Should Saccharomyces boulardii powder be taken before or after meals?
Under normal circumstances, Saccharomyces boulardii powder is recommended to be taken after meals and does not need to be taken before meals. This medication is primarily used to regulate intestinal flora. Taking it after meals reduces irritation to the gastrointestinal tract and facilitates better drug action within the intestines. Detailed analysis is as follows:
When taken after meals, food in the stomach neutralizes some gastric acid, reducing the destructive effect of gastric acid on the viability of Saccharomyces boulardii and helping live bacteria reach the intestine more effectively. At the same time, food can slow down the gastric emptying rate of the drug, allowing it to enter the intestine more steadily and reducing the likelihood of discomfort caused by direct irritation of the gastric mucosa.
If taken before meals, the stomach is in a fasting state with high gastric acid concentration, which may easily reduce the viability of Saccharomyces boulardii and impair its therapeutic efficacy. In addition, the drug passes quickly through the stomach on an empty stomach, potentially causing some irritation to the gastric mucosa in sensitive individuals, thus negatively affecting the medication experience.
During treatment with Saccharomyces boulardii powder, it is recommended to maintain a light diet, avoiding spicy, greasy, raw, or cold foods to minimize additional intestinal irritation. The medication should be taken with lukewarm water; hot water should be avoided as it may destroy the viability of the live bacteria and affect treatment outcomes.