By Jonathan Evans
Herbal Information Specialist/Business Representative for the Herbarium
Please dear readers, pay close attention to this column, and share it with your friends.
Many people have heard of probiotics, and how important they are to an individual. The problem I am encountering is that customers have no clue as to what constitutes a good product. So many people think Activia or Yoplait yogurt will take care of their problem. Just because Jamie Lee-Curtis says this product is good is not a great endorsement.
Many people see probiotics advertised on television and figure these must be good, or if they are available on the drugstore shelf, it must be good. This notion is wrong.
Two problems have been observed recently with many of the products called probiotics. First, there is a product called Align, which contains only one strain of bacteria (1 billion) and is out on the store shelf, apparently room stable. A billion sounds big, but in the bacteria world, it is a drop in the bucket. The probiotic for infants is two and one-half billion and it is refrigerated! Align is very expensive for what you are getting. I have only seen one company that makes a room stable probiotic that really delivers what it says, and it is not Align.
The other questionable probiotic is a Philips product. Again, it is actually not very good. The product has great ads, offering lots of sizzle, but as the old Wendy’s ads used to say, “where’s the beef?” At the Herbarium, we have even observed a great product from Renew Life, but again it was out on the shelves, without refrigeration.
If you really want to learn the importance of probiotics and what to look for, visit the Herbarium’s Facebook page and scroll down to an article we posted called “Probiotics 101.” This is a third-party, independent article that is the best information I have come across. It lists what to look for, what strains and numbers you should be looking for – just about any information you could want.
The scoop on cleansing
Maybe it’s the spring weather, but lots of customers have been asking about cleansing formulas. There are numerous ads on television, radio, in the newspapers and on the internet talking about getting rid of bloat and pounds of toxic sludge in the gut, and promising all kinds of side benefits from cleansings. Most of these products are very overpriced and not very good.
These ads have been around for decades, using the same old tired information and the same picture of the same intestine. (Did you hear the one about John Wayne having 22 pounds of crud in his bowel when he died – or was it some other famous actor in your ad?) Referring to the aforementioned information on good probiotics, one thing your gut flora does is to eat away at any material that might build up in your system and keep things running smoothly.
I have to laugh at some of the horror stories that circulate about cleansing. If you have ever had a colonoscopy, think back. After the procedure did you weigh 22 pounds less? Probably not.
If you are interested in a cleansing formula for general well being or just to get rid of residue due to illness, medication and the like, there are quite a few good products that will do the trick and not break the bank or have you spending a weekend in the bathroom.
If you are paying more than $30 to $40 tops, for a detox, you are getting swindled.
The vitamin C paradox
Finally, if you have been watching any of the morning news programs, you may have been somewhat concerned about the amounts of some vitamins and nutrients that you are ingesting. There seems to be a new approach by the powers that be that you should only get the same amounts of nutrients you would if you were eating a balanced diet. They suggest no more than 60 mgs of vitamin C, with a top daily amount of 500 mg. Seriously? With all the research and studies done over the years on the need for vitamin C in larger than the recommended daily intake (RDI) and the published articles on the benefits of the vitamin, it amazes me that these talking heads make such blanket statements.
Who did they get their talking points from and why? It appears we are following the World Health Organization's guides for “scientific vitamin standards” also known as the Codex Alimentarius. Look it up; this is a bad idea from the start and American companies and individuals have been fighting these regulations forever.
– Jonathan
Please send your questions on botanical remedies to Natures Rx: Jonathan Evans via email at herbarium258@gmail.com, or by regular mail to: The Herbarium, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee, Mass. 01013. If requesting additional information from Evans, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
