AIM FloraFood®  Details - NPN 80011775

Digestive problems are the number one health problem in North America. While gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and passing undigested food may be common occurrences for many people, these symptoms are not normal (in adults or children) and should be considered warning signs of an imbalance. More serious concerns—from hemorrhoids to colon cancer—may result if your diet is not properly addressed.

Support from friendly bacteria

Poor absorption of nutrients has subtle but serious long-term effects. Chewing food properly is one step that is often overlooked, but perhaps more important is ensuring that enough friendly bacteria live inside the intestinal tract and create healthy intestinal flora. These healthy bacteria help to digest food, support the immune system, maintain healthy cholesterol levels, and manufacture certain vitamins (such as folic acid, B6, B12, and K) and amino acids.

According to Dr. Michael Murray, N.D. (in The Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements), intestinal flora also influences the development of cancers and the aging process.

Balance of friendly and unfriendly bacteria

There are approximately one hundred trillion bacteria in the digestive system. The human body naturally houses both “friendly” and “unfriendly” populations of bacteria. The right balance of bacteria in the gut helps protect from environmental toxins and harmful molds, yeasts, parasites and other microbes.

These populations easily grow out of balance when we consume too much sugar, yeast or alcohol, resulting in overgrowth of Candida albicans among other dietary concerns. Unfriendly gut bacteria can grow excessively when we are ill and when we come in contact with pathogens (such as E. coli and Salmonella) from poor food handling or an unsanitary environment. If we make a consistent effort to ensure that the intestinal tract has a strong population of friendly bacteria, these will act to crowd out undesirable pathogens that come along.

Supplement with effective probiotics

Probiotics are live, friendly bacteria that are similar to those found in the human gut. As recognized by researchers, the key is to supplement with human strains of friendly bacteria (probiotics) that are meant to be in the human body—as opposed to non-human (animal or vegetable) strains, which may not adhere properly to the intestinal walls. If the bacteria do not stick to the walls of the gut, then they will not be able to protect against the invasion of unfriendly bacteria that come along. Friendly bacteria also produce natural substances that can prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi.

Although many people believe that yogurt provides a sufficient supply of probiotics, sadly this is not true. Commercially made yogurt is commonly prepared using inexpensive species of transient bacteria that have no real benefits for humans. In addition, as yogurt sits in the cooler at the grocery store, it produces acid that kills good or neutral bacteria rather than allowing them to flourish. Even homemade yogurt made fresh with healthy bacteria does not contain enough beneficial probiotics. A high-quality supplement goes much further to remedy the imbalances created by today’s lifestyle.

Medicinal Ingredients:

Lactobacilli

A group of six strains of bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus played a major probiotic role until the dominant species that occupies the human GI tract was identified as Lactobacillus gasseri.

L gasseri is associated with key probiotic activities, such as stimulating macrophages (white blood cells that destroy infectious invaders), producing bacteriocins (antibacterial substances), reducing fecal microbial enzymes (activators of carcinogens and mutagens), and adhering to intestinal tissues. Resistant to acid and bile, these friendly bacteria survive their journey through the stomach to the small intestine and even farther into the lower bowel.

A 2007 study indicated that L. gasseri provides anti-inflammatory properties for conditions such as colitis due to its involvement in the production of superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme that neutralizes reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs)—negative factors for inflammatory bowel diseases. A 2010 study conducted in Japan pointed toward L. gasseri as having a lowering effect on abdominal fat and overall body weight, which in turn suggests its benefits for metabolic disorders.

Bifidobacteria

Bifidobacteria live in the large intestine, or colon, where they produce some necessary vitamins. They have been used to address intestinal disorders and to support the immune system.

In an in vitro study reported in Letters of Applied Microbiology

(1995), bifidobacteria were shown to help remove cholesterol; this offers hope for people working to keep their cholesterol levels healthy. Specifically, Bifidobacterium bifidum is especially good at enhancing the body’s immune response and inhibiting harmful enzymes, as reported in the Archives of Pharmacal Research in 1998.

Bifidobacterium longum is recognized by The Lancet (1987) as being beneficial in relieving gastrointestinal distress caused by antibiotic medications, which kill both bad and good bacteria.

The presence of both Lactobaccilli and Bifidobacteria in the gut creates an unhealthy environment for unfriendly bacteria.

Recommended use:

FloraFood contributes to healthy intestinal flora. This digestive support is especially significant for travellers and for people who wish to prevent overgrowth of yeast or unhealthy bacteria (such as Candida albicans or Helicobacter pylori). FloraFood is an important choice for people who have taken antibiotics or who have eaten meat from animals that may have been treated with antibiotics. FloraFood is best taken with meals so that the stomach acid stays busy digesting food rather than attacking the healthy bacteria.

Recommended dose:

Adults: Take one capsule with meals twice daily. As FloraFood is a food product, you may wish to take more or less depending on your needs. If uncertain, consult a health care practitioner.

Risk information:

Do not use if you have an immune-compromised condition (e.g., AIDS, lymphoma, patients undergoing long-term corticosteroid treatment), or if you are experiencing nausea, fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhea or severe abdominal pain. Discontinue use and consult a health care practitioner if symptoms of digestive upset (e.g., diarrhea) occur, worsen, or persist beyond 3 days.

Q & A

Q: May I take FloraFood with AIM PrepZymes® or other products?

A: You may take FloraFood with other AIM products.
FloraFood and PrepZymes are both best taken with meals.
However, PrepZymes will break down the bacteria in FloraFood, so take these products with alternate meals.

Q: What is the source of the bacteria found in FloraFood?\

A: All three strains of bacteria in FloraFood are cultured in a laboratory environment from friendly bacteria derived more than 30 years ago from a healthy human source.

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