Harmony Prebiotic - Food for the Friendly Bacteria

异麦芽低 聚糖 （Isomalto-oligosaccharide）

Inroduction
Isomalto-oligosaccharide promotes the growth of bifidobacterium genus in human body. It’s water-soluble, low caloric value and anti-caries properties make it commonly used as functional oligosaccharide.

Main Functions:
• Improves constipation and diarrhea
When the Isomalto-oligosaccharide is ingested, friendly bacteria in the body will increase in quantity by 10-1000 times. At the same time it produces short chain fatty acids such as acetic acid and lactic acids, forming a slight acidic environment for normal intestinal function while controlling the production and growth of external bacteria or bacteria from putrefaction process in the intestine. This reduces the growth and accumulation of toxin in intestines, improves bowel movement, cleans up waste materials in the bowel, prevent and improve constipation, diarrhea and hemorrhoids.
• Lowers Blood Pressure and Blood Lipids Level
The Harmony Prebiotic is made of quality water-soluble fiber. It can effectively lower serum cholesterol, triglycerides, free-radical in the blood. It is especially suitable for improving problems such as high-blood-pressure due to high lipids in the blood, arteriosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.
• Protects liver
When the bifidobacterium consume the Harmony Prebiotic, it can control the activities of putrefaction process by harmful bacteria, reduce production of toxin from the harmful bacteria’s metabolism, eliminate the toxin speedily, and thus reduce the stress on liver and protect liver’s function. All these resulted in effective prevention of chronic diseases, cancer and etc.
• Detoxification and beauty
The Harmony Prebiotic is able to prevent and improve skin problems such as pimples, pigmentation, freckles, acnes due to toxicity in body, resulting in glowing skin and slow down skin aging.
• Promotes formation of vitamins
Harmony Prebiotic promotes natural formation of vitamin B-complex and folic acid, increase metabolism, strengthen immune system and increase resistance to disease
• Promotes assimilation of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc
Harmony Prebiotic promotes assimilation of calcium, magnesium, zinc and other minerals as well as protein from food. It improves indigestion and promotes growth and prevents osteoporosis.
• Prevents obesity and high blood sugar
Harmony Prebiotic will not be digestion by hydrochloric acids and digestive enzymes in gastrointestinal tract, and it will not be absorbed by the body. There is no fattening effect after ingested. The sweet taste will not affect metabolism of sugar and lipid, hence it is the best health product for diabetic patients and obese people.
• Anti-cariogenic (prevents tooth decay)
Harmony Prebiotic will not be utilized by microorganism such as Streptococus mutant in the oral system, thus it has the effect of anti-caries.

Suitable for those who have:
• Constipation, diarrhea, indigestion
• Imbalance micro-flora in the bowel due to antibiotic
• Pregnant ladies, lactation mothers, children who have stomach upset
• Children with calcium deficiency, nutrient deficiency, choosy eating habit or slow development
• Those with bad breath, dull skin, pimples, and lots of skin pigmentation
• Cancer patient receiving radioactive or chemotherapy treatment, major diseases, weakness after long-term disease.
• Those who have diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, arteriosclerosis, caries problem.

Serving suggestion
Serve method: can be mixed with warm water, or add to any liquid food. Best eaten with empty stomach, both in the morning and evening.
Serve quantity: for health maintenance – 9g/day, for healing – 18g-27g/day
Quantity varies for each person, watch out for the texture of stools, best guideline is to achieve smooth defecation and soft stools.

Extras:
Baby >1yr, ½ tsp, 4 servings a day
Adult with bowel movement problem, 40g a day for 3 months
Adult who eat lots of fruit, 30g a day
Helps hemorrhoids -> poor bowel movement cause vein under pressure and expand or if serious, protrude out from skin. Prebiotic improves bowel movement, removes the pressure and let veins slowly recover its flexibility and heal hemorrhoids.

Omega-3 - the Essential Fatty Acids

Recently I read an article from Victoria Boutenko about greens and omega-3, and I found the answer to why Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) are important yet when over-consuming oily stuffs, we can have lots of health problems including diabetes. All these are about the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 consumption and the state of the EFA (fresh or rancid).

While I was taking my Holistic Nutrition many years ago, I was taught that we must make sure the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 is balanced. If the ratio is off-balance, we will have many problems to our health, mentally and physically in addition to the ability to handle pain. But the course was not thorough enough (or may be the research was not published yet...?) about the reason behind it.

In our modern society, there are many sources of EFA-rich food, such as almond nuts, walnut, sesame seeds, olive oil etc. However, their amount of omega-3 is less than Omega-6. If we only consume these products we might end up eating more omega-6 than we need and still lack of Omega-3.

I had a friend asked me once, where should we get more of the omega-3 from food other than fish/fish oil (even fishes from fish farms are being fed grain which are rich in omega-6). I had only one answer that time -- Flaxseed/flaxseed oil. But I usually received the same response: the flaxseed has less-than-pleasant-taste plus it gone rancid easily and flaxseed oil was not easily available that time.

Now, we know there are have more omega-3 rich food easily available to us -- Greens and chia seeds. Greens are easily available from any market, and chia seeds are getting more popular and easily available now. Try to include more raw greens in our diet by blending green smoothies everyday (read http://footprint-of-life.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-fav-green-smoothies.html for some tips of making green smoothie). In addition, you can add chia seeds to your drinking water to let it soaked and consume all day (read http://footprint-of-life.blogspot.com/2010/08/chia-seeds-superfood.html for the benefits of chia). Its easy and convenient to have more healthy omega-3 in our life now.

The benefits of increasing your omega-3 intake included but not limited to:
* reduce cholesterol level in blood
* lower high blood pressure
* increase physical agility
* improve mental clarity
* improve depression, anxiety and mood disorders
* prevent obesity and diabetes and etc

Well, you can still consume nuts and seeds (including the tasty almond milk!!). Just need to remember moderate is the key to health, and try to balance out with more chia seeds and greens that are rich in Omega-3 and you will do fine!


More info from Victoria Boutenko's at http://www.rawfamily.com/newsletters/green-for-life-2nd-edition

Harmony Prebiotic - Food for the Friendly Bacteria

异麦芽低 聚糖 （Isomalto-oligosaccharide）

简 介
异麦芽低聚糖又称分歧低聚糖，由于其可促使人体内的双歧杆菌显著增殖，具水溶性膳食纤维功能，热值低、防龋齿等特性，所以是种应用 广泛的功能性低聚糖。

功能主治

　双向调节便秘和腹泻：
人体摄入本品后，体内有益菌菌群双歧杆菌数量可增值10-100倍，同时产生醋酸 乳酸等短链脂肪酸，形成肠道正常工作的弱酸环境，抑制外源致病菌和肠内固有腐败细菌的生长繁殖，减少肠内腐败物质的生长和积累，促进肠道蠕动，清除肠道垃 圾，防止和改善便秘、腹泻和痔疮。
　降低血脂、血压：
本品作为一种优良的水溶性膳 食纤维，能有效降低血清胆固醇、甘油三酯、游离脂肪酸的数量，对于因血脂高而引起的高血压、动脉硬化等一系列心血管疾病有较好的改善作用。
　保护肝脏：
双歧杆菌吸收本品后迅速增值，抑制腐败细菌发生作用，减少毒性代谢物的生成，并迅速将其排出体外，减轻肝脏负担，起到保护肝脏的作用，预防各种慢性病、癌症等作用明显。
　排毒养颜：
它可有效预防和改善由于体内毒素而引起的面疮、黑斑、雀斑、青春痘、老年斑，使皮肤亮丽，老化减缓。
促进维生素的合成：
它可有效促进b族维生素及叶酸的自然形成，提高机体新陈代谢水平，增强免疫力和抗病力。
促进钙、镁、锌等矿物质吸收：
它可促进食物中钙、镁、锌等矿物质及蛋白质的吸收，改善营养不良，促进发育及预防骨质 疏松症。
防止肥胖和血糖升高：
它极少会被消化道中的胃酸和酶分解，极难被人体吸 收。摄入后，不会引起肥胖，有甜味且对糖和脂类代谢无影响，是糖尿病人、肥胖者最理想的健康食品之一。
防止龋齿:
它不被突变链球菌等口腔微生物利用，具有防龋齿功效。

适合人群
*功能性便秘、腹泻，消化不良者
*因服用抗生素引起 的肠道菌群失调者
*孕产妇、哺乳期妇女、儿童肠胃不适者
*缺钙、营养不良、偏食、发育迟缓的儿童
*口臭、面无光泽、暗疮、黑褐斑多者
*癌症放化疗及大病、久病后体质虚弱者
*糖尿病、高血压、肥胖症、动脉硬化、龋 齿患者。

食用方法及食用量
*食用方法：本品可以温开水冲服，也可放入流质食物中。早晚空腹食用效果更佳。
*食用量:保健用量9克/日，功能用量18克-27克 /日。由于每人体质条件不同，具体用量以排便通畅，粪便松软为好。

Probiotic - the friendly bacteria

Question:
What is friendly bacteria?

Answer:
friendly bacteria is uni-cell microorganism resides in the digestive tract, vaginal and urinary tract that helps in digestion, assimilation and metabolism. They can exist individually, in pairs or in short-chain. Friendly bacteria competes with harmful bacteria for nutrients and space in the digestive system, hence it can be the first defense barrier against diseases for human body.


Question:
What types of friendly bacteria are there in human's gut?

Answer:
Most of the friendly bacteria in human’s digestive system are Lactobacillus genus and Bifidobacterium genus. Lactobacillus usually resides and moves around in intestines and stomach. Most commonly found species are acidophilus species and bulgaricus species.

Bifidobacterium genus mostly resides and moves around in colon. Most commonly found species are bifidum species and infantis species.

Lactobacillus genus converts lactose to lactic acid that plays a role as the disinfectant of digestive system and helps in assimilation of calcium and phosphorus from the milk products.

Bifidobacterium genus competes with harmful bacteria for nutrients and space. It provides an acidic environment that are not conducive to the harmful bacteria by producing acetic acids and lactic acid.


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