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Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Editor’s note: Probiotics are currently very fashionable and are used to treat a variety of gastrointestinal complaints. While they are proving popular with the public and with many physicians, few have been subject to rigorous scientific analysis regarding their therapeutic efficacy or mechanisms of action.
Saccharomyces boulardii has been used for a range of gastrointestinal problems. This non-pathogenic yeast species, which was first harvested from tropical fruit almost a century ago, has both anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity. Several
Saccharomyces spp. are used in various probiotic formulations that are readily available for over-the-counter purchase throughout the world.