Digestive Disease Awareness Month: What's Going Down with Digestive Health?

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Apr 30, 2013, 10:00 ET

SAN BRUNO, Calif., April 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to making big decisions, popular advice says "follow your gut," an adage that will surely ring true this May during the 25th anniversary of National Digestive Disease Awareness Month. When a national awareness month was first declared by President Reagan in 1988, digestive diseases were ranked second highest among all causes of disability due to illness and accounted for one-tenth of the costs associated with illness for the entire country. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 60-70 million Americans are affected by digestive diseases, and digestive diseases account for more than 13.5 million hospitalizations each year. Studies show that approximately 70-80% of the body's immune cells are housed in the gut, meaning digestive health plays an influential role in optimizing overall health. Because matters of the gut aren't a particularly popular topic for daily conversation, digestive disorders don't receive as much attention as other forms of illness, leaving many people unaware of how their digestive health can directly influence their overall well-being. For Digestive Disease Awareness Month, registered dietitian Kerry Neville encourages everyone to get in touch with their "gut feelings" by learning about ways to support proper digestive health.

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"Listening to your gut is a great way to stay in tune with the health of your whole body. In honor of the 25th anniversary of Digestive Disease Awareness Month, try adding a daily probiotic, like Florastor^®, to your diet to help maintain peace in the intestinal tract and promote digestive harmony," said Neville. "Probiotic supplements help the good organisms in your GI to grow and get rid of the bad organisms that can disrupt normal intestinal function. Additionally, a daily yeast-based probiotic like Florastor^® can help support a healthy immune system by stimulating the production of certain illness- and infection-fighting cells called antibodies. When paired with a healthy diet, a daily probiotic supplement is a natural part of a healthy lifestyle and a key player in supporting digestive health and, in turn, overall wellness."

About Probiotic Supplements
Probiotic supplements help the good organisms in your intestines grow and get rid of the bad organisms that can disrupt normal intestinal function. Probiotic dietary supplements are grouped into two categories, yeast or bacteria, which interact with the body differently. Probiotic supplements containing bacteria are made up of different strains that are good for various tasks, so their effects may vary. Yeast-based Florastor^® contains 250 mg of active Saccharomyces boulardii lyo, a friendly yeast found naturally on the skin of the tropical fruits lychee and mangosteen. Probiotic yeast like the yeast found in Florastor^® can increase the production of immunoglobulin A (IgA), the primary infection-fighting antibody. This factor works to maintain a balanced digestive tract and support the function of the immune system. Additionally, unlike bacterial probiotics, yeast-based probiotics are not compromised by antibiotics. Most bacterial probiotic supplements require refrigeration, but the yeast in Florastor^®does not, making Florastor^® and Florastor^®Kids ideal probiotics for traveling.

About Florastor^® Supplements
Florastor^® is the world's most widely used probiotic and is unique because it is the only friendly yeast–based probiotic available in major retail pharmacies throughout the United States. Florastor^® is safe to take with antibiotics and has versatile options appropriate for adults and children as young as two months. Available in capsule form or, kid-friendly powder packets (both 250 mg), Florastor^® is an easy way to promote digestive health for the whole family. For more information and for a store locator, visit www.florastor.com.

Florastor^® and Florastor^®Kids are manufactured by Biocodex, a globally recognized and trusted pharmaceutical company. Florastor^® has been studied and trusted since 1953 and is the number one probiotic worldwide. Florastor^® is recommended by doctors around the world and has been promoting intestinal health in adults and children for more than 50 years.

About Biocodex
Biocodex is an independent, family-owned pharmaceutical company founded in Paris, France, in 1953 by Michel Hublot and Francois Ballet. The company's initial focus was gastroenterology, and specifically, a promising probiotic discovery, Saccharomyces boulardii (marketed under the brand name Florastor^® in the United States).

Biocodex has partnered with healthcare professionals for 60 years, taking on the mission of developing meaningful solutions to today's challenging healthcare problems. Biocodex has grown into a multinational research and development, manufacturing and commercial enterprise. The company currently operates in over 100 countries with subsidiaries in Belgium, Russia, Turkey, Morocco, the United States, and will be opening the Canadian subsidiary in July, 2013. Today, Biocodex specializes internationally in the therapeutic areas of gastroenterology, neuropsychiatry and pain treatment.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Sources:
http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/digestive_disorders/Pages/index.aspx
http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1988/050388d.htm

SOURCE Biocodex