lassesen 12:55 am on June 15, 2015  

Vivomixx Probiotic – A review

Update – Feb 2016

A reader raised the issue if Vivomixx and VSL#3 are actually the same. She was unable to clarify this via Mr. Google. On VSL#3, see this 2017 review — it does not have any evidence of being beneficial for CFS/FM/Etc.

According to this site VSL#3 was renamed Vivomixx in New Zealand.

Vivomixx Clinical Trial NCT02508844Vivomixx Clinical Trial NCT02508844

Vivomixx® 112.5 Billion CFU / Capsule

  • Bifidobacterium breve,
  • Bifidobacterium longum,
  • Bifidobacterium infantis,
  • Lactobacillus acidophilus,
  • Lactobacillus plantarum,
  • Lactobacillus paracasei,
  • Lactobacillus bulgaricus and
  • Streptococcus thermophilus

According to the VSL#3 site. 8 strains of live freeze dried bacteria [112.5 billion CFU] containing

  • Bifidobacterium breve,
  • Bifidobacterium longum,
  • Bifidobacterium infantis,
  • Lactobacillus acidophilus,
  • Lactobacillus plantarum,
  • Lactobacillus paracasei,
  • Lactobacillus bulgaricus and
  • Streptococcus thermophilus.

They are the same product under two different names.

Original

A user asked about a specific (expensive) probiotic for histamine issues. It is produce in Switzerland and thus available to European readers, in the US it appears to be called VSL#3.
http://www.vivomixx.eu/eng/what-is-vivomixx.htm

What I am going to do for this review is to decompose this blend into it parts, then research each part.

First, on the good side — the specific strains are listed (if specific strains are not listed, then probiotics are usually high risk and should be avoided until there are studies for the actual product!)

Query #1:

  • Are there any pubmed studies for this specific brand product? The answer is NO.
    Screen Shot 2015-06-14 at 5.23.50 PM
  • Decompose into strains in a table
Strain Pubmed for Histamine
Streptococcus thermophilus DSM 24731,
  • nothing for strain.
  • “a total of 69 Streptococcus thermophilus strains screened, two strains, CHCC1524 and CHCC6483, showed the capacity to produce histamine.” [2010] – likely neutral.
bifidobacteria (B. breve DSM 24732,
  • nothing for strain
  • nothing for species
B. longum DSM 24736,
  • nothing for strain
  • nothing for species
B. infantis DSM 24737
  • nothing for strain
  • nothing for species
Lactobacilli acidophilus DSM 24735,
  • nothing for strain
  • nothing clear for species
L. plantarum DSM 24730,
  • nothing for strain
  • “Lactobacillus plantarum Tensia did not produce potentially harmful biogenic amines, such as histamine”[2012]
  • Appears to be histamine neutral
L. paracasei DSM 24733,
  • nothing for strain
  • Suggestion that some of the species may produce histamine [2011]
L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus DSM 24734
  • nothing for strain
  • nothing for species

Addendum

VSL#3, the alternative name has a variety of benefits for: Pouchitis, Ulcerative colitis, IBS and Allergy

Bottom line

Nothing suggests that it would produce histamines. Alternatively there is no public published peer-reviewed information on PubMed suggesting any positive impact from any of the strains. Recommendation — you are paying to toss some dice with a real possibility of zero benefit. See https://cfsremission.wordpress.com/2016/07/10/first-survey-results-on-probiotics/ for experience. I will add this in the next survey list.

Post Script

A reader pointed out that Vivomixx is also known as VSL #3.  This lead to just one article being found:

  • “Oral therapeutic administration of VSL#3 to ST-sensitized mice significantly reduces symptom score and histamine release in the faeces following allergen challenge, as well as specific IgE response.” [2011]