Is Saccharomyces boulardii the same as the yeast that causes yeast infections or overgrowth?
No, S. boulardii is completely unrelated to Candida albicans, C. tropicalas, C. krusie and other Candida species that cause disease and overgrowth in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. Candida species decrease the acidity of the gastrointestinal mucosal environment, ultimately making the intestinal mucosal membrane susceptible to invasion by disease-causing bacteria and yeast. S. boulardii exerts the opposite effect producing lactic and other acids known to inhibit disease-causing Candida yeast species. Animal studies have actually shown that S. boulardii plays a role in preventing the Candida yeast from reproducing in the gut.
