Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ

by Giulia Enders

The best-researched probiotics to date are lactic-acid bacteria (Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria) and Saccharomyces boulardii, which is a yeast. This yeast has not received the attention it deserves. It is not a bacterium, so it is not one of my favorites either, but it does have one huge advantage: as a yeast, it has absolutely nothing to fear from antibiotics. So, while we are massacring our entire bacteria population by taking antibiotics, Saccharomyces can move in and set up house without a worry in the world. It can then protect the gut from harmful opportunists. It also has the ability to bind toxins. However, it does cause more side effects than bacterial probiotics.