SAN BRUNO, Calif., March 11 /PRNewswire/ — After undergoing intensive voluntary testing, Florastor(R), the world’s top-selling probiotic supplement, has been named to the list of Approved Quality products on ConsumerLab.com, the leading provider of independent test results and information to help consumers and healthcare professionals evaluate health, wellness and nutrition products.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080311/NYTU032 )
“We are thrilled that Florastor has been recognized by ConsumerLab.com as an Approved Quality probiotic supplement,” says Mary Berry, U.S. marketing manager at Biocodex, Inc., the France-based manufacturer of the product. “Its passing status confirms our claims that Florastor contains 10 billion live probiotic organisms, which is essential in the product’s promotion of healthy intestinal function through the balance of intestinal flora.”
Prior to its testing of Florastor, ConsumerLab.com, which records more than three million Web site visits per year, had posted a report in December 2006 on quality testing done on a randomly selected group of probiotic supplements. The testing criteria included identifying the number of live microorganisms in the product to both determine that it matched the number noted on the product’s packaging and if there were at least one billion live microorganisms in the product (the generally accepted minimum amount needed to deliver any significant health benefit). The report revealed that only eight of 13 probiotic products selected by ConsumerLab.com actually contained the labeled amounts of live microorganisms, and several did not meet the one billion minimum.
Products were also tested for the lack of contaminating organisms, as well as the enteric protection of the product, meaning the microorganisms’ ability to survive as they make their way through stomach acid and into the small intestine where bacteria would flourish.
“Florastor is the most widely used probiotic in the world and is the product of extensive and ongoing research,” says Berry. “It is very important to us that its claims have been validated by a reputable third party so that U.S. consumers can have confidence in the product.”
Florastor, which utilizes a freeze-dried form of a beneficial yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii), was voluntarily submitted for ConsumerLab.com testing and passed the organization’s review criteria by meeting its listed number of 10 billion probiotic organisms in a maximum suggested daily serving, as well as being free of microbial contamination and exhibiting sufficient enteric protection.
Florastor is supported by numerous clinical studies and is the only probiotic mentioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) for use in managing recurrent disease associated with the Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection(1). It is clinically proven to be effective in helping to manage intestinal issues ranging from acute diarrhea to chronic inflammatory conditions (such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis). Florastor has also been clinically proven to be particularly effective in combating antibiotic-associated diarrhea, since, unlike bacteria-based probiotics, the beneficial yeast in Florastor cannot be killed by the antibiotic treatment itself.
Probiotics are defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, as “live microorganisms administered in adequate amounts, which confer a beneficial health effect on the host.” Florastor has shown in more than 50 years of extensive international use to be safe and effective, with an estimated 1.7 billion daily doses sold to date.
Florastor is available in most retail chain pharmacies, and at independent pharmacies. It can be purchased in bottles of 10 capsules for a suggested price of $9.95, or 50 capsules for a suggested price of $39.95. Florastor Kids is available in a box of 10 powder packets (which can be mixed with applesauce or beverages, including infant formula) for a suggested price of $11.95, or in a 20-packet box for a price of $19.95.
Visit http://www.florastor.com/ to find out where to purchase Florastor in your area. It is commonly found in the anti-diarrheal/stomach aid section, and can also be obtained by asking the pharmacist (many stores keep Florastor the product behind the counter). It can also be purchased online at http://www.newtimrx.com/florastor.html.
For more information on ConsumerLab.com testing, visit http://www.consumerlab.com/.
(1) Saccharomyces boulardii: a valuable adjunct in recurrent Clostridium
difficile disease? (1995) WHO Drug Information; 9;(1); 15-16.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080311/NYTU032PRN Photo Desk, [email protected]
Florastor
CONTACT: Anne Carlantone, [email protected], orChristina Occhipinti, both of Robin Leedy & Associates for Florastor,+1-914-241-0086, ext. 12
Web site: http://www.florastor.com/http://www.consumerlab.com/http://www.newtimrx.com/florastor.html
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