DISCLAIMER: Information on this page is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by a competent health care professional. You should not use this information in diagnosing or treating a health problem. No claim or opinion expressed on this web site is intended to be, nor should be construed to be, medical advice. If you are now taking any drugs, prescribed or not, or have a medical condition, please consult a competent physician who is aware of herb/drug interactions before taking any herbal supplements. The information presented herein has not been evaluated by the FDA or the Department of Health and is not intended to diagnose, prevent or treat any disease or illness.
Q: Is it safe for me to take Green Vibrance while I am pregnant? I want to make sure that all the ingredients in the product is safe - particularly Ginkgo biloba - there is some information on the web that it is not recommended for pregnant women, but perhaps that is for certain dosages
A: It is safe to take Green Vibrance during pregnancy and lactation. Many women have used Green Vibrance throughout their pregnancies to great benefit for themselves and the fetus. Green Vibrance delivers essential trace nutrition that benefits both mother and child while improving digestion so that nutrient intake can be maximized. Other ingredients – including ginkgo biloba – help improve circulation thereby enhancing nutrient delivery to all cells and, of course, to the placenta.
The potential dangers of ginkgo biloba alluded to on the web are related to two factors: 1.) Dosage (as you surmised), and 2) vascular integrity. Dosages of hundreds of milligrams per day of ginkgo extract would be unwise for anyone without first paying close attention to overall cardiovascular health. Blood vessels can be prone to leakage IF nutrition is poor. If vitamin C, zinc, calcium, polyphenols, and, to a lesser degree, vitamin D, vitamin K and boron are undersupplied in the diet, collagen synthesis suffers, and blood can leak thorough capillary walls at frightening rates. The medical community fears ginkgo, because it can thin blood, and improve circulation. Thinner blood will be more prone to seeping rapidly through capillary walls if vascular integrity is poor.
Much of allopathic physician’s fear is unfortunately founded on ignorance. They cannot know everything, of course, and the nuances of herbal substances remain unknown to most of them. They are unaware that ginkgo biloba also contains a range of polyphenols that actually improve vascular integrity. So the concern that ginkgo, in conservative doses, may lead to excessive bleeding is overrated, especially in healthy individuals. [However, it is certainly not recommended to give ginkgo to a patient suffering with scurvy. In such a case, vascular integrity has deteriorated to such a point that other nutrients (e.g. vitamin C, zinc, calcium, vitamin D) are needed first to restore firm collagen bonds among the cells of vascular tissue before any blood thinning agent can be given.]
In Green Vibrance, ginkgo biloba is present at a dosage that will not lead to capillary leakage, but will enhance circulation. It is safe to make this statement because the ginkgo is also paired with grape seed extract, milk thistle extract, green tea extract, and Acerola berry extract. All of these botanical extracts supply vitamin C and polyphenols that will enhance vascular integrity. Other nutrients that help build and sustain vascular integrity can be found throughout Green Vibrance (i.e. calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K and boron.)
Green Vibrance is balanced, and thoughtfully formulated. It has contributed to the birth of many strong, healthy babies since it first appeared in 1992.
Q: What
is a "green food"?
A: A
green food, in our estimation, is more than just anything that is green. Yes,
it is important that the food be a green plant, but the concept of a “green food”
in the dietary supplement industry carries with it the understanding that it is
not only green, but also nutrient dense. At the top of the list of such foods
are parsley, and the cereal grasses. Each of these foods is decidedly NOT
succulent, meaning they are not pumped up with water or sugars or starches or
fats. You can think of them as the power packed, lean athletes of the plant
kingdom. Relative to the amount of calories present in the plants, there is a
much greater biomass of trace nutrients than in any other food we know of at
this time. If you dry such green foods, and then powder them, opening cells to
full digestion, or take away the small amount of cellulose through juicing in
order to release the nutrients, the beneficial impact on biochemistry can be
significant.
Q: What
is a "super food"?
A: The
term “super food” has become muddied recently with the introduction of
individual exotic plants such as Amla and Goji berries, for example, many of
which are touted as super foods by themselves. The claim is based on their
content of unique polyphenols or broad range of nutrients (as in the case of
Amla) that give them better nutrient density than foods commonly eaten.
However, as marketing has its way, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries,
broccoli, onions and cauliflower, among others, are now having the term “super
food” attached to them, some more deservedly than others.
Given
that Vibrant Health introduced the first “super food,” Green Vibrance, to the
retail market in 1992, we probably have – or at least had – the authority to
define the term. Our interpretation is that a super food aggressively presents
the human body with a broad range of nutrients at meaningful potencies but
along with the fewest number of calories possible. In other words, a super food
MUST be extremely nutrient dense. But in order to make good on its promise of
being “super,” those nutrients must make it into the body, and be utilized.
Therefore, a comprehensive super food must also do all it can to rehabilitate
or enhance digestive capabilities in the consumer, and improve circulation so
that those nutrients can ultimately be delivered to every cell of the body. In
addition, our modern, more hygienic environment, infused as it is with man-made
toxic elements (e.g. dioxins, PCBs, lead, cadmium, pesticides, etc.), requires
both improvement to our immune systems, and support for liver function. If
immunity is strong, and the liver is efficiently removing waste substances and
toxins, one’s health can be advanced to a “super” level. These are, indeed, the
core functions of Green Vibrance.
Q: What
are the benefits for athletes in adding green foods to their regimen?
A: Endurance,
strength and faster recovery. As each cell is provided the trace nutrients it
needs to function at optimal efficiency (a primary goal of Green Vibrance for
instance), cells will have no trouble producing energy on demand, thereby
boosting both strength and endurance. It follows that cellular wastes,
generated during a workout, will be more efficiently expelled from the cell,
and that tissue repair will be more speedily accomplished.
Q: How
do you recommend athletes add green foods to their diet effectively?
A: Simply
mixing them into water or a smoothie or a favorite juice is sufficient. In the
case of Green Vibrance, more probiotics will survive the digestive process if
the product is taken 30 to 45 minutes AFTER a meal. At that stage of digestion,
food from the preceding meal has diluted stomach acid, raising pH to a level
that will not degrade the probiotics in Green Vibrance.
Q: Does GV contain any phytates or
lectins? These are found in grains and I cannot consume them.
A: Whole
grains can indeed be looked upon as the primary source for phytates. Lectins
are more abundant in beans. Phytates are famous for inhibiting absorption of minerals,
while lectins interfere with protein digestion, and slow the breakdown of
carbohydrate. Both come from the mature seed of the plant.
Green Vibrance DOES NOT contain any component derived
from any mature grain or bean other than 200 mg of de-oiled flaxseed and pure,
anti-nutrient free phospholipids (lecithin) from soybeans. No ingredient within
Green Vibrance is known to be a source of either phytates or lectins. Cereal
grasses from wheat, oat or barley are just that: grasses. They are the immature
plant that sprouts from the ground looking very much like a ramrod straight,
unmowed the lawn before harvest. These immature plants are extremely nutrient
dense just prior to the jointing phase, and are still many, many weeks away
from developing their seed heads. Therefore, since Green Vibrance contains
cereal grass juice powders and neither any
grains from a mature plant’s seed head nor any bean extracts or powders or
substances of any kind, Green Vibrance is not known to contain any phytates or
lectins.
One primary goal of Green Vibrance is to deliver
concentrated nutrition and improve the consumer's digestive capabilities. The
formula was specifically designed so that it would not contain either phytates
or lectins, substances that interfere with digestion and nutrient absorption.
On the contrary, it contains a host of (rather costly) ingredients whose roles
are to enhance digestive capabilities, making nutrient absorption more rapid
and efficient.
Q: What is the source the immunoglobulins in Immune Defense?
A: The immunoglobulins in Vibrant Health products come from blood serum, not from bovine colostrum. Immunoglobulins from blood serum are richer in Immunoglobulin G (IgG), and cover a broader range of pathologies.
Q: Is it ok to take the Phyto-Boron and Super Natural Calcium together to help osteoporosis?
A: Yes, absolutely. Taking them together is fine, although the boron can be taken whenever it is convenient.
Q: Why are Maximized Curcuminoids and Super Natural Calcium in tablet form rather than capsules? What about the use of dicalcium phosphate and magnesium stearate as excipients?
A: The raw materials in Maximized Curcuminoids (turmeric root extract) and Green Calcium (hydrilla verticillata) have low bulk densities. Encapsulation would result in the need for multiple large capsules in order to provide a meaningful dose. For example, 1000-mg dose of curcuminoids would require two “00” or three “0” capsules, both of which are pretty hefty capsules about 20 mm in length. Vibrant Health’s tablets are all made using a minimum of excipients derived exclusively from purely vegetable sources. The Green Calcium tablet is quite a technological achievement, using just 6 mg of vegetable-sourced magnesium stearate as the only excipient other than a plant-derived cellulose coating.
Q: Does the Arthred in Joint Vibrance come from cows that are raised organically or at least without the use of antibiotics or growth hormones?
A: Arthred is manufactured in Germany from the hides of German cattle. The animals are not necessarily organically grown, but Germany and the EU have strict regulations governing the health and biochemical cleanliness of livestock. Use of growth hormones and the sale of hormone treated beef are banned within the EU, and twenty years ago, Europe banned the importation of animals treated with growth hormones. Even so, the process of extracting the collagen from hides, after which the hydrolysis of collagen to gelatin and then to Arthred removes any impurities or contaminants, including BSE. Arthred is thus pharmaceutically pure free amino acids, di and tri-peptides from collagen.
Q: Where does phyto-boron come from?
A: Our phyto-boron is a patented calcium fructo-borate that Vibrant Health obtains from Van Drunen Farms. Human clinical trials verify its high bioavailability. The material is synthesized by replicating the forms of boron found in fruit where boron is bound to calcium and fruit sugars
Q: I had some discomfort in my knees, hip and shoulder that seems to have improved since I began using Joint Vibrance. What maintenance dose would you recommend?
A: The answer to that depends on the degree of joint damage present at the start of your Joint Vibrance regimen. If you still have any discomfort in your knees, hip or shoulder, I would recommend continuing Joint Vibrance at a full scoop each day. At some point in time, you will notice either that your joints either no longer bother you at all, or there appears to be no further improvement to be hoped for.
If you have reached a stage where the joints are pain free, with good mobility, or where no further improvement is to be had, I recommend switching to a maintenance program where you do not take Joint Vibrance for about 8 weeks, and then take it again on a daily basis for about a month. This alternating schedule will allow you to maintain previous gains, and repair any wear and tear that occurs during the periods “off” Joint Vibrance.
Q: I am concerned that absorbing high amounts of calcium may cause constipation.
A: Absorbed calcium plays far less a role in constipation than calcium compounds in transit through the bowels do, and since calcium is required for muscle contraction, absorbed calcium actually normalizes peristaltic action (the waves of muscle contractions that move things through the bowel) thus helping to ensure efficient transit of contents through the intestinal tract. Calcium from a food such as the hydrilla verticillata in Green Calcium is the least constipating of all forms of calcium.
Normal bowel function can be expected from a diet short on grains and refined carbohydrates, but containing plenty of fiber from fruits and vegetables and an adequate supply of probiotics, magnesium and Vitamin C.
Q: How much vitamin D should be taken with Super Natural Calcium?
A: A good daily intake of Vitamin D is now considered to be 2,000 i.u. Some researchers are advising daily intake of 5,000 i.u., similar to the recommended daily Vitamin A dosage, for optimal health.
D3 is the ideal form of Vitamin D to take as a supplement. The human body has control mechanisms in place that regulate conversion of D3 to its hormonal form, whereas D2 is foreign to the body, lacks controls, and can actually be too aggressive, causing deposition of calcium into soft tissues such as the arteries and muscles, a side effect not shared with D3.
Q: What do the terms “Gram negative” and “Gram positive” mean with respect to probiotics?
A: Gram negative and Gram positive refer to the dye stain used in the identification of bacteria. Gram staining is named for Hans Christian Joachim Gram (1853-1938), the Danish bacteriologist who developed the process. Gram gained an international reputation with his development of the method of staining bacteria that later played a major role in classifying bacteria.
The terms “negative” and “positive” carry no connotations of “bad” or “good” and refer only to the fact, which Gram observed, that some bacteria (Gram positive) hold on to the dye, but that alcohol or acetone can be used to wash the dye out of other bacteria (Gram negative). The retention or release of the stain by the bacteria relates to the structure of the bacteria’s cell membrane. Probiotic bacteria appear to be all Gram positive.
Q: Is there is any contraindication of Joint Vibrance with Methotrexate?
A: No, separate functions of Joint Vibrance and of Methotrexate do not conflict. Methotrexate interferes with cell replication, and can inhibit several enzymes, resulting in immune suppression of T-cell function. Joint Vibrance is designed to stimulate and support the synthesis of collagen and cartilage. The process does not call for the growth of new cells, but only demands that the cells (Chondorcytes) already present inside the cartilage do their job of manufacturing the components of new cartilage.
Q: Does your Super Natural Calcium product have magnesium?
A: Green Calcium is low in Magnesium, although we are searching for a source of Magnesium that could be added to Green Calcium. In the meantime, We suggest supplemental Mg orotate, Mg diglycinate, Mg 2-AEP, Mg taurate, Mg aspartate, Mg Krebs cycle, or Mg citrate/malate. Magnesium should be taken with food in divided dosages. This means it should be taken in smaller dosages twice or three times per day in order to minimize its laxative effect. The first 4 types mentioned above are the least laxative. Daily dosage of Mg should be 80% to 100% of the dosage of calcium.
We also recommend vitamin D3 at a minimum daily intake of 2,000 i.u. However, current research indicates that if one’s bones are weakening, then 4,000 i.u are needed to restore and maintain appropriate levels of hormonal D (1-25-dihydroxy D3), which is the form of Vitamin D actually involved in placing calcium into bone tissue.
Q: What are the best forms of supplemental magnesium, and when should I take them?
A: We like high-magnesium Dunaliella salina algae, Mg taurate, Mg 2-AEP, Mg orotate, and Mg diglycinate, as well as Mg aspartate. These seem to be highly bioavailable and lowest in laxative effect. Magnesium oxide is the worst, with low to zero bioavailability, and a tendency to be readily converted to magnesium hydroxide (aka “Milk of Magnesia”) in the intestines.
Low magnesium can lead to muscle cramps, heart arrhythmias, hardening arteries, high blood pressure, and poor calcium utilization. Since it stimulates parathyroid hormone, the hormone that commands osteoclasts to tear down bone, supplemental Mg should be taken from morning to mid afternoon, when the pull of gravity counters parathyroid hormone by calling forth calcitonin, the hormone that stimulates bone building osteoblasts. Then, at night, when parathyroid hormone usually holds sway, take some calcium and vitamin D3 before retiring to reduce parathyroid hormone secretion.
Q: What is the suggested daily intake of Super Natural Calcium (hydrilla verticillata) for teenagers, adults and pregnant women?
A: Teenagers’ metabolism is at its lifetime peak, building most tissues at a fearsome rate. Calcium is needed at high levels. Depending on the quality of the diet, 1,000 to 2,000 mg of calcium should support growth well. However, soft drink consumption (especially those containing phosphoric acid), processed foods, snack items and other less-than-wholesome foods that often invade a youth’s diet, can compromise the dietary calcium contribution and utilization.
Dietary habits play such an important role in calcium bioavailability and utilization that it is impossible to accurately predict what intake of calcium will work best for any given person without knowing their customary eating habits and lifestyle choices. Nevertheless, most experts claim that 1,000 to 1,200 mg calcium is adequate for adults, and 1,500 to 2,000 mg for pregnant and lactating women. For the latter, Green Calcium (hydrilla verticillata) is certainly safe for use during pregnancy. We recommend using it in combination with Phyto-Boron and Green Vibrance.
Q: Is there any Soy in your Tocotrienols?
A: There is no soy. Palm oil and rice bran oil are the sources. The capsule is gelatin.
DISCLAIMER: Information on this page is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by a competent health care professional. You should not use this information in diagnosing or treating a health problem. No claim or opinion in this email is intended to be, nor should be construed to be, medical advice. If you are now taking any drugs, prescribed or not, or have a medical condition, please consult a competent physician who is aware of herb/drug interactions before taking any herbal supplements. The information presented herein has not been evaluated by the FDA or the Department of Health and is not intended to diagnose, prevent or treat any disease or illness.
