The unique probiotic strain in Florastor, Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745®, was discovered in 1923 by Henri Boulard, a French agricultural engineer and microbiologist.
About Florastor® History
Celebrating 100 years since being discovered by French microbiologist, Henri Boulard, and 70 years of safe use and research worldwide.*
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Henri Boulard was passionate about studying yeasts and became a prominent expert on the matter. As early as 1912, he filed industrial patents on yeast fermentation methods.
In the early 1920s, while on assignment in French Indochina (current day Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos), Henri Boulard took a special interest in tropical diseases such as cholera which were prevalent in the region.
Henri Boulard observed the locals consume a drink made from two native tropical fruits, lychees and mangosteens, to help treat some of the digestive issues resulting from cholera.
Curious about the health benefits, Henri Boulard studied the compositions of the lychee and mangosteen skins and was able to identify and isolate a specific yeast from the Saccharomyces family.
The properties of this unique yeast made it ideal as a probiotic given its ability to survive the harsh environment of stomach acids and provide digestive benefits.
The properties of this unique yeast made it ideal as a probiotic given its ability to survive the harsh environment of stomach acids and provide digestive benefits.
Understanding the importance of this discovery, Henri Boulard named and registered this specific yeast after himself, thus the name Saccharomyces boulardii.
Biocodex, a French pharmaceutical company, purchased the exclusive rights to Saccharomyces boulardii in 1953 and improved its culture medium and fermentation process to achieve pharmaceutical quality.
Biocodex officially registered its unique probiotic strain in 1988 at the Pasteur Institute in Paris under the name Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745.
Biocodex introduced Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 in North America under the brand name Florastor in 2002.
In 2023, Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 celebrated 100 years since its discovery and 70 years of safe use and research as a probiotic under Biocodex.
Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 is the #1 selling probiotic in its class worldwide†, is available in nearly 100 countries, and has over 1,000 scientific publications.
Florastor is the only probiotic in North America with Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745.
