Vsl 3 Double Strength Probiotic

Did You Know That Not All Probiotics Work

There is, however, more to formulating an effective probiotic than throwing some strains in a capsule.

For example: A probiotic which does not include an organic simple starch, which some call a prebiotic, almost ensures that the probiotics will have starved to death before reaching you. Including a prebiotic also greatly increases the odds that the probiotic strains in the product will establish a successful colony one that will be able to sustain itself over time.

Keep track of time: Effective probiotics will noticeably begin working within days. Usually you will notice an increase in natural energy and digestive regularity first, with healthy weight changes within two weeks.

With so many brands of probiotics on the market, how can you find the right one? Because every product claims to be the most effective, it can be hard to find the probiotic that best suits your particular needs. Luckily, thats what were here for.

Firstly, this list will ONLY include probiotics which are manufactured in accordance with cGMP guidelines.

If a probiotic was NOT manufactured in clean, regulated conditions, as per cGMP guidelines then in all likelihood it will not only be ineffective but it could be POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS!

There are 3 factors which impact our grade of each probiotic. They are listed and explained below.

CFU this is the total count of all of the bacteria in the probiotic, VERY important because probiotics are ONLY EFFECTIVE IN ADEQUATE AMOUNTS.

Pcr Detection Of Streptoccoccus Thermophilus And Bifidobacterium

Amplification reactions were carried out in a Biometra Thermal Cycler II . Dynazyme II was used as a thermostable polymerase. The total volume of each reaction mixture was 25 ml and cells from plate colonies were used directly as templates, without isolation of chromosomal DNA. Amplification of S thermophilus was obtained using the primer set ThI/ThII developed by Timisjärvi and Alatossava in 1997. The reaction mixture consisted of 200 M of each dNTP, 1 M of ThI and ThII primer, and 1 U of Dynazyme II. The amplification profile was 95°C for one minute, 55°C for 30 seconds, and 72°C for one minute. This was repeated for 40 cycles. The programme also included preincubation at 95°C for five minutes before the first cycle and a final incubation at 72°C for five minutes. Bifidobacteria amplification using the primer sets Bif164/Bif662 , InfY-BV.L/R and BreY-BV.R/L , specific for the genus Bifidobacterium and for the VSL-3 strains B infantis Y1 and B breve Y8, respectively, was accomplished under the following experimental conditions. Enumeration of S thermophilus,B infantis Y1, and B breve Y8 was performed by direct amplification of 3050 colonies, randomly selected from the highest dilutions of ST modified and RB agar plates. Aliquots of the amplified products were subjected to gel electrophoresis in 2% agarose gels and were visualised by ethidium bromide staining.

Effects Of Vsl#3 On Nervous Systemic Diseases

Two studies showed that VSL#3 was able to improve some types of nervous systemic disorders and related brain mechanisms through the gut-brain axis when dysbiosis caused by a cafeteria diet or the ageing process occurred in rats. VSL#3 was proven to prevent diet-induced memory deficits on the place task but had no effect on anxiety-like behaviors on the elevated plus maze in rats. Furthermore, one study indicated that VSL#3 improved the age-related deficits in long-term potentiation in aged rats. The effect was accompanied by a decrease of microglial activation markers and an increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and synapsin. The effects above might be due to the increase in the amounts of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria caused by VSL#3. One study showed that the effects of VSL#3 on the nervous system are independent of the changes in the intestinal microbiota in rats. VSL#3 could significantly improve sickness behaviors and brain dysfunction, probably by decreasing microglial activation and brain inflammatory monocyte infiltration in bile duct ligation mice with liver inflammation. Furthermore, one study demonstrated that the post-injury treatment of VSL#3 improved locomotor recovery after murine spinal cord injury and activated neuroprotective mucosal immune cells.

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A Great Survival Rate Until Administration

Another factor is the number of live probiotics at the time of administration. Most companies will list their CFU count at the manufacturing time, which is safer to declare, because bacteria can easily die during transportation, or on the shelf. VSL #3 is freeze dried, and the technology allows bacteria to survive without food. VSL 3 should last through best use by date and even longer at refirgeration temperatures, that is 39-46°F, or 4-8°C. Once the bottle is opened though, it is recommended to take it without interruption, and keep it in the fridge. If you order by Internet, it is safer to choose the expedited delivery. The manufacturer instructs the resellers to respect the refrigeration requirements, and to educate buyers about properly storing the product. The product is shipped with a cold pack, if you dont receive it with a cold pack, refuse the package. The bacteria should survive for up to two days at normal temperatures, but it is safer to avoid as much as possible the exposure.

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Vsl#3 Efficacy In Attaining Response

The aggregate rate of attaining a response among patients treated with VSL#3 was 54.9% compared with 29.3% among patients treated with placebo . The OR of experiencing at least a 3-point reduction in UCDAI while on VSL#3 compared with placebo was 3.03 The risk difference between the VSL#3-treated and the placebo-treated groups was 0.26 , and the number needed to treat to achieve a reduction in UCDAI of 3 points or more in 1 patient was 34 .

The efficacy of VSL#3 compared to placebo in achieving 3-point decrease in UCDAI.

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How To Use Vsl#3

You can buy VSL#3 as a capsule or in a powder packet.

You mix the powder packets with cold water or food before consuming it. All powder packets have a lemon cream flavor. You cannot mix the powder with hot drinks or foods as the heat can damage the bacteria.

Store VSL#3 in the refrigerator when not in use.

Vsl#3 Treatment Resulted In A Distinct Fecal Community Structure Compared To The Control

To further elucidate factors related to the differences and similarities between fecal microbial community structures , we performed non-metric multidimensional scaling based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarities between samples at the ASV level. A statistically significant shift in the fecal microbial community structures over time was noticed based on treatment groups , and in the cecal microbial community on day 7 post challenge in Figure 5B.

Figure 5. Beta-diversity in fecal and cecal microbiota measured over time. Using unsupervised clustering, NMDS illustrates the dissimilarity indices via Bray-Curtis distances between the bacterial communities from feces on days 0, 2, 4, and 6 post challenge and from ceca on day 7 post challenge . NMDS: Non-metric multidimensional scaling.

We next investigated the differences in fecal bacterial community composition over time for the control and VSL#3®-treated groups . Antibiotics are known to significantly reduce the diversity and alter the composition of the gut microbiota. This was reflected on day 0 by predominant representation by a single phylum Firmicutes in all groups.

Figure 6. Impact of VSL#3® on fecal bacterial community membership on days 0, 2, 4, 6 post challenge. Bar plots depict the mean percent abundances of the top bacterial families sorted by phylum where F – Firmicutes, P – Proteobacteria, B – Bacteroidetes, and A – Actinobacteria .

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Vsl #3 Dosage And Efficiency

There is no doubt that VSL #3 is efficient for treating IBS and Ulcerative Colitis. There are numerous studies, and this is probably one of the most researched probiotic supplements on the market. The product from Sigma Tau Pharmaceuticals has the highest dose of probiotics to begin with. This is one of the factors contributing to its efficiency. However, the scientific studies suggest that the recommended serving is not enough for serious issues like Ulcerative Colitis. Here is a study that reported positive results using 3,600 billion bacteria per day. This dosage is a few times the serving size, and this is one of the reasons they recommend being supervised by a physician. Make sure you start with a low dose, and you increase your dose gradually. This will help you avoid the side effects.

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Is Vsl #3 Efficient

First of all, when we compare probiotics, we need to compare apples to apples, and make sure we understand what a specific strain of probiotics can do for our health, and what other options are on the market. This is rather difficult, because FDA did not approve any probiotics as drugs, so any health claims have to be within the approved frame for supplements. There is an initiative to change that, but it could take a while until it gets implemented. This means that the efficacy of probiotics for treating certain conditions can only be suggested. Thats why you dont see any probiotics manufacturer making claims. VSL 3 makes no difference, they have to abide the rules. So how do we know if a probiotic supplement is good, and what conditions it treats? There are a couple of reliable sources of information, besides the suggestions made by the manufacturer. The scientific literature about all the strains in the probiotic blend tells us what the product was designed for. This is a reliable source of information, based on scientific evidence. Then, there is the anecdotal evidence, and the product ratings. People will also vouch for a product when it helps them. The reviews and the ratings of probiotics are a key marketing approach. Ratings can be manipulated, and we cant rely 100% on them, but its easy to see if a review is fake, and VSL doesnt seem to use this type of marketing.

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How To Buy Vsl#3

VSL#3 is available online from Amazon and from the official VSL3.com website. You can buy the main VSL#3 product with no prescription required. However, youll need a prescription to buy VSL#3-DS .

The reason you need a prescription to buy VSL#3 DS is because its not classified as a nutritional supplement: its a medical food for the dietary management of an ileal pouch or ulcerative colitis. The capsule needs to be used under medical supervision.

Heres how prices work for VSL#3:

Official Website

VSL#3 30 Pack: $87.72 VSL#3 Junior 30 Pack: $54.78 VSL#3 DS 20 Pack : Pricing available at your local pharmacy VSL#3 30 Pack: $87.72 VSL#3 Capsules 60 Pack: $53

Amazon

VSL 3 High Potency Probiotic Capsules for Ulcerative Colitis 60 Pack: $53.61 + $5.99 shipping

Quality Of Life In Each Group

As is shown in fig 4A, in the 20 patients on VSL#3, IBDQ scores were high both at entry and at the time of relapse or 12 months this difference was not statistically significant . In the 16 patients on placebo, IBDQ scores deteriorated significantly from a median of 169 at study entry to a median of 105 at the time of relapse or 12 months . Comparing the two groups, there was no significant difference at entry but the groups differed significantly at the time of the relapse or 12 months .

Figure 4

Inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire scores at study entry and at the time of relapse or 12 months in 20 patients who received VSL#3 and in 16 patients who received placebo . *Wilcoxon signed rank test.

Similar results were observed for patient satisfaction with treatment . In the VSL#3 group, patient satisfaction did not change significantly from study entry to the time of relapse or 12 months . In the placebo group, patient satisfaction deteriorated significantly from a median of 4 at study entry to a median of 2 at the time of the relapse or 12 months . Comparing the two groups, there was no significant difference at entry but the groups differed significantly at the time of relapse or 12 months .

Figure 5

Patient general satisfaction scores at study entry and at the time of relapse or 12 months in 20 patients who received VSL#3 and in 16 patients who received placebo . *Wilcoxon signed rank test.

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What Is The Research Into Vsl#3 And Other Bowel Conditions

VSL#3 is also licensed to be used as a medical food in the dietary management of irritable bowel syndrome following various studies into VSL#3 and IBS. One study8 found that IBS patients taking VSL#3 had less abdominal pain and less abdominal distention and/or bloating and it significantly improved their quality of life.

Maker Of Vsl#3 Probiotic Offers Assistance Program For Ulcerative Colitis And Ileal Pouch Patients

Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals Sponsors program for prescription-only medical food – VSL#3® DS — for dietary management of UC and ileal pouch

Robin Leedy & Associates, Inc.

GAITHERSBURG, MD, January 31 People who have Ulcerative Colitis or Ileal Pouch know that finding the right regimen for extending their time between flares is crucial to successfully living with the condition. The solution is often a personalized combination of drugs, dietary changes and, for many, the addition of VSL#3®, a probiotic medical food designated for the dietary management of these conditions. Now, Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals, Inc., maker of VSL#3 medical food is sponsoring a Patient Assistance Program to help in-need patients obtain its prescription-only double strength formulation VSL#3 DS.

The VSL#3 DS Patient Assistance Program is one of the first to provide assistance for a probiotic preparation. Sigma-Tau created this program in reaction to patient response to the product.

“We hear from many patients that VSL#3 DS is integral in the routine they adhere to in order to manage their diets,” said Mary Berry, senior product manager at Sigma-Tau. “While this product is covered as a Tier 3 co-pay in many prescription plans, there are still many patients who do not have coverage and cannot afford to keep using it. We want to change that and make sure people who depend on VSL#3 DS can obtain it.”

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How Do You Know If A Probiotic Is Working

Signs Your Probiotics Are Working When you take a high-quality probiotic supplement, you may notice several positive changes in your body, ranging from improved digestion and more energy, to improved mood and clearer skin. Oftentimes, the first and most immediate change individuals notice is improved digestion.

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Study Medication And Compliance

The probiotic preparation used in this study was VSL#3 . VSL#3 3 g sachets contain 300 billion bacteria/g, comprising four strains of lactobacilli , three strains of bifidobacteria , and one strain of Streptococcus salivarius subspthermophilus. Placebo sachets contained maize.

Compliance was assessed by counting the dispensed and returned sachets, as well as by questioning patients. Compliance rate was calculated by dividing the number of taken sachets by that of dispensed sachets.

Medication consisted of either VSL#3 6 g once daily in the evening or identical appearing placebo sachets. Patients took the sachets for 12 months, provided their pouchitis did not relapse.

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What Other Drugs Will Affect Vsl#3

Other drugs may interact with bifidobacterium, lactobacillus, and streptococcus, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.

Randomisation And Sample Size

Pharmacists at each institute were in charge of the randomisation. The results of the randomisation were known only to the pharmacists until the end of this study when the data were analysed.

Sample size was based on the estimate of 80% recurrence in the placebo group and 25% in the probiotic group over a one year period. These estimates followed relapse findings in a previous study by Gionchetti and colleagues. Eighteen patients were needed in each group to provide an 80% chance of a significant difference at the 0.05 level using a two tailed test.

Randomisation was performed separately in each institution. The number of patients to be recruited was targeted at 36 without setting the minimum or maximum number at each institution. To avoid a disproportionate number of patients in the active or placebo group at either institution, randomisation was performed in blocks of four at each institution.

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Effects Of Vsl#3 On Mechanical Barrier Function

The mechanical barrier is mainly comprised of intestinal epithelial cells and the protein networks between IEC, including desmosomes, adherent junctions, and tight junctions. Tight junctions maintain epithelial polarity and regulate selective paracellular ion solute transport. Among all the components in the intestinal epithelium, VSL#3 mainly affects tight junctions. VSL#3 could lead to a recovery of tight junction protein injury with significantly increased occludin and zonula occludens-1 and significantly decreased claudin-2 in the intestinal mucosa. The influence of VSL#3 on tight junction proteins is achieved by increasing the protein level and enzymatic activity of T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase , which is the protein product of the tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 2 gene, and PTPN2 has a protective effect against inflammatory bowel disease . Then, VSL#3 mediates its beneficial effect by reducing interferon- signaling in a TCPTP-dependent manner and correcting the reduction in transepithelial electrical resistance . VSL#3 probably increased TER by activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase p42/44 and p38 pathway in T84 cells. Besides, the increase of phosphorylated-p38 and phosphorylated-extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathways by VSL#3 is also important in improving tight junction protein expression and IBF in rats.