Prebiotics: The Current State-of-the-Science.

PREBIOTICS, 1995 – the concept was first explained by Dr. Marcel Roberfroid in a 1995 medical article where he introduced PREBIOTICS as unique plant fibers that have beneficial effects in the intestinal tract and the entire body. PREBIOTICS are not Probiotics.

Dr. Roberfroid offered a refined definition in the 2007 Journal of Nutrition stating:

“A prebiotic is a selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-being and health.”

PREBIOTICS, 2010 – Just 15 years later, Dr. Roberfroid and 20 other international health scholars published a state-of-the-art article on PREBIOTICS in the prestigious British Journal of Nutrition titled PREBIOTIC Effects: Metabolic and Health Benefits* . It is 63 pages long and has 463 references. In short, the science of PREBIOTICS have come of age.

The following benefits are detailed within the article in great depth. What is now proven in seven general areas of health are:

1. The bacteria within the lower gut are now recognized to be vitally important to attaining and maintaining a wide variety of health benefits, but only when PREBIOTICS significantly improve the digestive balance within this bacterial mix.
2. PREBIOTICS improve the function of the gut, including increased bulk, stool regularity and softness.
3. PREBIOTICS increase calcium and magnesium absorption throughout the colon. Greater bone density and strength have been shown.
4. PREBIOTICS increase certain hormones in the blood that produce a feeling of satiety or fullness. They are associated with weight loss in animals.
5. PREBIOTICS enhance immunity in the gut and body beginning on the day of birth when a mother feeds her baby with her own prebiotic laden breast milk.
6. PREBIOTICS alter the bacterial mix in a way that strengthens the colon’s wall, and so reduces the movement of toxins into the blood. It improves a “leaky gut”.
7. PREBIOTICS reduce intestinal infection because they promote the growth of good bacteria, which crowd out the bad ones.

The above seven are pretty well proven and supported by the medical literature. But, there are other areas where PREBIOTICS are felt to be tentatively supportive of health benefits. These are:

1. PREBIOTICS may reduce obesity, type 2 diabetes and the associated condition called metabolic syndrome.
2. PREBIOTICS may reduce the risk and/or improvement of intestinal inflammation such as inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and pouchitis).
3. PREBIOTICS may reduce the risk of colon polyps and cancer.

Wow! Were a pill developed that did these above 10 things there would be a Nobel prize for the inventor and a monumental world-wide demand for the product. Yet, we all have within us the capacity to obtain each of these goals.

The three main PREBIOTICS readily available to everyone are:

• Inulin – extracted commercially from chicory root and Jerusalem artichoke root.
• Oligofructose – extracted and derived commercially from chicory root and Jerusalem artichoke root
• FOS (fructo-oligosaccharide) – derived from sucrose or table sugar.

PREBIOTIN is a carefully blended mix of inulin and oligofructose, each of which nourishes the good bacteria in selective parts of the colon. Together, they provide our full-spectrum prebiotic, PREBIOTIN.

* Roberfroid M, Gibson GR et al. Prebiotic effects: metabolic and health benefits. Br J Nutr 2010 Aug; 104 Suppl 2:S1-63.

Surviving the Holiday Food Frenzy with Prebiotic Fiber

Good news for holiday foodie's everywhere. New research reveals that the consumption of prebiotic fiber, such as Prebiotin Prebiotic Fiber Supplement helps control appetite.

Good news for holiday foodie's everywhere. There is a way to stop or at least slow down the impact of holiday eating and how our bodies react to it.

With holiday parties fast approaching, we are all preparing to be deluged with an abundance of delicious foods that dazzle our eyes, overwhelm our taste buds and all too often produce unwanted weight gain. New science and old mother nature can help curb the urge to over eat during the holidays!

Here is what we now know about our appetite and the feelings of hunger before we eat and the fullness we experience afterward. Research now reveals that satiety - the feeling of fullness - is partially controlled by hormones produced within the walls of our digestive system, released into the blood stream and carried to the brain. There it signals to us that we are full.

Here is where the science of Prebiotin can help. Research now shows that the presence of prebiotic fiber tricks the stomach and gut into releasing the fullness hormone, which, in turn, reduces our desire to eat. The Prebiotin family of nutritional supplements are an all-natural plant-based, full-spectrum prebiotic fiber. The prebiotic fibers in Prebiotin are Oligofructose-

Enriched-Inulin. These are by far the most medically researched prebiotic fiber. Together, they nourish beneficial bacteria growth throughout the entire colon, thereby optimizing the multiple health benefits of daily intake including appetite control. This is why we call it a full spectrum prebiotic. It is simply the best, most complete prebiotic nutritional supplement currently available.

So, before you attend your next holiday function, make sure that you are taking your daily Prebiotin Prebiotic Fiber Supplement to help control overeating. It is best to take ½ tsp. of Prebiotin Prebiotic Fiber in the morning on arising and then again about 4 pm well before dinner time. This dose can then be increased to 1 tsp, provided no excess gas or fullness occurs. In this event, simply cut back.

With Prebiotin as part of your daily regime, you can enjoy the holidays and keep the delectable food intake to a reasonable level. Visit http://www.prebiotin.com for more information.

Case Study: Prebiotics + Heart Health Formula Reduced Cholesterol 22% in 30 Days

A recent study conducted by Dr. Bill Misner, PhD, Director R&D, Emeritus, Hammer Nutrition, demonstrated reduced cholesterol with the use of Prebiotin - Heart Health formula. The study, an anecdotal examination of two subjects, showed reduced cholesterol in both an active endurance athlete with already-good cholesterol, and a sedentary non-active individual with high cholesterol.

A 69-year male endurance athlete & 56-year female non-athlete consumed a supplement containing 7-grams fiber with a prebiotic daily for 30-days to determine if "Prebiotin" had a positive effect on bowel health and reducing cholesterols.

Two subjects one with low-normal healthy cholesterol and one with elevated cholesterol taking “Prebiotin” probiotic-fiber supplement daily significantly lowered cholesterol levels both unexpectedly -6% and -22% respectively in only 30 days time.

Click here to see the full summary of this research including extensive notes and references.

The case study here is not represented as indicative of Prebiotin's potential to decrease cholesterol for any specific subject or in general. These results should be treated as anecdotal information for consideration only.

A Buyer's Guide to Prebiotics and Prebiotic Supplements

Congratulations on considering a prebiotic supplement. Supporting health, digestion and immunity with a prebiotic is certainly something we recommend.

But not all prebiotics are created equal. We hope you will consider Prebiotin, but would like to suggest a few key considerations you should ask of _any_ prebiotic supplement you may consider:

1) Does the prebiotic company engage in safe manufacturing processes

a. Is it manufactured in the U.S.A. or overseas, e.g. China. Do they even tell you where it’s made?

b. Has the facility been inspected by the FDA?

c. Does the facility follow the FDA’s “GMP” (Good Manufacturing Process) requirements to ensure safety and lack of contamination.

2) Is it actually a prebiotic?

a. Fructo-Oligosaccharides and Galacto-Oligosaccharides are the only ingredients that authorities agree have fully met the ‘proof’ of being prebiotics.

b. Not all FOS and GOS are created equal: Does the prebiotic offer a full-spectrum prebiotic such as Oligofructose-Enriched-Inulin, or simply “inulin” or “FOS” – much cheaper alternatives without the same research-proved benefits.

c. Does the product use alternative ingredients that are only “possible prebiotics” or have only “prebiotic effects” - such as agave, isomalto-oligosaccharide, dextrin, lactulose, etc.

3) Is the prebiotic company medically credible and responsible?

a. Does the prebiotic contain only natural ingredients?

b. Does the prebiotic add unnecessary calories, carbs, fat, sugar, salt or other ingredients to your diet?

c. Does the prebiotic list all ingredients and include a full “nutrition info” panel on the packaging?

d. Does the prebiotic provide information on the research, studies and clinical proof standing behind its product?

4) Is the prebiotic made by a “real” company you can contact, and which tells you openly about itself and its policies?

a. Does the prebiotic company have a website with a thorough “about us” page, a toll-free number, a physical mailing address and other ways to ensure they’re “real” and that you can reach them if needed?

b. Is there a physician, PhD or other real ‘authority’ who stands behind the product, or is it just an anonymous “supplement company.”

c. Does the company focus as a specialist in prebiotics? Or, do they offer many products on a “whatever’s selling these days” basis?

We hope you'll visit http://www.prebiotin.com and consider Prebiotin for yourself or your loved ones. We certainly do run our company and product in accordance with the concerns noted above. But whatever you do... ask questions before you start taking ANY supplement into your body! You deserve answers and the truth!

New Study: Prebiotin Primary Ingredient May Stop Cancer Cells

Study, as reported in British Journal of Medicine, says Oligofructose-Enriched-Inulin - the exact prebiotic used in Prebiotin - may prevent the growth, and promote the death of cancer cells in the colon. In the Journal's peer-reviewed article, we learn that human colon cells representing early and late stages of colon cancer were exposed to short chain fatty acids - produced during the fermentation of prebiotic fiber. The early stage cells “responded more sensitively”, according to the research results.

The research was conducted by incubating bacterial samples with Oligofructose-Enriched Inulin (OEI).

OEI, the exact prebiotic used in Prebiotin, is a natural, plant-derived compound of oligofructose and inulin together. Unlike plain inulin, which ferments mostly in the right-hand side of the colon, OEI creates beneficial bacteria fermentation and production of short-chain fatty acids throughout the colon. Most prebiotic products and supplements use plain inulin, a far cheaper ingredient than OEI.

The researchers note: “Since early [cancer] cells were found to be more sensitive, this may have important implications for chemoprevention when translated to the in vivo situation, because survival of early transformed cells could be reduced,”

Even beyond this latest study, there is more peer-reviewed clinical research that suggests the relationship between prebiotics and colon cancer.

One study says "Probiotics and Prebiotics have the potential to impact significantly on the development, progression and treatment of colorectal cancer and may have a valuable role in cancer prevention."

Yet another states: "There is substantial experimental evidence to suggest that probiotics and prebiotics may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of colon cancer."

One more states: "Dietary synbiotics reduce cancer risk factors in polypectomized and colon cancer patients."

Get more information on this peer-reviewed university research on prebiotics and colon cancer / colon polyps at http://www.prebiotin.com under the "Clinical Research and Studies" tab.

Prebiotin contains the exact prebiotic ingredient used in this latest study which "suggests that the intake of prebiotic dietary fibres...protects against colorectal cancer."

For those seeking to add prebiotics to their diet, Prebiotin suggests consumers seek a supplement which does not add excess fat, calories or sugar, which contains a full-spectrum prebiotic, not just cheap inulin, and which is manufactured under the FDA's "GMP" guidelines in a certified facility. Additional information is available at http://www.prebiotin.com.

Creating "Energy Pods" to Nourish Your Body

WHAT IS AN ENERGY POD?

An energy pod is a small, a very small, packet of energy and activity that is created in your colon by good colon bacteria. These are good and you want to get as many of these as possible. They simply make lots of good things happen. The technical name for these Energy Pods is short chain fatty acids. This phrase has meaning to scientists but for the rest of us, an Energy Pod describes it beautifully.

WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

An Energy Pod can not be bought at the store. You can not get them in a bottle nor make them easily in a laboratory. Rather, they come from certain normal, healthy bacteria that reside in the large bowel or colon.

AREN'T ALL BACTERIA BAD?

No,no, a thousand times no! Most bacteria are our friends and this is particularly the case in the colon, where there are teaming trillions of good bacteria just waiting to help us. There are some bad bacteria within the colon, but when the good ones predominate, they force the unwanted ones out.

SO, HOW ARE ENERGY PODS MADE?

It is really pretty simple. The healthy bacteria in the gut rely on food fibers for their own nourishment and fuel. Fiber from plant food such as inulin and oligofructose is not used by the human body, so it arrives in the colon unchanged. There the fibers enter one end of the bacteria. It is then metabolized and an Energy Pod comes out the other end!

OK, SO WHAT DO ENERGY PODS DO?

1. They create a healthier mix of bacteria in the colon. More good ones, fewer bad ones.
2. They acidify the colon which is a good thing. One small consequence of this is that noxious flatus smell disappears.
3. They are the nutrients that the colon's own cells need to stay healthy. Yes, the bacteria within the colon actually nourish the colon cells themselves. Is this not neat?
4. They tighten up the junctions between the colon cells and help prevent a "leaky gut"
5. They help to eliminate certain carcinogens or cancer causing substances in the colon
6. They get into the blood stream and are actually used as energy by the body itself.
7. There are some others, but you get the picture. It is a pretty impressive list and there is science behind them.

CAN YOU FEEL THEM WORKING?

Well, yes and no. Like most chemical processes within the body, you can't feel an individual energy pod occuring, but when million upon millions of Energy Pods are flooding through your colon and body, it can have a positive impact on how you feel.

HOW DO I GET MY BODY TO MAKE LOTS OF ENERGY PODS?

The soluble fibers that drive this energy factory in the colon reside in the fruits and, especially, the vegetables that most of us just do not get enough of. They are particularly high in:

• dandelion greens
• chicory
• jicama
• agave
• asparagus
• yams
• jerusalem artichokes

In fact, these fibers are found in small amounts throughout the plant world in 36,000 species of plants. We just have to eat enough of them. But since many of these truly prebiotic-rich plants are not part of our typical western diet (even a relatively 'healthy' diet), we created Prebiotin. Prebiotin is a mixture of oligofructose and inulin, the very fibers that are in these above plants.

So, protect your colon by eating well. This, in turn, will create mountains of Energy Pods to keep your colon and your general health at their peak.

Leaky Gut and Fatty Liver

Our professors back in medical school always said we should listen carefully to patients as they usually could tell you what was wrong with them. Then I went into practice and patients began to tell me that they had a leaky gut.

A leaky gut? Yes, we knew that there were a few rare conditions where proteins and fluid leaked through the gut wall into the intestine. These were easily diagnosed and I can’t ever remember making this diagnosis. So, it was a head scratcher.

Now recent medical journal articles are providing some answers. And, yes, it turns out that many of my patients did have “leaky guts”. We just did not know the science behind it. Now, it looks like we do. More importantly, there may be simple things that we can do to correct it.

THE BUGS IN THE GUT

One point that needs to be remembered is that everyone has huge numbers of bacteria in their gut, mostly in the colon. These can never be cleansed away nor would you want to do so. However, we now know that there are good bugs and some not so good bugs in the bowel. We can call them bad bugs. The balance of whether you have predominantly good or bad bugs depends almost solely on what you eat

THE DIET OF GUT BACTERIA

Fiber. Yes, soluble planet fiber is the main and premier food for the good bugs in the gut. The bad bugs can thrive on almost anything else you eat. They particularly like the high fat, high sugar, low fiber foods found in the western diet. But the good guys like certain particular soluble fibers found in vegetables and fruits. These are called prebiotics. They are most prevalent in artichokes, chicory, dandelions, onions, bananas and certain others. When these foods are consumed in adequate amounts, the good bacteria flourish and the bad ones do not. It is as simple as that. The problem is it’s near-impossible to get enough prebiotic fiber by eating these foods. Unless you have Dandelion Salad and Artichoke Soup while gnawing on a Chicory root, it’s tough to hit the 4+grams per day you need. That’s why we created Prebiotin. Prebiotin is a 100% natural, plant derived pure prebiotic that dissolves easily in food or liquid.

GOOD and BAD BUGS and A LEAKY GUT

Here is what science now knows about this condition. The cells along the gut wall should be lined up very tight one to another with a thin grout-like material holding them together. Nothing gets between them, either in or out. What happens when bad bugs predominate in the gut is that they produce substances that actually loose this “grout or mortar” between the cells; a “leaky gut”. The space between the cells widens. Fluids can then seep out into the gut. More importantly noxious agents produced by these bad bugs-let’s call them toxins- can and actually do move through these spaces on into the blood stream. From there they move on up to the liver.

FATTY LIVER

This condition is very common in type 2 diabetes or the “metabolic syndrome” where a person is overweight, has hypertension, is at risk for heart disease and likely has pre-diabetes. It is directly related to the high fat, high sugar, low fiber diet so prevalent in our society. So, these toxins which come from the bad bacteria move into the blood stream through the leaky gut. They then cause fat to be deposited into the liver and along with that may cause inflammation which can actually lead to cirrhosis of the liver. That is right. You can get cirrhosis of the liver even without drinking alcohol.

To summarize:

· Bad bugs in the gut actually can weaken the binding substance that holds colon cells tightly together, creating a leaky gut.

· Toxins produced by these bad bugs then move through these weakened spaces and into your bloodstream.

· When they reach the liver, they can cause damaging fat to be deposited in the liver, creating a fatty liver.

· Prebiotics, such as Prebiotin, reverse the balance in the colon from bad bugs to good bugs.

· Hopefully, in adequate amounts they can reverse or at least improve this liver condition.