Visbiome is intended for the dietary management of dysbiosis associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis (UC), antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), pouchitis and hepatic encephalopathy (HE).
Visbiome is a medical food, non-drug therapy, that addresses distinct nutritional requirements which promote microbial balance that cannot be addressed by modifying the diet alone. Visbiome is a unique blend of 8 strains of bacteria, a formulation with more than 75 clinical trials, and more than 20 years of research, making it the most studied multi-strain probiotic formulation on the market. The product is made in the USA, available in capsule or powder format, and shipped cold with temperature monitoring sensors.
Q: Is Visbiome® the most studied multi-strain probiotic?
A: Yes, Visbiome, a probiotic medical food, has been the subject of over 75 peer reviewed clinical studies, the most of any multi-strain probiotic. There have been 10 studies in the dietary management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and eight studies in the dietary management of ulcerative colitis (UC). The studies included both adults and children and consisted of more than 500 subjects for each condition.
Q: Is Visbiome® effective in the management of IBS?
A: Yes, in studies for the dietary management of IBS, Visbiome showed significant relief of symptoms associated with IBS, such as abdominal bloating, pain/discomfort and flatulence, and it was well tolerated.1,2,3 In one study of children with IBS (4 to 18 years of age), Visbiome was superior to placebo in the primary endpoint of subjective assessment of relief of symptoms.3 Visbiome has also been studied in patients utilizing the low-FODMAP diet for management of IBS symptoms. In this placebo-controlled study, patients on the low-FODMAP diet exhibited a reduced level of Bifidobacterium species suggesting a level of dysbiosis caused by the diet itself. Patients who were co-administered Visbiome with the low-FODMAP diet maintained levels of Bifidobacterium consistent with controls.4
Bifidobacterium species are part of the normal inhabitants of a healthy gut and have certain immunomodulatory effects; alterations of Bifidobacterium species have been linked to IBS and other gastrointestinal diseases.4,5
Q: How does Visbiome® help in the management of UC?
A: In the dietary management of UC, Visbiome taken in conjunction with conventional therapies has been shown to be beneficial in patients with mild-to-moderate UC.6,7 Visbiome also has been associated with a decrease in rectal bleeding, and demonstrated a reduction of up to 50% in UC disease activity index (UCDAI) scores, when used as a medical food.8 Q: What factors should be considered when recommending a Probiotic for IBS and UC patients?
A: There are certain factors a clinician should consider when recommending a probiotic to a patient:
- Recommend probiotics that contain the exact strain and species that have proven patient benefits in peer reviewed clinical studies, and do not extrapolate the success of one probiotic species to another. Some companies cite clinical data on other probiotic products and imply that parallel results can be expected simply because similar species are present, but they have not performed research on their specific formulation.
- Consider probiotics that contain a large enough number of viable microorganisms for the conditions.
- Consider probiotics from companies that implement procedures in the supply chain to protect the bacteria strains from harmful factors like heat and humidity, so the bacteria remain viable when they arrive to the patient.9
References
- Kim et al. Neurogastro Motil 2005;17:1-10.
- Kim et al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2003;17:895-904.
- Guandalini et al. JPGN. 2010;51:24-30.
- Staudacher H, et al. Gastroenterology 2017; 153:936-947.
- Tojo R, et al. World J Gastroenterol 2014;20(41).
- Sood A, et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2009;11:1202-1209.
- Miele E, et al. Am J Gastroenterol 2009;104:437-443.
- Tursi A, et al. Med Sci Monit (2004); 10(11): PI126-131.
- Cong D, et al. World J Gastroenterol 2013;19(36):5973-5980.
ExeGi Pharma,LLC, Makers of Visbiome®
For more information, email or call: info@exegipharma.com
(844) 348-4887