Probiotic Yeast vs. Bacteria
Florastor is a unique probiotic because it is a special strain of yeast. This gives it many advantages over bacteria. The following chart outlines these advantages:
| Characteristic | Bacteria | Yeast | Florastor Advantage |
| Present in human flora | 99% | <1% | Florastor only temporarily resides in flora and is eliminated in fecal stream within days |
| Cell size | 1 µm | 10 µm | Ten times the surface area means greater protection of the intestinal wall and more pathogens adhere to the surface and are carried off in fecal stream |
| Growing conditions (pH) | 6.5 – 7.5 | 4.5 – 6.5 | Survives gastric acids to reach the intestines and colon where needed |
| Type of microorganism | Microbe
like cells |
Eukaryote
like cells |
No transfer of genetic material between bacteria and yeast making yeast safer during antibiotic therapy |
| Resistance to antibiotics | No | Yes | Not weakend by antibiotics because yeast are naturally resistant |
| Required Refrigeration | Yes | No | Florastor is lyophilized (freeze dried) so no refrigeration is needed making it easy and convenient to store and take while travelling |
| Immune system stimulation | Limited | Yes | Increases secretory IgA and enhances the intestinal mucosal immune response |
| Toxin receptor site inactivation | No | Yes | Stimulates brush border membrane enzymes, leading to cell maturation.
Enhances absorption of nutrients |
| Production of short chain
fatty acids (SCFA) |
Limited | Yes | Reduces diarrhea in Total Enteral Nutrition (TEN) patients
Inhibits the inflammatory response |
| Neutralization of enterotoxins | No | Yes | As adjunctive therapy, Florastor reduces the recurrence of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea by 50%
Releases a protease which digests the Toxin A molecule and its receptor |
“No such transfer of genetic material occurs between bacteria and yeast, making yeast safe for use during antibiotic treatment” – Czerucka et al., Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 2007; 26: 767 -778
“We strongly discourage the current practice of application of probiotic bacteria during antibiotic treatment” – Wassenaar et al., Journal of Food Protection 2008, vol 71. No 8, 1734-1741
“Evidence of lack of risk of antibiotic resistance transfer is required for probiotics proposed for clinical use” -Guarino et al., Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutirion 2008; 46: S81 -S122
“Resistance genes might be transferred not only between members of the resident gut flora, but also to and from transient bacterial probiotics. The main threat associated with these bacteria is that they might transfer resistance genes to pathogenic bacteria” – Czerucka et al., Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 2007; 26: 767 -778
Florastor 10 Sachets (250 mg)
Florastor (Saccharomyces boulardii lyo) is a non-pathogenic yeast probiotic that acts as a temporary flora to improve and maintain your intestinal health.
Florastor 50 Capsules (250 mg)
Florastor (Saccharomyces boulardii lyo) is a non-pathogenic yeast probiotic that acts as a temporary flora to improve and maintain your intestinal health.
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