The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7314 p288
28 August 2004

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· Retention fee
· Personal control
· Shipman inquiry
· BNF-C
· TCM
· Counselling
· Publishing board
· Overseas membership
· Brewers' yeast
· Bullying

Letters to the Editor

Brewers' yeast

More research warranted

From Mr J. D. Barthram, MRPharmS

Further research into the efficacy of brewers’ yeast is warranted. I started a clinical trial in 1997 with the help of D. Hill and I. K. Hosein of the department of microbiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish it because of a change in employment. I published the findings in The Pharmaceutical Journal (PJ, 6 September 1997, p371) and I was delighted that they are quoted again (PDF 65K) after seven years (PJ, 14 August, p230).

I would like to add some details from the original research which may answer some of the authors’ questions. I agree that the dried yeast in brewers’ yeast tablets is non-viable. This was tested by the microbiology department. However, whole yeast cells were found in the tablets under electron microscopy and fermentation activity was still present. Hence it is still possible that if brewers’ yeast has a beneficial effect in the treatment of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea it is not just as a vitamin B supplement.

In our research project, adding brewers’ yeast tablets to vancomycin or metronidazole therapy reduced the relapse rate from 56 per cent to 17 per cent. This should serve as a challenge to pharmacists working in an environment where Clostridium difficile infection is common and I would be only too pleased to give whatever help I can.

Julian Barthram
Chepstow, Gwent

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