Polyflora® AB

Polyflora ABO was especially designed to deliver therapeutic levels of blood type friendly bacteria (probiotics) and growth media (prebiotics) specific for each ABO type.

The term “Probiotic” means “in favor of life”. It was coined in 1910, by the Russian physician Metchnikoff, who promoted a theory of longevity, which associated prolonged life and improved health with decreased gastrointestinal toxicity. He suggested that aging is a process mediated by chronic exposure to putrefactive intoxication caused by imbalances in intestinal bacteria and that this process could be halted by the routine ingestion of lactic acid bacteria and their “fermented” (“cultured”) food products.

Almost 90 years have passed since he introduced these radical ideas; however, in many respects his ideas have been proven to be true. Consumption of lactic acid bacteria, or food cultured or fermented with these friendly microorganisms does extend life in animal experiments and does dramatically reduce a wide range of intestinal metabolites, such as indoles, polyamines, cresols, nitrates/nitrites, and carcinogens which we now know are counterproductive to good health.

Even using strains of friendly bacteria that have a great ability to survive digestion and colonize your digestive tract, there is a tendency for a gradual decline in the quantity of these bacteria over time. This decline is substantially worsened with stress, poor dietary choices, antibiotics and other drugs. In today’s world, with all of its modern pressures, the ability to maintain an optimal intestinal microbial balance is almost always taxed. It has also actually been estimated that we consume 1 million times LESS healthy bacteria in our diet today than our ancient ancestors consumed.

Highlights of Polyflora AB include:

Lactobacillus casei

• L. casei is a species of the Lactobacillus genus (phylum: Firmicutes) that is also found in the human urinary tract as well as mouth. This species is documented to complement the growth of L. acidophilus, which produces amylase (carb-digesting enzyme). It is very commonly used in the dairy industry. L. casei weakly inhibits H. pylori infestation. L. casei may help improve gastrointestinal pathogenic diseases. It is especially effective at preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea, as well as C. diff infections. L. casei also helps children recover from rotavirus infections. L. casei is a safe and effective treatment for many types of diarrhea situations, including infectious diarrhea.

 
Lactobacillus bulgaricus

• L. bulgaricus is capable of withstanding low pH levels, making it ideal and resistant against stomach acid.
• When used in combination with other probiotics, it may help in the reduction of symptoms in those with inflammatory bowels. (29)

 Bacillus coagulans

• Also known as Lactobacillus sporogenes, Bacillus coagulans is a key probiotic because it supports the growth and proliferation of other protective bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which has been correlated with reduced risk of inflammatory bowels. This is suspected to be caused by an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines like IL-10 and a reduction in proinflammatory cytokines like TNF, IL-8 and IL-1. (33)

Saccharomyces boulardii

• Helps prevent antibiotic induced bacterial overgrowth
• Protects against other pathogenic bacteria
• S. boulardii has been shown to be non-pathogenic and non-systemic (it remains in the gastrointestinal tract rather than spreading elsewhere in the body). (32)

 
Dandelion root  

• Contains compounds that may act as anti-microbials against pathogenic bacteria.
• Contains inulin, a prebiotic oligosaccharide supporting the growth of commensals in the gut.

 
Garlic bulb

• In addition to the inulin and fructooligosaccharides found in garlic, it also contains allicin which is a potent anti-microbial.
• Has been shown in studies to be a potential inhibitor of H. pylori growth

Blood type antigens are actually prominent in the digestive tract and, in about 80% of individuals (secretors), are also prominent in the mucus that lines the digestive tract. Because of this, many of the bacteria in the digestive tract actually use ABO antigens as a preferred food supply.

In fact, blood group specificity is common among intestinal bacteria with almost 1/2 of strains tested showing some blood type A, B, or O specificity. To give you an idea of the magnitude of the blood type influence on intestinal microflora, it has been estimated that someone with blood type B will have up to 50,000 times more of some strains of friendly bacteria than either blood type A or O individuals. Second, some strains of beneficial bacteria actually can have lectin-like hemagglutinin activity directed against your blood type.

Friendly bacteria restore intestinal balance, which result in:

• The prevention of adherence of unwanted microorganisms
• The production of a wide array of antibacterial and antifungal compounds
• Improved resistance against bacteria like E.coli & Salmonella. and H. pylori

Friendly bacteria enhance immunity by:

• Promoting improved anti-viral immune system function
• Increasing natural killer (NK) cell activity
• Increasing secretory IgA (S-IgA) antibodies
• Producing nitric oxide
• Modulating cell mediated immune response
• Activating the reticuloendothelial system
• Promoting a more balanced production of cytokines
• Promoting resistance against some autoimmune processes
• Evoking anti-Tn antibodies
• Decreasing IgE-mediated responses
• Enhancing immune system response to administered vaccines
• Mediating against radiation-induced depression in white blood cells

In many respects, friendly bacteria can be thought of as having “adaptogenic” effects on the immune system. They appear to modulate the nonspecific immune response differently in healthy and hypersensitive subjects. This is seen as an immuno-stimulatory effect in healthy subjects, and as a down- regulation of immunoinflammatory responses in hypersensitive subjects.

Friendly bacteria promote detoxification by:

• Inactivating and eliminating carcinogens
• Decreasing mutagenic compounds
• Decreasing activity of nitroreductase and azoreductase
• Decreasing activity of B-Glucuronidase, B-Glucosidase
• Decreasing activity of ornithine decarboxylase
• Decreasing activity of tryptophanase
• Decreasing activity of neuraminidase and mucinase
• Decreasing levels of polyamines, cresols and indoles
• Decreasing ammonia
• Decreasing levels of nitrates and nitrites
• Enhancing liver function and promoting elimination of bile acids
• Enhancing cholesterol metabolism

Friendly bacteria promote healthy digestion by:

• Normalizing stool volume and regularity
• Producing digestive enzymes that help digest proteins, carbohydrates, and fibers
• Decreasing intestinal permeability
• Decreasing food sensitivities
• Decreasing lactose intolerance
• Decreasing intestinal inflammation

Friendly bacteria enhance bioavailability of nutrients by:

• Alleviating symptoms of malabsorption
• Increasing the absorption of zinc, calcium, iron, copper, manganese, and phosphorous
• Increasing the production of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, A, K, folic acid, biotin, and tocopherols

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