CRESWELL, OR, March 12 -- Probiotic supplements have been used around the world for at least half a century, but almost half (49 percent) of Americans indicate that they have never heard of them, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Florastor, the worlds top-selling probiotic, now being launched widely in the United States.
Derived from a Greek term meaning, "for life," probiotics are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "live micro-organisms, which, when administered in proper amounts, confer a health benefit on the host."
Florastor, which utilizes a beneficial, clinically-studied form of a freeze-dried yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii), has been sold internationally for more than 50 years worldwide and is currently being discovered by Americans as new scientific research shows its effectiveness in aiding in the prevention and treatment of intestinal issues, particularly diarrhea related to medications, travel and pathogens (such as recurring C. diff-associated disease).
"The probiotics category is one where the U.S. is behind the rest of the world, and thats because U.S. doctors have just recently been conducting the clinical research to gauge and prove their efficacy," says Patricia Raymond M.D., noted board-certified gastroenterologist, author and assistant professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School. "In recent years, a number of respectable studies have definitively confirmed the health benefits of probiotics, many of which are for S. boulardii, and as American physicians are passing this new information on to their patients, consumers are starting to embrace the concept, particularly in the prevention and management of intestinal issues where traditional treatments are not completely effective."
The Florastor survey, which was fielded to approximately 2,300 U.S. men and women (aged 18 and over), offers insight into current U.S. knowledge levels and att
'"/>
Contact: Rachel Colley
rcolley@robinleedyassociates.com
914-241-0086
Biocodex, Inc.
12-Mar-2007