Condition

Traveler's Diarrhea

Traveler's diarrhea is a gut illness, usually caused by bacteria such as E. coli from contaminated food or water, that irritates the intestine and brings loose, frequent stools. The evidence is strongest for Saccharomyces boulardii, a probiotic yeast, and for oral rehydration salts, which replace lost fluids. Evidence for the rest is thinner: a small study of 90 people found colostrum eased abdominal pain, while berberine and charcoal remain limited.

Supplements studied: 1
Graded outcomes: 1
Trials: 2
People studied: 110

Evidence by supplement

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

1 supplement

Colostrum

Colostrum: outcomes studied for Traveler's Diarrhea
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Abdominal Pain Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect		90 people
	Diarrhea Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)		3 studies	130 people
Studies that measured diarrhea symptoms Lack of prophylactic efficacy of an enteric-coated bovine hyperimmune milk product against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli challenge administered during a standard mealJ Infect Dis · PMID 10558970 Treatment of severe diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum with oral bovine immunoglobulin concentrate in patients with AIDSJ Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol · PMID 8948373 Treatment of diarrhoea in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with immunoglobulins from bovine colostrumClin Investig · PMID 1392428
	Intestinal Parasites	Improves (the measure goes up)		2 studies	110 people
Studies that measured intestinal parasites Randomized control trials using a tablet formulation of hyperimmune bovine colostrum to prevent diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in volunteersScand J Gastroenterol · PMID 21526980 Protection by milk immunoglobulin concentrate against oral challenge with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coliN Engl J Med · PMID 3283555

Key findings

Abdominal PainColostrumImproves (the measure goes down)

The Traveler's Diarrhea Prevention and Treatment protocol

2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements

Saccharomyces boulardii250–500 mg (5–10 billion CFU) daily, starting before travel and continuing during trip
Lactobacillus GG10–20 billion CFU daily during travel

See the full protocol

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Studies cited

5 studies from PubMed

Treatment of diarrhoea in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with immunoglobulins from bovine colostrumClin Investig · PMID 1392428
Treatment of severe diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum with oral bovine immunoglobulin concentrate in patients with AIDSJ Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol · PMID 8948373
Lack of prophylactic efficacy of an enteric-coated bovine hyperimmune milk product against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli challenge administered during a standard mealJ Infect Dis · PMID 10558970
Protection by milk immunoglobulin concentrate against oral challenge with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coliN Engl J Med · PMID 3283555
Randomized control trials using a tablet formulation of hyperimmune bovine colostrum to prevent diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in volunteersScand J Gastroenterol · PMID 21526980