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
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| ||||||
| Intestinal Parasites | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2 studies | 110 people | |||
Studies that measured intestinal parasites | ||||||
Key findings
- Abdominal PainImproves (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
Shop the evidence-backed picks
The collection holds the supplements we grade A or B for its theme, in third-party tested products where the catalog has them. It opens in our Fullscript store. You can look through it without signing in; Fullscript asks for a free account to order.
We earn from purchases made in our Fullscript store, and links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Full disclosure
Studies cited
37 studies from PubMed
- Effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on immune variables in highly trained cyclists
- IGF-I, IgA, and IgG responses to bovine colostrum supplementation during training
- Effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on serum IGF-I, IgG, hormone, and saliva IgA during training
- Randomized control trials using a tablet formulation of hyperimmune bovine colostrum to prevent diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in volunteers
- Protection by milk immunoglobulin concentrate against oral challenge with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli
- Dose effects of oral bovine colostrum on physical work capacity in cyclists
- The influence of bovine colostrum supplementation on exercise performance in highly trained cyclists
- The nutriceutical bovine colostrum truncates the increase in gut permeability caused by heavy exercise in athletes
- Bovine colostrum supplementation during running training increases intestinal permeability
- Bovine colostrum supplementation during endurance running training improves recovery, but not performance
- Bovine colostrum supplementation's lack of effect on immune variables during short-term intense exercise in well-trained athletes
- Protein metabolism and strength performance after bovine colostrum supplementation
- The effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on body composition and exercise performance in active men and women
- Effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on the composition of resistance trained and untrained limbs in healthy young men
- Effect of bovine colostrum on anaerobic exercise performance and plasma insulin-like growth factor I
- The effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on exercise performance in elite field hockey players
- Oral bovine colostrum supplementation enhances buffer capacity but not rowing performance in elite female rowers
- Bovine colostrum supplementation does not affect plasma buffer capacity or haemoglobin content in elite female rowers
- The effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on salivary IgA in distance runners
- Effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on respiratory tract mucosal defenses in swimmers
- Modulation of human humoral immune response through orally administered bovine colostrum
- Effect of a mixture of micronutrients, but not of bovine colostrum concentrate, on immune function parameters in healthy volunteers: a randomized placebo-controlled study
- A novel extract from bovine colostrum whey supports innate immune functions. II. Rapid changes in cellular immune function in humans
- Lack of prophylactic efficacy of an enteric-coated bovine hyperimmune milk product against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli challenge administered during a standard meal
- ColoPlus, a new product based on bovine colostrum, alleviates HIV-associated diarrhoea
- Effect of bovine colostrum-based food supplement in the treatment of HIV-associated diarrhea in Northern Uganda: a randomized controlled trial
- Treatment of severe diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum with oral bovine immunoglobulin concentrate in patients with AIDS
- Treatment of diarrhoea in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with immunoglobulins from bovine colostrum
- Intensification of antiretroviral therapy with raltegravir or addition of hyperimmune bovine colostrum in HIV-infected patients with suboptimal CD4+ T-cell response: a randomized controlled trial
- Randomised controlled trial of colostrum to improve intestinal function in patients with short bowel syndrome
- Health-promoting effects of bovine colostrum in Type 2 diabetic patients can reduce blood glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride and ketones
- The effect of bovine colostrum on viral upper respiratory tract infections in children with immunoglobulin A deficiency
- Concentrated bovine colostrum protein supplementation reduces the incidence of self-reported symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection in adult males
- Use of the 'nutriceutical', bovine colostrum, for the treatment of distal colitis: results from an initial study
- A pilot study: bovine colostrum supplementation and hormonal and autonomic responses to competitive cycling
- Co-administration of the health food supplement, bovine colostrum, reduces the acute non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced increase in intestinal permeability
- [Do colostrum tablets have a symptomatic effect on sore throat?]