Saccharomyces Boulardii 101: A Comprehensive Overview of This Important Yeast

Not all probiotics are equal! A prime example of this is Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii). I'd call it a super probiotic. This specific strain is a therapeutic agent for many gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. It's resistant to antibiotics, has anti-microbial and anti-toxin effects, can help re-establish your microbiome, and regulates immune response, among many other health benefits. With so many probiotics on the market right now, S. boulardii stands out because of its therapeutic and positive health impact. After reading this article, you may be as excited about this probiotic as I am and discover how helpful it can be in helping people with their health journeys.

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What is Saccharomyces Boulardii?

Before discussing what S. boulardii is, let's discuss what a probiotic is so you understand how this fits into this category of beneficial microorganisms for improved health.

Probiotics are considered beneficial microorganisms that can improve your gut and overall health. Our body is made of trillions of microorganisms. In fact, we are made up of more microorganisms than human cells as they outnumber human cells by a 10 to 1 ratio. This microorganism makeup is considered the microbiome. Probiotics can assist in maintaining a healthy balance of beneficial and harmful microbes in the microbiome, which can help support optimal health.

S. boulardii is a type of probiotic strain. It comes from a non-pathogenic yeast and was derived from fruits such as the mangosteen. This probiotic has properties that bacterial probiotics don't generally have. These properties include antibiotic protection and being able to reach areas of the GI tract that other probiotics can't get to. Besides these unique benefits, S. boulardii also offers many other health benefits discussed in the next section.

What Are The Health Benefits of Saccharomyces Boulardii?

As previously mentioned, S. boulardii has several health benefits, making it an important therapeutic agent for us. It is shown to have anti-microbial effects, support the immune system, improve many digestive conditions, decrease inflammation, and reach places in our digestive tract that other probiotics can't reach.

S. boulardii has been indicated to have anti-microbial effects by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and parasites as well as pathogenic toxins. This strain of yeast can also support the immune system by increasing the SIgA (secretory IgA) in our gut, which, as an immunoglobulin, is responsible for the first line of defense in the GI tract. It can also trigger immune cells such as T cells, monocytes, lymphocytes, and granulocytes. It has been used to effectively treat many GI conditions, such as H. pylori infections, IBD, IBS, and all types of diarrhea. In regard to decreasing inflammation, it decreases pro-inflammatory cells while enhancing anti-inflammatory molecules in the body.

This amazing probiotic can survive gastric acid and does best in human body temperature so it can get to its target organ. It's also antibiotic-resistant, making it a powerful therapeutic tool done in conjunction with antibiotics. Another exciting benefit is that it can cross-talk with our normal microbiota and send signals to re-establish and rebalance rapidly. 

What Causes Low Saccharomyces Boulardii?

Since S. boulardii is part of our microbiome and is found naturally in our digestive tract, dysbiosis can disrupt the balance and decrease this helpful microorganism. Dysbiosis occurs when there is an imbalance of the microbes in our microbiome, where the pathogenic microbes overgrow and disrupt this balance, wreaking havoc on our gut and overall health. Dysbiosis can occur from a combination of lifestyle and biological factors such as a poor-quality diet, infections, chronic antibiotic or antacid use, elevated stress levels, alcohol consumption, inadequate sleep, smoking, and poor dental hygiene.

How to Test for Saccharomyces Boulardii Levels

Currently, the only test that can assess for levels of S. boulardii is through a comprehensive stool test.

How to Boost Saccharomyces Boulardii Levels With Nutrition

S. boulardii can be found in a myriad of foods. It was first discovered in the fruits mangosteen and lychees. S. boulardii is also in fermented products such as kombucha. Besides having health benefits, this yeast can also enhance fermented products by increasing phytochemicals, antioxidant capacity, and bioavailability of nutrients such as folate and B vitamins. This probiotic can also be found in dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, and various cheeses. Probiotic actions through dairy are believed to be derived from its ability to produce organic acids, vitamins, and essential enzymes.

Supplements That Boost Saccharomyces Boulardii Levels

S. boulardii has two different forms of supplements. They can be heat-dried or lyophilized. If you buy an S. boulardii supplement that is heat-dried, ensure that it is refrigerated to prevent loss of potency. Lyophilized forms of S. boulardii, on the other hand, are stable at room temperature and may be better for surpassing stomach acid and getting to target organs.

Here are the recommended dosing protocols for S. boulardii for various GI conditions:

For diarrhea, it’s recommended to take 500-750 mg with concurrent therapy for eight to ten days.

For H. Pylori infection, it’s recommended to take 1000 mg with concurrent therapy for two weeks. 

For IBD, it’s recommended to take 750-1000 mg with concurrent therapy for seven weeks to six months.

For IBS, it’s recommended to take 500 mg for four weeks.

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Summary

We are made up of trillions of microorganisms. Maintaining a healthy balance of these microbes is essential for our overall health and function. Probiotics can benefit human health by helping to keep this balance in the microbiome. S. boulardii is one of the best probiotics for the microbiome because it can signal our healthy microbes to rapidly re-establish and, at the same time, decrease the growth of pathogenic microbes, creating homeostasis in the microbiome. Due to its unique probiotic qualities and many of its other health benefits, S. boulardii should be a major consideration as part of your gut healing journey to positively impact body function and optimize your health. As always, discuss this supplement or any other interventions with your doctor before incorporating it into your health plan.