Combating Traveler’s Diarrhea with Saccharomyces Boulardii
What is Traveler’s Diarrhea?
Traveler’s diarrhea is a digestive condition that leads to abdominal cramps and loose stools. It’s caused by drinking water contaminated with bacteria or eating compromised food. While this health condition can be unpleasant, it fortunately isn’t usually serious.
Traveler’s diarrhea is named as such because it generally happens after visiting another country or area where sanitation practices are different from where you live.
About 50 to 80 percent of traveler’s diarrhea is caused by bacteria, especially E. coli, according to a 2016 study published in the journal Medicine. There are several ways to help combat (prevent or reduce) traveler’s diarrhea when you visit new areas–including good hygiene practices.
Symptoms of traveler’s diarrhea usually clear up within a week’s time (or sooner), and may include:
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Abdominal cramps
- Frequent loose stools (three or more times daily)
- An urgent need to pass stools
- Dehydration is a complication that can happen with traveler’s diarrhea, which is why reducing or preventing it is so crucial to your health.
What is Saccharomyces Boulardii?
Saccharomyces boulardii is a type of friendly yeast (that functions as a probiotic) used as medicine to fight off disease-causing organisms within the digestive tract. This yeast helps prevent traveler’s diarrhea and other forms of diarrhea–such as diarrhea caused by rotavirus, bad bacteria overgrowth, antibiotics usage, or tube feedings.
Saccharomyces boulardii also reduces the duration of diarrhea in children and infants.
Preventing Traveler’s Diarrhea
Some of the best ways to help prevent traveler’s diarrhea are frequent hand washing with antibacterial soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and making sure all utensils and dishes are clean and dry before eating meals. Good hygiene practices are especially crucial when traveling to other countries.
According to a 2016 study in the journal Medicine, researchers suggest that taking quality probiotic supplements help prevent and reduce your risk for traveler’s diarrhea. While many types of probiotics aid in prevention and treatment of diarrhea, studies show the Saccharomyces boulardii probiotic yeast is particularly useful for traveler’s diarrhea.
There are no official guidelines stating how much Saccharomyces boulardii you should take to combat traveler’s diarrhea, but a general recommended daily dosage is 1-10 CFU/day.
Are There Any Drawbacks of Using Saccharomyces Boulardii for Traveler’s Diarrhea?
Generally speaking, there aren’t any drawbacks of taking Saccharomyces boulardii supplements or adding Saccharomyces boulardii to product formulas. However, pregnant and nursing women, people with weak immune systems and people with yeast allergies should avoid taking Saccharomyces boulardii (unless their doctor says otherwise). People who are taking anti-fungals should also avoid taking Saccharomyces boulardii.
One possible side effect may include gas and, in rare cases, fungal infections that spread throughout the blood. Children taking Saccharomyces boulardii should only do so under medical supervision.
Saccharomyces Boulardii has a Promising Future
More and more research shows health and wellness benefits from using Saccharomyces boulardii and other probiotics as a natural remedy to treat or prevent a variety of health conditions (especially diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders).
That’s why products containing probiotics are becoming more and more popular among consumers seeking wellness and preventive medicine. These consumers would rather stay healthy and prevent disease, rather than take medicine for health conditions after they arise.
In fact, Harvard Health Publishing reports that probiotics supplements sales worldwide may reach $17.4 billion by the year 2027.
Regardless of which probiotic you use to combat diarrhea, consider Saccharomyces Boulardii for traveler’s diarrhea in recommended dosages (1-10 Billion CFU/day).
Specialty Enzymes & Probiotics offers Saccharomyces boulardii in several different potencies to accommodate your formula!
