Common Questions
Questions 1-18
- How is VSL#3™ different from other probiotic therapies?
- How do I take VSL#3™?
- Are there any foods I should avoid while taking VSL#3™?
- How much VSL#3™ should I take?
- Are there any ill-effects associated with taking VSL#3™?
- What if I experience bloating symptoms?
- How long does VSL#3™ take to work?
- How long can I take VSL#3™?
- Is VSL#3™ safe for children?
- Can I take VSL#3™ while on antibiotics?
- Can I take VSL#3™ if I have intolerance to dairy products?
- Does VSL#3™ contain gluten?
- Can I take VSL#3™ if I am allergic to casein (a milk protein) or soy protein?
- Is VSL#3™ Kosher and halal-certified?
- What time of day is best to take VSL#3™?
- How long can I keep VSL#3™?
- Is it better to freeze VSL#3™?
- How do I open VSL#3™?
1. How is VSL#3™ different from other probiotic therapies?
VSL#3™ is a patented preparation of live freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria. VSL#3™ is different from other probiotic therapies in the very high concentration of bacteria and the mixture of eight different bacterial species.
Back to the top2. How do I take VSL#3™?
We recommend VSL#3™ be added to yoghurt, fruit juice, milk, water or a flavoured drink.
VSL#3™ must be consumed as soon as possible after it has been mixed. It is also important NOT to mix VSL#3™ with any food/liquid that is warmer than room temperature (i.e. hot tea, soup, etc.) or with a carbonated drink.
It is fine to prepare VSL#3™ with food/water that is at room temperature (25°C).
Back to the top3. Are there any foods I should avoid while taking VSL#3™?
VSL#3™ is generally compatible with most foods.
Back to the top4. How much VSL#3™ should I take?
The amount can vary from person to person.
A serve of half a sachet a day may be appropriate if you are not eating a well-balanced diet or if you are travelling. The open sachet can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours if re-sealed with a rubber band.
One to two sachets per day are used in most of the scientific studies with VSL#3™.
If you have questions on how much VSL#3™ you should take, please discuss this with your doctor.
Back to the top5. Are there any ill-effects associated with taking VSL#3™?
Ill-effects are rarely reported and generally consist of flatulence, bloating or a change in bowel habit. The golden rule to avoid the occurrence of possible ill-effects is to adhere to a specific serve per day.
Probiotics are however not recommended in immunocompromised people. If you are undergoing chemotherapy or taking medication that lower your immune system, consult your doctor before taking VSL#3™.
Back to the top6. What if I experience bloating symptoms?
Bloating can occur during the first few days after starting VSL#3™. This is usually transient and most likely due to the changing intestinal microflora. If you experience bloating, you may need to reduce your daily intake of VSL#3™ for a few days to allow for this adjustment.
Back to the top7. How long does VSL#3™ take to work?
This will vary for each individual. In some cases, changes can be found within a few days. In general, results can be expected within two to three weeks of using VSL#3™.
After you stop using VSL#3™, the good bacteria from VSL#3™ are lost in approximately two to three weeks.
Back to the top8. How long can I take VSL#3™?
VSL#3™ may be taken every day for as long as necessary.
Back to the top9. Is VSL#3™ safe for children?
A significant number of scientific studies with various probiotic bacteria have been performed in children and none of them has reported any significant ill-effects potentially related to probiotic use. It is reasonable to consider VSL#3™ to be safe for children.
Back to the top10. Can I take VSL#3™ while on antibiotics?
If you take VSL#3™ with antibiotics, it will not harm you but the effects of VSL#3™ may be reduced since the antibiotics may inactivate the bacteria in VSL#3™.
Back to the top11. Can I take VSL#3™ if I have an intolerance to dairy products?
Yes. VSL#3™ contains 4 strains of lactobacilli and 1 strain of streptococcus, all of which produce lactase, the enzyme that lactose-intolerant people are deficient in.
Back to the top12. Does VSL#3 contain gluten?
VSL#3 does not contain any trace of the listed allergens (soy, gluten or milk in any form).
Back to the top13. Can I take VSL#3 if I am allergic to casein (a milk protein) or soy protein?
Although the broth used to grow bacteria in VSL#3 contains digested milk protein and digested soy protein, the amount of casein and soy proteins and peptides in VSL#3 is expected to be extremely low due to digestion of the protein to peptides, consumption of the peptides by the bacteria, and separation of the broth from the bacteria before freeze-drying. Although the broth does not test positive for casein, there could be casein or reactive casein peptides present in extremely small amounts.
Back to the top14. Is VSL#3 Kosher and halal-certified?
Yes.
Back to the top15. What time of day is best to take VSL#3™?
VSL#3™ can be taken at any time during the day.
Back to the top16. How long can I keep VSL#3™?
After delivery, VSL#3™ should be stored in the refrigerator until used, and should be used by the “Best Before” date on the carton.
Back to the top17. Is it better to freeze VSL#3™?
No, refrigeration is best.
Back to the top18. How do I open VSL#3™?
Each sachet is tightly sealed to prevent air contamination. The easiest way to open a VSL#3™ sachet is to carefully cut along the corner of the sachet with a pair of scissors.
Back to the top450 billion
VSL#3™ contains 450 billion colony forming units (CFU) of lactic acid bacteria per sachet, compared with most currently available probiotic preparations, which contain smaller concentrations of live bacteria.
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