intestine, so you can get more nutrition and hydration from the foods you eat. In fact, Florastor® also increases levels of the short-chain fatty acid preferred by your body for energy by 60%, so you may notice an energy increase too.
Why Choose Florastor® Probiotics?
After laying out the benefits of Saccharomyces boulardii, we hope you can see why Florastor® is a good choice to help you and your kids restore and maintain gut health. If you’re not sure which probiotic to take—and we know there are many choices out there—talk to your doctor first, especially if you have any health issues. You don’t need a prescription to buy Florastor, but if your doctor gives you a prescription for probiotics you can get them covered by your flexible spending account (FSA).
Some people have trouble with certain probiotic strains, so if you’ve had trouble with bacteria-based probiotics, now is the time to try Florastor®. The probiotic cells in the unique strain of S. boulardii are larger and stronger than many other probiotics, resulting in greater intestinal coverage and protection. Choose from all our Probiotics and Probiotics + Wellness boosters on our site.