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.


Translate from:
http://www.natrenasia.com/questions.asp

SIMILAC Infant Formula Over 50% Sugars

I have heard that most of the infant formulas in the market contain lots of sugar, but I didn't really dig on it to find out how much, nor did I expect that it would be more than 50%!

Similac, I used to think that being such highly recommended brand by pediatrician, should be better in nutritional quality than the others. I could never have been more wrong. While this is about Similac in America (not sure where our Similac is manufactured), but I don't think the formula will be much different for those Similac that we have here in Malaysia.

Every breastfeeding mothers out there, please keep up the good job in breastfeeding your baby, you are providing your child the best start in the world!

Below is the whole article from Mike Adam.
http://www.naturalnews.com/029863_Similac_infant_formula.html

*******************************************************
It's not the bugs in Similac that make me sick - let's recall the other ingredients (opinion)
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) It has been a few days since Abbott Laboratories, makers of Similac infant formula, issued a recall after discovering some of its products may have been contaminated with beetles (and beetle larvae). The mainstream media ran with this story and parents everywhere suddenly got concerned that their babies might be drinking beetle parts.

But are beetles really the scariest thing in Similac? Not by a long shot if you know anything about nutrition.

I purchased a 24-oz container of Similac Go & Grow soy-based formula, emblazoned with a cute teddy bear on the front label and positioned towards "9 to 24 months." It comes with the claim "balanced nutrition for older babies." But is it really balanced nutrition?

42.6% corn syrup solids
The very first ingredient, shown right on the label, is 42.6% CORN SYRUP SOLIDS.

I took a picture of the ingredients label so you can see it for yourself. Click here to see the pic: http://naturalnews.com/images/Similac-Label-Ingredients.jpg

Stop right there. Are they saying that Similac infant formula is 42.6% corn syrup solids? That's a form of highly processed sugar. Is this really what infants need -- nearly half their formula to be made of corn syrup sugars? Nutritionists would strongly disagree.

But it gets even better: The next ingredient is 14.7% SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE. Most soy protein, as NaturalNews readers already know, is derived from a hexane chemical extraction process that we've covered in previous articles: http://www.naturalnews.com/026303_soy_protein_hexane.html

Beyond the hexane question, did you know that 91% of the soy fields grown in America contain genetically modified soy? The Similac can does not say "non-GMO soy" because it's not required to be put on the label (thanks to the FDA shell game). But Consumer Reports actually bought and tested infant formula for genetically engineered DNA and found that Similac was using GMO soy in their products. (http://www.consumersunion.org/food/gefny999.htm)

The next ingredient in the Similac can I bought is 11.5% HIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL, followed by 10.1% SUGAR (SUCROSE).

If you're doing the math on this, that makes Similac 52.7% sugar (corn syrup solids plus the sucrose) with soy protein. I can hardly think of a better way to raise diabetic, obese children than to feed them a diet that's over 50 percent sugar. It also seems like a great way to get infants addicted to sugar -- a curse that will haunt them through the rest of their lives.

Next on the list is 8.4% SOY OIL (most likely from GMO soybeans, too) and then 7.8% COCONUT OIL (which is, in my opinion, the only healthy ingredient in the entire product).

Basically, then, this Similac product is sugared-up soy protein with safflower and soy oil.

Plus it has some chemical "vitamins" on the label such as CYANOCOBALAMIN, the cheapest form of vitamin B-12 available to food manufacturers. It actually binds the vitamin to a cyanide molecule, just in case you were wondering.

As wikipedia explains, "B12 refers to a group of cobalt-containing vitamer compounds known as cobalamins: these include cyanocobalamin (an artifact formed as a result of the use of cyanide in the purification procedures)."

It then adds, "the cyanocobalamin form of B12 does not occur in nature normally, but is a byproduct of the fact that other forms of B12 are avid binders of cyanide (-CN) which they pick up in the process of activated charcoal purification of the vitamin after it is made by bacteria in the commercial process. Since the cyanocobalamin form of B12 is easy to crystallize and is not sensitive to air-oxidation, it is typically used as a form of B12 for food additives and in many common multivitamins." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12)

Why Similac should have been recalled long before the beetle incident
With this in mind, what we really have with Similac infant formula is powered sugars, genetically modified soy protein, more sugar, safflower and soy oils, a bit of coconut oil and some vitamin chemicals made with cyanide molecules. They also throw in some DHA to make moms think it must somehow resemble breast milk fats.

Are you beginning to see why the beetles are the least of the problems with this product?

Keep in mind that ignorant moms are feeding this stuff to their babies every single day! They think it's good for their babies because they don't take the time to read ingredient labels (or they are unable to understand what the labels mean). But make no mistake: I can't think of a single informed nutritionist who would recommend feeding babies a powder that's more than 50% sugar combined with genetically modified soy protein. To do so is actually nutritional child abuse in my view.

That's why I say Similac should be recalled just based on what's on the label! In my opinion, this is a dangerous combination of sugars and genetically modified ingredients that are likely to promote diabetes, obesity and nutritional imbalances in babies. To feed this to babies is to nutritionally cause them harm, in my opinion... and to think that Abbott Laboratories is making money selling this sugared-up GMO soy protein to consumers just makes me sick.

I think their slogan should be something like, "Similac - Creating tomorrow's diabetics, one baby at a time."

See the ingredients label yourself right here: http://naturalnews.com/images/Similac-Label-Ingredients.jpg

Help spread the word
Please share this story and send it to moms, dads and anyone who has an infant. Don't let them feed their babies sugars and GMO soy protein!

You have my permission to post this story in full, but please give credit back to this page on NaturalNews.com and cite Mike Adams as the author.

We need to reach all the parents who are buying Similac and unknowingly feeding their babies corn syrup solids, GMO soy protein, soy oil, sucrose and other ingredients that I consider to be "pure junk." No society should allow this junk to be fed to their babies, especially if they're trying to prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic health problems that are already bankrupting the nation.

In my opinion, Similac might be the perfect product to raise a generation of Big Pharma customers who will need a whole battery of prescription drugs to "treat" all the degenerative health conditions caused by eating dead, processed, sugared-up and genetically modified foods. To imagine that this could somehow be a replacement for the rich, complex nutritional abundance of mother's milk is nutritionally insane.

Ridiculously overpriced
With Similac, there's also the price issue. Considering how cheap these ingredients are, this product seems ridiculously overpriced. If you really wanted to feed your baby something almost identical to this, you could just buy your own table sugar (cheaper than dirt), isolated soy protein (also cheaper than dirt), safflower oil (almost cheaper than dirt) and some coconut oil or flax oil (not so cheap, but you don't need to use much) then mix it all up and add water.

But what mom in her right mind would do such a crazy thing? No mom in her right mind would mix up 50% table sugar in a bottle and feed it to her baby, but that's essentially what she's doing when feeding her baby this variety of Similac that I purchased.

Nutritional insanity has reached a new low with Similac, I submit, and the beetles are the least of the problems with this product line that borders on "nutritional child abuse."

There should seriously be a law against infant formula being made with corn syrup solids and sucrose, not to mention GMO ingredients.

Spread the word, folks. That's the only way people will find out the truth about this and start choosing something that's healthier for their babies. If we hope to have healthy adults in the future, we have to stop nutritionally abusing them when they're infants.

Truth About Pesticides and GMO

Came across this video, speech from an 11-year-old boy. In the video below he breaks things down about our food system and nails it! An 11-year-old understands the value of health and try to do something about it, are we adults willing to make the change?

More information at the url below:
http://www.bewellbuzz.com/general/truth-pesticides-gmo/

An 11 Year Old Who Gets It!

Is supplement our friend or foe?

Supplements are so common now a days that we find a lot of people consume supplements daily. And the types of supplements usually we can find from the stores included antioxidant, single nutrient supplements, vitamins etc. But do all these supplements provide benefits to our body? Or will it bring harm to us?

This article from the link below was published few months ago, with the finding of high doses of artificial antioxidant being able to increase genetic abnormalities in cell that brings to cancer development.

Copy the link to read the whole article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504173821.htm

Does that mean that we should not take supplements at all? Actually, supplements are encouraged by many parties in view of the highly polluted environment that we are staying in, in addition to the nutrient-poor + chemical-rich foods that we are ingesting in the modern world.

However, we should educate ourselves with the correct knowledge in choosing those supplements that works best with the nature of our body. Whole food, natural source type of supplement should be chosen, instead of artificial or extracted type of supplements.

Why choose natural whole food supplements? Simply due to our body recognizes only natural whole food and regards everything else as foreigners. When body recognizes the food, it will be able to tell the relevant system to produce the right enzymes and co-enzymes for the digestion and assimilation. If we ingest the artificially produced type of 'food', our body will regard it as foreign particle and will trigger the defense system of our body to be on guard and ready to get rid of it. In other words, the artificial supplement will trigger such stressful response instead of bringing us the benefits that we expect when we consume it. When its quantity is over the threshold of our body to handle it or when our body is too stressful after long time of handling it, it causes all sort of dis-ease and problem.

Usually we choose the natural whole food supplements that are categorized as superfoods, or foods that are densely packed with nutrients, antioxidant and phytochemicals, such as spirulina, chia seeds, maca powder, berries, chlorella, fruits/fruits powder, wheatgrass juice/powder, alfafa greens, cruciferous greens and etc. Let foods become not only our fuel and eating pleasure, but also our natural medicine. The nature has it all.

When we befriended nature, natural whole food supplements become our greatest friends!