Probiotic yogurt -- Cascade Fresh similar to VSL#3?

Hi all,

My husband was diagnosed with Crohn's colitis about a year ago, and we've had an interesting journey through various medications and diet attempts. I have a degree in chemistry, so I've been spending a lot of time on PubMed looking at all the research -- I'm particularly interested in the scientific evidence for "alternative" therapies, including probiotics and prebiotics.

Anyway, enough of the background. Hubby has noticed that he feels a little better when he has yogurt, and I've been mainly buying the Cascade Fresh Active8 stuff at Henry's. I was researching it a bit more today, and it looks like its probiotic content is very similar to VSL#3 (which he hasn't tried yet).

According to their website, a 6 oz. serving of Cascade Fresh yogurt has about 920 billion total cfu's and includes lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus rhamnosis, lactobacillus casei, lactobacillus bulgaricus, bifidobacterium bifidum, bifidobacterium longum, bifidobacterium infantis, and stretococcus thermophilus.

A packet of VSL#3 has 450 billion cfu, including four strains of lactobacilli (acidophilus, bulgaricus, casei, plantarum), three strains of bifidobacteria (breve, infantis, longum), and Streptococcus thermophilus.

It seems like the yogurt would be a much more economical/yummy way to get all those good bacteria... what do you think? Has anyone else tried this brand?

Your yogurt sounds great! A yummy snack and probiotics to boot. My doc told me that any plain organic yogurt is fine as long as there is no sugar added. I also use Mega Food High Active enzymes because anything that replaces the enzymes lacking in our food and causes digestion to occur more efficiently creates less stress on my body.

I have been using VSL#3 for over a year and found it very good, I cant say it was any better than yoghurt because I've never been able to tolerate it. BUT I'm not sure I would recommend it now; since last november it just seemed to stop working, it was at the same time as they changed the packaging and i wonder if the formula has changed as well. Anyway my feeling is if you like yoghurt, go for it.

Good timing. I was inspired by your post and have been using yogurt (Stonyfield Farms, non-fat, plain) for my current flare. As my veggies options are limited, I found this economical option (free shipment for over $25) that includes greens/fruits too, all in an easily digested powdered form and has most of the VSL #3 bacteria and is much cheaper. http://www.pharmaca.com/products/new-chapter-berry-green-1

From the same site, I ordered RevitalX which helps with intestinal healing ... it helped put me in remission before I think at least ... trying it again. The FDA approved an idential product called InflamX by Metrogentics if you want to google that product. RevitalX isn't FDA approved to reduce intestinal inflamation like InflamX is, but it is cheaper and pretty close for me! Both are avaliabe by Pharmaca.

I've also added New Chapter food grade vitamins and then also a fish oil product generic product from a local grocery story ... freaking out if it contains PCB (ie were the fish farmed rather than wild or is this filtered out?) but my pocket book is tapped out with the above purchases already.

To health and good discussion. And to Artist Guy's Papaya tip!

I've been on Imuran for 3 weeks too ... I was on 6MP before and it really took 6 weeks to kick in but really supressed my fever and D. I feel a big difference in abdominal pain and I don't know if it is due to what I am eating, the Imuran or the Pred. I do have more join pain and nose/scalp ulcers so I'm waiting for the Imuran to kick in as I titrate down from the Prednisone ... I'm paring down 5mg each week ... 45mg and counting! Let's check in with each other and see who gets there first! What does of pred did you start at and when? I started on IV on Jan 1 and then 60 mg on Jan 3 when released from hospital ....