Colitis Treatment and VSL3

There have been a number of successful trials with VSL3 for colitis treatment.

Ulcerative colitis

Thirty four patients with active ulcerative colitis were given an alternative medicine for colitis treatment, VSL#3 (3,600 billion bacteria daily in 2 divided doses for 6 weeks) with a remission/response rate of 77%, with 9% no response, 9% worse, and 5% not completing.¹

Interestingly, this study mentions that it was established that at least some of the bacterial species incorporated in the probiotic reached the "target site" in amounts that could be detected. In another 2006 study, it was found that VSL3 "increased the total number of intestinal bacteria cells as well as the richness and diversity of the bacterial microbiota, especially the anaerobic flora." At the end of this trial, the people had all sorts of non-pathogenic bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genus that WERE NOT in the VSL3 supplement. This seems a most encouraging sign that it had "normalized" the intestinal tract and that the colitis treatment was a success.²

(Note that ulcerative colitis is sometimes incorrectly spelt as ulcertive colitis and ulceritive colitis.)

Balsalazide and VSL3

From amongst the ulcerative colitis remedies, low dose balsalazide combined with VSL-3 also appeared to do well in trials. There were 30 people in each of 3 groups of this 8 week trial. Dosage was balsalazide (2.25g/day) and VSL#3 (3g/day) being compared against a medium dose balsalazide and mesalazine. The low dose balsalazide/VSL-3 achieved 24 people in remission, the medium dose balsalazide had 21, with 16 in the mesalazine group in remission.

The balsalazide whether alone or in tandem was better tolerated than the mesalazine. Two people from the latter group were withdrawn from the study because of severe side-effects.³

REFERENCES

Looking for info on probiotics?

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.probiotics-lovethatbug.com