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Benefits of Saccharomyces Boulardii

Evidence:Strong
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This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary — consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Full disclaimer

Evidence-Based Benefits

  • AAD prevention — a Cochrane review (Szajewska & Kolodziej, 2015, 21 RCTs, n=4,780) found S. boulardii reduced AAD risk by 53% (RR 0.47) with NNT of 10
  • C. difficile prevention — McFarland (2010, meta-analysis, 5 RCTs, n=1,076) showed S. boulardii reduced C. difficile recurrence by 43% when used as adjunctive therapy with antibiotics
  • Acute diarrhea in children — Feizizadeh et al. (2014, meta-analysis, 22 RCTs, n=5,029) found S. boulardii reduced duration of acute diarrhea by approximately 1 day in children
  • Toxin degradation — S. boulardii secretes a 54-kDa serine protease that directly cleaves and inactivates C. difficile toxins A and B (Castagliuolo et al., 1999)

What the Research Says

Saccharomyces Boulardii is a well-documented probiotic yeast with demonstrated efficacy across various clinical applications. As a yeast, it uniquely resists antibacterial antibiotics, making it an ideal adjunct during antibiotic therapy to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). A systematic review and meta-analysis by Szajewska et al. (2015) found that S. boulardii significantly reduces the risk of AAD with a number needed to treat (NNT) of 10, highlighting its preventive potential.

In addition to AAD prevention, studies have explored its role in managing acute diarrhea and preventing Clostridioides difficile recurrence. McFarland et al. (2010) conducted a systematic review supporting its efficacy in reducing the duration of pediatric acute diarrhea and lowering the risk of recurrent episodes. Furthermore, S. boulardii has been shown to enhance Helicobacter pylori eradication rates when used as an adjuvant therapy. A meta-analysis by Liu et al. (2023) involving 15 RCTs with 2156 participants found that its supplementation improved eradication success and reduced adverse events in children.

Recent studies have also highlighted its benefits in neonatal care, with Gao et al. (2021) reporting that S. boulardii supplementation significantly reduced the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and feeding intolerance in pre-term infants. These findings underscore its potential as a preventive measure in vulnerable populations.

Overall, Saccharomyces Boulardii stands out as a versatile probiotic with well-documented benefits across multiple clinical settings, supported by rigorous evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Related Conditions

Gut HealthImmune Function
Full Saccharomyces Boulardii Guide

References

  1. Meta-analysisSzajewska H, Kolodziej M. (2015). Systematic review with meta-analysis: Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. DOI PubMed
  2. Meta-analysisMcFarland LV. (2010). Systematic review and meta-analysis of Saccharomyces boulardii in adult patients. World Journal of Gastroenterology. DOI PubMed
  3. Li M, Xie Y (2025). Efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii as an adjuvant therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori: a meta-analysis.. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology. DOI PubMed
  4. McFarland LV, Li T (2025). Efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 for the treatment of pediatric acute diarrhea in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology. DOI PubMed
  5. Ma F, Huang H, Tian K, Wang W (2025). Efficacy and Safety of <em>Saccharomyces Boulardii</em> with Standard Quadruple Therapy for Eradication of <em>Helicobacter Pylori </em>in Adults: Meta-Analysis.. Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP. DOI PubMed
  6. Jiang YZ, Ma K, Cui C, Li ZY, et al. (2025). Effect of Saccharomyces boulardii supplementation to bismuth quadruple therapy on Helicobacter pylori eradication.. BMC gastroenterology. DOI PubMed
  7. Meta-analysisLiu LH, Han B, Tao J, Zhang K, et al. (2023). The effect of Saccharomyces boulardii supplementation on Helicobacter pylori eradication in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of Randomized controlled trials.. BMC infectious diseases. DOI PubMed
Show 4 more references
  1. Meta-analysisFu H, Li J, Xu X, Xia C, et al. (2022). Effectiveness and Safety of Saccharomyces Boulardii for the Treatment of Acute Gastroenteritis in the Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.. Computational and mathematical methods in medicine. DOI PubMed
  2. Meta-analysisSzajewska H, Kołodziej M, Zalewski BM (2020). Systematic review with meta-analysis: Saccharomyces boulardii for treating acute gastroenteritis in children-a 2020 update.. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics. DOI PubMed
  3. Zhou BG, Chen LX, Li B, Wan LY, et al. (2019). Saccharomyces boulardii as an adjuvant therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis.. Helicobacter. DOI PubMed
  4. Stier H, Bischoff SC (2017). [Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 influences the gut-associated immune system].. MMW Fortschritte der Medizin. DOI PubMed