The holidays are already upon us, but don’t let the last minute gift shopping, meal planning and merry indulgence strain your gastric health. Here are some tips from Hollywood nutritionist and probiotic Align endorser Ashley Koff, R.D.:
Image published with permission.

A new probiotic bar said to contain 10x more live culture than yogurt has been released to the market. Pop Culture Probiotic Bars contain GanedenBC30(TM), a patented probiotic strain that can survive baking and manufacturing processes, remain viable even if unrefrigerated, and –take this– withstand the acidic stomach environment. Apparently, the secret lies on the bacteria being protected by a “naturally-occurring hardened shell of organic material”.
I can’t find information on what bacteria they are using (would be good to know what they’re putting in your food, wouldn’t it?) and what this organic material shell is made of. If this …read more

I’ve tried Yo-Plait, but I don’t remember having seen Yo-Plus in our local grocer yet. Sounds like it’s one notch healthier:
Yo-Plus and is the only yogurt available that contains Optibalance™, a blend of special probiotic cultures and a natural fiber. Yo-Plus is a good source of calcium, fiber, Vitamin A and Vitamin D. When compared with Dannon™’s Activia™, only Yo-Plus has the added benefit of dietary fiber for added digestive health benefits, plus vitamins A and D.
Have you tried Yo-Plus yet? No? You can print some coupons for some discount.

Resveratrol is a compound that has been featured quite often in this blog, mainly for its benefits on cardiovascular health and other aging-related maladies.
A new study indicates that its powers extend to liver health, too. According to the results of an animal trial, resveratrol, a compound naturally found in grape skin and berries, may also help treat fatty liver, a condition associated with excessive alcohol consumption. It is characterized by the build-up of excess fat in the liver cells, which may lead to inflammation and liver damage.
Could the resveratrol in red wine protect the liver form the negative effects of …read more

I’ve written a post on the probiotic properties of Yakult some time ago and I see that it has generated some interest. For those of you who prefer to watch rather than read, here’s a video featuring Yakult– what it is and what its health benefits are.

You just have to type “fiber” in the search box on the upper right side of this blog to find all the good reasons why you should incorporate more fiber in your diet. It just not good for your digestive system, it’s also documented to help reduce heart disease.
Quaker, a trusted name for anything oatmeal, has come up with Oatmeal To Go, a snack bar that provides 40% of the Daily Value of fiber (10g of dietary fiber)!

It’s like having a bowl of oatmeal in a snap! It’s the convenient choice, especially for you busy bees, snacking on the go… …read more

Yakult is currently marketed worldwide as a probiotic drink that helps improve gut health, by helping the gut’s natural microflora establish or re-establish itself.
A recent small scale study involving 18 patients indicates that like other probiotic bacteria, the Lactobacillus strain Shirota found in Yakult may also be a safe and effective alternative for the management of irritable bowel syndrome.
After 6 week of treatment with 1 x 65 mL dose of Yakult daily, 9 of 14 patients (64%) completing the study had reversal of ERBHAL, with the median time of first rise increasing from 45 to 75 min (P = 0.03). …read more

Once there was fresh cow’s milk. Which was then pasteurized before being sold. Then came the UHT and sterilized versions. Then the came the reconstituted, homogenized, and powdered types. When they were done exploring the different ways one can process milk, they then went to try and alter milk’s composition. We saw milk with varying fat content in the market, from full cream to low-fat and non-fat/skim milk. After they mastered removing “unwanted” components, manufacturers started adding desirable components. Exhibit A: a snapshot of a fridge at a grocer’s:

This cooler contains probiotic milk, milk with omega-3, lactose free milk, lactose …read more

I’ve blogged a number of entries on the various health benefits of flaxseed before, although most of them mention flax only in passing, except for one that focuses on the potential of flaxseed in prostate cancer treatment.
But there’s more to flax than these. I’ve received permission to reprint this from the Flax Council of Canada:
Flax is an ideal, functional food ingredient. It is added to many products on today’s grocery shelves because of the omega-3 fats, lignans, and fiber found in the seed, which all help deliver a extra health boost to food’s original nutrient content. Flax also adds a …read more

In a study published recently in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, researchers found out that among several food items tested, konjac gum and sesame seed extract may protect against, or reduce severity of gastro-intestinal infections caused by different E. coli and Salmonella strains.
In the lab study which also included negative controls, the scientists looked at 18 food-related products including coffee beans, carrot, mango, fermented soya, and food stabilizers such as locust bean gum and konjac gum. All were subjected to in-vitro exposure to various bacteria which were allowed to attach themselves to the test products. The …read more