A+ Nutrition - Nutritional Products

Nutritional Products

DISCLAIMER: All information provided is for educational purposes only — this is not medical advice.

WHY DIGESTIVE AIDS?

To improve the efficiency of digestion by providing compounds that are necessary for effective stomach digestion, but which my be deficient.
To relieve uncomfortable and painful symptoms of indigestion.
To maximize digestive potential and obtain the greatest nutritional value from the diet.

STOMACH ACID AND ENZYMES WORK HARD FOR THEIR MEALS

The stomach is more than just a whistlestop for meals passing through the digestive tract. Each day, this hardworking, muscular organ secretes about two liters of gastric juice, a mixture of acid and enzymes. The stomach mixes food with gastric juice to form partially digested food called chyme. Large food particles are then further broken down into smaller particles, upon which enzymes act to "unlock" the nutritional value of the food. (See pages for a more complete description of the digestive process.) All this preparation in the stomach is essential for absorption of nutrients later in the intestines.

HYDROCHLORIC ACID CREATES THE ENVIRONMENT THE STOMACH NEEDS TO DO MANY JOBS

The stomach's environment is acidic due to hydrochloric acid (HCI), which plays four vital roles in the digestive process:

Required for absorption of calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and vitamin B 12. For instance, a protein called intrinsic factor is required for the absorption of vitamin B 12. An acidic environment is necessary for the protein to bind the vitamin. Without sufficient stomach acid, a dangerous condition called pernicious anemia can develop.
Needed to begin "opening up" protein molecules from foods so that protein-digesting enzymes (proteases) can break them into smaller building blocks (amino acids) which the body can use. This process, called denaturing, is essential for proper protein digestion.
Necessary to activate pepsin, an important protein-digesting enzyme that is secreted by the stomach.
Kills harmful bacteria and other microorganisms that enter the gastrointestinal tract in foodstuffs.

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES BREAK FOODS INTO SIMPLE NUTRITIONAL BUILDING BLOCKS

Digestion is the process whereby complex foods (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) are broken down into simpler substances (amino acids, simple sugars, and fatty acids, respectively). Digestive enzymes are capable of inducing chemical changes in foodstuffs without being changed themselves.

Proteases Digest Protein
Protein digestion is a lengthy process, beginning in the stomach and ending in the intestines. While most digestive enzymes work in the intestines, some important ones — such as protein-digesting proteases — are secreted by the stomach and require an acidic (low pH) environment to function.
Lactase Digests Milk Sugar
Lactose is a sugar found in milk and other dairy products. The digestive enzyme that breaks it into smaller components that can be absorbed and utilized is called lactase. If not enough lactase is present in the digestive tract, lactose cannot be properly digested. Undigested lactose can cause intestinal discomfort, bloating, flatulence, cramps, and diarrhea.

ACID AND ENZYME "GAPS" CAN LEAD TO DIGESTIVE TROUBLE

Digestion is hard work. If sufficient gastric juice is present, digestion proceeds smoothly. Without ample acid and enzymes, however, the digestive system can become stressed beyond capacity and unable to do its best job.

Acid insufficiency. Around age 30, the average person's stomach begins to secrete less hydrochloric acid. This decline continues as a person ages. Diminished production of gastric acid affects about 30% of persons over age 70.' Overeating, excessive alcohol consumption, or the habitual use of antacids may also dilute the concentration of stomach acid, reducing the total amount of HCl available for digestion.

Many people believe that indigestion results from excess stomach acid, an assumption that is understandable given the "burning" sensation often accompanying stomach distress. Acid insufficiency, however, is a much more common cause of indigestion.2 Without ample acid, food cannot be fully digested, absorbed, and utilized. Nutritional deficiencies can result if not enough stomach HCl is present to promote the absorption of key nutrients, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamin B12. Compounding this problem is the fact that many older people have an overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach that are normally killed by acid.3 These bacteria can compete for nutrients, taking them up for their own use.

Enzyme insufficiency. In many people, the ability to digest lactose gradually disappears with age due to a progressive decline in the body's synthesis of the enzyme lactase. The resulting condition is called lactose intolerance. The severity of the symptoms of lactose intolerance can vary depending on how much lactose is ingested and the severity of the intolerance, or lactase deficiency.

GNLD's BETA-GEST™ SUPPORTS THE STOMACH'S NATURAL DIGESTIVE PROCESS

Beta-Gest™ addresses the causes of indigestion, not just the symptoms!

Some digestive aids, such as antacids, address only the symptoms of indigestion. GNLD's Beta-Gest, on the other hand, was formulated to address the causes of improper digestion that underlie the symptoms. It supports the body's natural digestive processes with hydrochloric acid (HCl) and enzymes that break down protein and milk sugar.

BETAINE HCI, AN EFFECTIVE SOURCE FOR HYDROCHLORIC ACID

The key ingredient in Beta-Gest is betaine hydrochloride (HCl), a compound found naturally in the leaves and roots of beets. Beta-Gest"' tablets release hydrochloric acid in the stomach at a "controlled" rate similar to natural gastric secretion. The result is more effective digestion through a supplement that is safe and well-tolerated.

PLANT-SOURCED ENZYMES

Beta-Gest's complete formula also includes plant-derived enzymes: acid-stable protease and papain to assist protein digestion, and lactase to assist lactose digestion. Each enzyme has been specifically chosen for its high level of activity in the pH environment normally found at the sites where the enzymes do their digestive jobs.

GNLD's Beta-Gest is a safe and effective means of supporting the body's natural digestive processes and promoting the absorption of several key nutrients. It could help you make the most of a healthy diet!

Retailprice:
Beta-Gest™ Digestive Aid $ 18.35 plus shipping (100 tablets)

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OTHER DIGESTIVE AIDS:

Enzyme Disgestive Aid® is a broad-spectrum, plant-derived intestinal enzymes to promote improved digestion with Targeted Delivery Technology.
Acidophilus Plus® delivers naturally occurring micro-organisms to the intestinal tract to benefit the digestive processes and help stabilize the intestinal environment, also with Targeted Delivery Technology.