Saccharomyces Boulardii

So my last post talked some about the neuro-gut correlation. 2 of my children this past spring had 6 week stomach bugs. One had been on a regular probiotic, Therbiotic Complete, which is an excellent probiotic (got thru New Beginnings Nutritionals & expensive). Because they could not keep food down, I changed to Culturelle dissolvable packs (via Target, and tasteless!) so I could help heal their guts. It seemed like LJ's intestines were shredding, so I knew I had to throw a bunch of stuff at him. The problem is, it's not like probiotics are a first-case treatment at your local doctor's office. Honestly, I didn't know much about them until we started the biomedical route with LJ's autism. It is recommended that you rotate probiotics about every 3 months, so that your body doesn't get too accostomed to just one.

So that leads me to Saccharomyces Boulardii. After these horrible stomach bugs, I added Sacc B to his supplement regimen. What we got out of it was nothing short of amazing. Those of you who just want to feel better, or have your kids feel better, may not see these kinds of things come about. LJ started doing handwriting, and drawing amazing pictures for him beyond his usual rainbows and scribble.

From Wikipedia:

Saccharomyces boulardii (brand name Florastor, among others) is a tropical strain of yeast first isolated from lychee and mangosteen fruit in 1923 by French scientist Henri Boulard. It is related to, but distinct from, Saccharomyces cerevisiae in several taxonomic, metabolic, and genetic properties.[1] S. boulardii has been shown to maintain and restore the natural flora in the large and small intestine; it is classified as a probiotic.

Boulard first isolated the yeast after he observed natives of Southeast Asia chewing on the skin of lychee and mangosteen in an attempt to control the symptoms of cholera. S. boulardii has been shown to be non-pathogenic, non-systemic (it remains in the gastrointestinal tract rather than spreading elsewhere in the body), and grows at the unusually high temperature of 37°C.[2]

S. boulardii is often marketed as a probiotic in a lyophilized form and is therefore often referred to as Saccharomyces boulardii lyo.

Something that I thought was very interesting from this Healthline website http://www.healthline.com/natstandardcontent/saccharomyces-boulardii

Sacc B can show to help diarrhea related to: antibiotics, virus, C.diff (bacterial), in children, traveler's, IBS, Crohn's, etc. Other important qualities are it survives any acidity in the intestines, and it is a yeast species that does not grow Candida yeast or feed it. (Note: Candida yeast is known to gather/colonize and grow in the gut to a point in autistic spectrum or immune-compromised people that it is difficult to eliminate it and requires anti-fungals like caprylic acid, garlic, oregano, Nystatin and Diflucan.) So basically, it can help improve diarrhea, regardless of source. This is especially helpful when all your stool cultures come back negative, like all of my children's labs. If it's viral-related (thereby unprovable), it can still help.

Autism Coach says:
http://www.autismcoach.com/Saccharomyces%20Boulardii.htm says:

Saccharomyces Boulardii is a probiotic non-colonizing yeast species closely releated to Brewers yeast. It is not related to yeast group to which Candida belongs. Soon after supplementation, S. Boullardi "blooms" and quickly becomes established in the gut, where it can produce lactic acid and some B vitamins.

Extensive studies and clincal use show that S. Boullardi can:

Displace pathogenic yeast species, such as Candida, in the gut
Increase levesl of IgA
Support the establishment of friendly bacteria in the intestines
Supports nutrient absorption in the small intestinal mucosa

S. Boullardi and Culturelle are the two single most effective probiotics my family has used to reduce yeast infections and to support the immune system.

I really am getting to the point our whole family is about to be taking it. There are very little, if any, side effects to be found with Sacc B, and it only does great things for those with sensitive guts. You can take 1-3 capsules/day. They are just a little tart, like a lime, if you empty a capsule into water for your child.