Health Insight has requested Bioflora, the manufacturers of Intestiflora (widely used by our clients) to shed some light on the claim that this strain of probiotic bacteria is from human origin.  We received the following response from Dr Ela Johannsen: “Why should the probiotic bacteria be of human origin? Human receptors: It is important that the bacteria used in probiotic products be of the type that was originally isolated from the human digestive track. This type of bacteria is natural inhabitants of human intestines where they can ‘happily’ grow and multiply to reach the required numbers and thus provide the desired microbial balance in the intestines. The key mechanism which favours these bacteria involves specific receptors on the internal intestinal

Conflicting opinions in articles available on the internet about the best time to take probiotic supplements can easily lead to confusion. One school of thought claims that probiotics should be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.  Another school of thought claims that the absolute best time to take your probiotics is alongside (directly before or after) your meals, as taking it early in the morning on an empty stomach subjects the probiotics to powerful stomach acid that may kill off the bacteria. All probiotics are not created equal and it seems as if a general rule of thumb cannot be applied, as it may depend on the particular strain(s) of probiotics and the enteric coating of

Walking along isle upon isle of supplements in large pharmacies and health shops, how do you decide which ones are appropriate for you? A friend’s recommendation? An advertisement you saw? An article in a magazine – with an advertisement for a wonder cure supplement for this condition on the same or the next page? Or do you take the shotgun approach with a multivitamin, thinking that your body needs at least some of them? Before deciding on taking any supplements, a word of caution – too much of certain vitamins are as harmful as a deficiency.  And a word of advice – before taking any supplements, it is best to have the proper blood- and other tests done to determine what, if

Vitamins are essential nutrients that the body requires in small quantities daily from our diet, since the body can’t make them.  Vitamins are classified in two broad categories, namely fat soluble, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, or water soluble, such as the rest of the vitamins (B complex and C). Most of the vitamins have several important functions and are involved in diverse biochemical functions.  For example, vitamins A and D have hormone-like functions, while others such as Vitamin E and C have antioxidant functions, while the B group of vitamins functions primarily as enzyme helpers, called coenzymes, which are needed for enzymes to function. B vitamins: The B group of vitamins, also referred to as the

Advances in technology may someday into the future determine your daily nutritional needs with a simple test at home, where for example a pinprick of blood could indicate nutritional deficiencies.   An app on your cellphone would then, for instance, tell you to cut down on the red meat to twice a week, eat more colourful vegetables, and increase the intake of your vitamin D3 supplements by 4000 International Units (IU) and Magnesium Glycinate by 100 mg a day.   All scientifically based on your specific nutrient deficiencies and dietary supplements can then contribute to good health and a longer lifespan. We are not there yet, but nutrition and nutritional supplements will become more personalized into the future, based on blood levels