Gastrointestinal Health
Gastrointestinal health is one of the biggest concerns of our customers. Consequently, we offer a number of products designed to support the health of the colon and GI tract with each supplement specially formulated for a specific role. In this article, we will review the purpose behind some of our most popular GI products and how each can be used to achieve optimal gastrointestinal health.
GI Cell Support
GI Cell Support is used in order to take a proactive stance in ensuring the GI tract remains strong as well as by individuals who need to strengthen their intestinal tract due to intestinal concerns. Fortifying the GI tract enhances the ability for nutrients from food and supplements to be most optimally absorbed—without optimal health in the GI tract there cannot be true wellness elsewhere. GI Cell Support is formulated to help with these goals as well as to control leaky gut syndrome, where undigested small particles of food pass through the colon wall and cause systemic symptoms throughout the body. The symptoms of leaky gut syndrome range from subtle to severe depending on breach of the integrity of the intestinal natural defenses. Individuals with leaky gut syndrome can experience one or more of these symptoms: abdominal pain, anxiousness, asthma, chronic joint pain, chronic muscle pain, confusion, fuzzy or foggy thinking, gas, indigestion, mood swings, poor immunity, recurrent infections, skin rashes, diarrhea, poor memory, constipation, bloating, fatigue and feeling toxic or hung-over.
The combination of botanicals and nutrients found in GI Cell Support help with daily repair of the GI tract and also help soothe colonic irritation. Included in the formula is the amino acid glutamine, essential for maintaining intestinal structure and which serves as metabolic fuel for enterocytes that line the colon and affect cell proliferation.1 The GI tract has the largest demand for glutamine in the body.2 Insufficient glutamine can present with atrophy, ulceration and necrosis of the colon lining. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), also found in GI Cell Support, has been studied for its effects on upper GI health; Colon health is directly dependent upon the proper functioning of the entire GI tract.3-4 In the clinical setting it has demonstrated great utility in lessening intestinal irritation and related symptoms. Other GI-soothing substances in GI Cell Support include:
- N-acetyl glucosamine, found to be deficient in people with inflammatory bowel concerns, possibly reducing the synthesis of the gastric and intestinal mucosa’s protective glycoprotein cover.5
- Marshmallow leaf and root, which contain mucilage polysaccharides that soothe and protect mucous membranes from local irritation by creating a protective layer.6-7
- Berberine, which helps control inflammation in the GI tract by selectively inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression and blocking the proinflammatory cytokines.8
- Cabbage, known for its ability to soothe the GI tract.9
- Slippery Elm, which triggers gentle stimulation of nerve endings in the GI tract, leading to mucous secretion that coats and protects the delicate lining of the intestines from ulcers, excess acidity, ingested irritants and toxins.10-12
- Phosphatidylcholine (PC), low levels of which in colonic mucus have been linked to the development of specific inflammatory GI concerns.13
- Gamma Oryzanol, highly regarded in Japan to promote a healthy gastrointestinal environment and for its ability to inhibit excess gastric acid secretion.14
Digestive Enzymes
Deficiencies of digestive enzymes—amylase, lactase, lipase, cellulase and neutral protease—can wreak havoc on the digestive tract, causing bloating, flatulence and gastrointestinal discomfort. Without proper supplies of these enzymes, the body struggles to digest the high-fat or high-starch meals. Taken with meals, digestive enzymes can be helpful for those times when we can’t avoid unhealthy food or for when we give in to the temptation to have that sugary dessert.
Each enzyme has a role to play that ultimately can help the body better absorb nutrients from food and supplements. Amylase, an enzyme that helps the body digest starch, is integral to the breakdown of refined carbohydrates, potatoes and other starchy foods. Protease breaks down the peptide bonds that join the amino acids in a protein, ensuring the amino acids are readily available to the body. The enzyme lipase splits apart emulsified fats. Lactase digests milk sugar, while cellulase helps break down plant and vegetable matter.15-20 These vegetarian enzymes (provided in a vegetarian capsule) are generally better tolerated than animal-source enzymes, and they work over a broader range in the intestinal tract.
GastricAid®
Hydrochloric acid (HCL) is an important part of healthy digestion. Although indigestion is often mislabeled as too much HCL in the stomach, in reality, it is often caused by low HCL. Furthermore, activation of digestive enzymes and absorption of nutrients relies on an acidic pH in the stomach. Low stomach acid also predisposes individuals to H. pylori, a gram-negative bacterium commonly found in the stomach of individuals with gastritis and ulcers. This bacterium colonizes the mucosal lining of the stomach and has been linked to atrophic gastritis, dyspepsia, gastric and duodenal ulcers, iron-deficiency anemia, gastric mutations, and B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT).
Evidence in a clinical setting suggests that improvement of HCL levels and decreased gastric pH may improve gastrointestinal symptoms and decrease disease risk. Alternative medical providers often prescribe supplemental betaine HCL in cases of hypochlorhydria and related conditions. Combining HCL with pepsin (as in GastricAid) may improve digestion of protein as well.
GastricAid contains an effective level of HCL bound to Betaine, which also supports bile-release, methylation and detoxification. Pepsin is added to further support protein digestion, while B1, B6 and zinc support HCL production. Once called vitamin U, the active ingredient in cabbage, and Gamma oryzanol nurture the stomach mucosa. Fucoidin can prevent H. pylori from adhering to the stomach cells and inhibits colonization by other microorganisms.21-22
Lectin Lock™
Lectin Lock is for people who want to protect themselves against the damaging effects of lectins, proteins found in common foods especially grains, seeds, beans, nuts, dairy, chicken, seafood and some fruits and vegetables including corn, peas, bananas, beans and legumes, soy, potatoes, pomegranate and cantaloupe. Because our diets tend to be less than optimal around the holidays, this is a particularly useful supplement to consume at this time of year as well as all year long for ongoing support.
Lectins can have a wide range of negative effects on the body. Lectins damage the delicate intestinal lining and negatively influence gut permeability (leaky gut) and protein digestion. Lectins contribute to food intolerances and may provoke the immune system to make antibodies against them. Lectins are chemical messengers potent enough to initiate and aggravate existing inflammatory conditions including autoimmune diseases ( e.g. thyroiditis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and fibromyalgia). Lectins affect metabolism by mimicking hormones like insulin and blocking digestive hormones like cholecystokinin (CCK), contributing to significant weight gain. Lectins stimulate polyamines in the gut, which decreases the natural killer cell population and contribute to halitosis (bad-breath).23
Many common day-to-day health problems are related to the foods we consume, although people often don’t make the connection between how they feel and what they ate because often the reaction to food is not immediate and may appear over the course of several days. Lectins contribute to food sensitivities (or food intolerances) and may provoke the immune system to make antibodies against them.
Lectin Lock contains natural substances known to block the effects of lectins. For example, it contains the digestive gatekeepers known as mucins, which protectively line the digestive tract. Mucins protect against yeast, bacteria and food sensitivities and have lectin-binding capacity. N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) also is included in the formula because it binds the disruptive wheat lectin called wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and stops WGA from suppressing secretin, a digestive hormone that stimulates the pancreas to secrete pancreatic juice.24 Other lectin-binding ingredients in Lectin Lock include Okra, D-mannose, and sodium alginate and bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus), a seaweed component that contains “fucoidins,” which are capable of binding to lectins and also microorganisms such as H. pylori and yeast such as Candida albicans.24-30
In addition, the ingredients in Lectin Lock encourage healthy bowel flora. Supplementing your diet with these ingredients also is a key component in achieving weight loss goals. As a general rule, lectins that bind D-mannose or N-acetylglucosamine increase the ability to store fat and decrease fat burning, while lectins that bind with fucose (bladderwrack) tend to reduce fat burning.
BioPRO™
This probiotic/prebiotic supplement replenishes the “friendly flora” in the intestinal tract, levels of which can be depleted by antibiotics, toxins in the food supply and eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates. BioPRO provides a foundation for optimal intestinal health. Optimal levels of gut bacteria have been associated with not only improved colon health and intestinal regularity but also enhanced immunity. Additionally, improving the health of the gut can also improve emotional well-being. The absence of probiotic bacteria in the gut has been shown to affect the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and monoaminergic activity, features implicated in the origins of poor emotional health.31
References
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3. van Marle J, Aarsen PN, Lind A, van Weeren-Kramer J. Deglycyrrhizinised liquorice (DGL) and the renewal of rat stomach epithelium. Eur J Pharmacol. 1981;72:219-25.
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23. Pierini Carolyn M. Lectins: Their Damaging Role in Intestinal Health, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Weight Loss. Vitamin Research News. 2007;21(1):1-4. Available at www.vrp.com.
24. Mikkat U, Damm I, Schroder G, Schmidt K, Wirth C, Weber H, Jones L. Effect of the Lectin Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) and Ulex europaeus Agglutinin (UEA-1) on the alpha-amylase secretion of rat pancreas in vitro and in vivo. Pancreas 1998 May; 16(4): 529-38.
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