↗ public sourceswww.abvista.com/products/vistacell· 5 studies, 5 independent/mixed
Evidence · moderate
The active substance is backed by 5 studies including meta-analyses; the verdict per claim below reflects what the literature actually shows, not the brochure. Strength reflects the active substance, not the brand.
What the manufacturer claims
Free
Captured from the product page, typed and attributed — the producer’s own statements, checked against the literature below.
Physiological
Improves and stabilises the gut/rumen microflora and increases the presence of beneficial bacteria.
Physiological
Improves nutrient composition in sow milk.
Performance
Improves animal performance (intake, milk yield and efficiency).
Physiological
Stabilises rumen function and lowers the risk of (sub-acute) acidosis.
Manufacturer’s own words — not independently verified. The ledger below gives the evidence verdict for each.
Claim ↔ evidence ledger
Verdict free · receipts in Power
Each claim against the studies on the active substance, with the funding split. Open a row for the studies behind the verdict.
Claim
Verdict
Evidence & funding
PhysiologicalImproves and stabilises the gut/rumen microflora and increases the presence of benef…
Supported
2 studies · 50% indep
›
Read Rumen-stabilising effects (higher pH and VFA, lower lactic acid, microbiota shifts) are meta-analytically supported, strongest on high-concentrate diets.
2009
Meta-analysis of the influence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation on ruminal parameters and milk production of ruminantsAcross 110 papers / 376 treatments: rumen pH +0.03, rumen VFA +2.17 mM, lactic acid −0.9 mM (tendency), OM digestibility +0.8%, DMI +0.44 g/kg BW, milk yield +1.2 g/kg BW, milk fat +0.05% (tendency); no effect on milk protein.
Meta-analysis of the effect of feeding live yeast (S. cerevisiae) on feeding behaviour, lactation performance, rumen fermentation and rumen microbiota in dairy cattleMost studies reported positive effects of live yeast on feed intake (36%), lactation performance (52%), rumen fermentation (52%) and rumen microbiota (40%); a minority (4–12%) reported negative effects.
PhysiologicalImproves nutrient composition in sow milk.
Not addressed
no study
›
The sow-milk-composition claim is not addressed by the ruminant literature retrieved — a gap; sow-specific evidence would be needed.
PerformanceImproves animal performance (intake, milk yield and efficiency).
Mixed
2 studies · 67% indep
›
Read Milk-yield gains are real but small (+1.2 g/kg BW, ≈0.5–1 kg/d) and heterogeneous; milk protein is unaffected; live yeast and yeast culture are often conflated.
2022
Meta-analytic effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on dry matter intake, milk yield and components of lactating goatsLive S. cerevisiae raised goat milk yield (SMD +1.46; 95% CI 0.96–1.96) and milk fat (SMD +0.51); dead yeast had a negative effect on intake and yield.
A meta-analysis of the effects of feeding yeast culture (anaerobic fermentation of S. cerevisiae) on milk production of lactating dairy cows36 studies / 69 comparisons showed substantial heterogeneity for milk yield, ECM, fat and protein yield; peer-reviewed studies were less heterogeneous than abstracts/technical reports. Notes that 'live yeast' and 'yeast culture' are often conflated.
PhysiologicalStabilises rumen function and lowers the risk of (sub-acute) acidosis.
Mixed
1 study · 50% indep
›
Read Higher rumen pH and lower lactic acid support acidosis-risk mitigation, particularly in high-concentrate diets; the effect on individual cows is variable.
2024
Effects of live S. cerevisiae yeast administration in periparturient dairy cows4 g/day live yeast from −21 to +56 d: greater milk yield in the last three weeks and lower reactive oxygen metabolites, but no change in dry matter intake or milk components.
Bottom line. Live yeast's rumen-stabilising actions — higher rumen pH and VFA, lower lactic acid, better fibre/OM digestion — are supported by meta-analysis, and are largest in high-concentrate (acidosis-risk) diets.
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Composition
Free
● Disclosed by manufacturer
live Saccharomyces cerevisiae (viable cells) — expressed in CFU/glive yeast
Why these studies The evidence for a proprietary product is the evidence for its active substance. These are the studies (meta-analyses first) behind the verdicts above, with funding labelled.
Year
Study & effect size
Funding
Type
Access
2009
Meta-analysis of the influence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation on ruminal parameters and milk production of ruminantsAcross 110 papers / 376 treatments: rumen pH +0.03, rumen VFA +2.17 mM, lactic acid −0.9 mM (tendency), OM digestibility +0.8%, DMI +0.44 g/kg BW, milk yield +1.2 g/kg BW, milk fat +0.05% (tendency); no effect on milk protein.
Meta-analytic effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on dry matter intake, milk yield and components of lactating goatsLive S. cerevisiae raised goat milk yield (SMD +1.46; 95% CI 0.96–1.96) and milk fat (SMD +0.51); dead yeast had a negative effect on intake and yield.
Meta-analysis of the effect of feeding live yeast (S. cerevisiae) on feeding behaviour, lactation performance, rumen fermentation and rumen microbiota in dairy cattleMost studies reported positive effects of live yeast on feed intake (36%), lactation performance (52%), rumen fermentation (52%) and rumen microbiota (40%); a minority (4–12%) reported negative effects.
A meta-analysis of the effects of feeding yeast culture (anaerobic fermentation of S. cerevisiae) on milk production of lactating dairy cows36 studies / 69 comparisons showed substantial heterogeneity for milk yield, ECM, fat and protein yield; peer-reviewed studies were less heterogeneous than abstracts/technical reports. Notes that 'live yeast' and 'yeast culture' are often conflated.
Effects of live S. cerevisiae yeast administration in periparturient dairy cows4 g/day live yeast from −21 to +56 d: greater milk yield in the last three weeks and lower reactive oxygen metabolites, but no change in dry matter intake or milk components.
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Analysis & tools
◆ Power
The working map a maker won’t give you — built only from the evidence on this page. Nothing here is marketing.
◆ Power view
Open the analyst workbench
Dose benchmark, the independent-vs-sponsored split, the pooled meta-analysis effects, the contradictions and the gaps — all derived from the studies above.
Pooled estimates from the systematic reviews/meta-analyses above — the closest thing to a settled answer.
Discussion — grounded in the evidence
Live yeast's rumen-stabilising actions — higher rumen pH and VFA, lower lactic acid, better fibre/OM digestion — are supported by meta-analysis, and are largest in high-concentrate (acidosis-risk) diets.
Milk-yield gains are real but modest (~+1.2 g/kg body weight, roughly 0.5–1 kg/day) and inconsistent; milk protein is not affected.
The live form matters: a goat meta-analysis found live yeast positive but dead yeast negative — and the literature often mislabels live yeast as yeast culture.
The sow-milk claim AB Vista makes is not covered by the ruminant evidence found — treat it as unverified.
S. cerevisiae is EFSA QPS-safe and authorised as a gut flora stabiliser; most trials use other strains, so Vistacell-specific magnitudes are not independently established.
Where studies disagree: Milk-production responses are highly heterogeneous between studies, and 'live yeast' is frequently conflated with 'yeast culture', inflating apparent effects. Some trials show no change in dry matter intake or milk components even when milk yield rises slightly.
Gaps: The sow-milk-composition claim is not evidenced in the retrieved (mostly ruminant) literature. Effects are strain- and dose-specific, but most published trials use other strains, so Vistacell-specific magnitudes are not independently established.
Manufacturer’s stated mechanism (their words): Live Saccharomyces cerevisiae acts in the rumen/gut: it scavenges oxygen and stimulates lactate-utilising and fibre-digesting bacteria, raising rumen pH and volatile fatty acids and reducing lactic-acid build-up — lowering the risk of (sub-acute) ruminal acidosis and improving fibre digestion. It modulates the microbiota rather than supplying a nutrient.
Compare & export
Put this beside alternatives on the same active substance (e.g. HMBi / other rumen-protected methionine), and take the data with you.
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