The scientific name for Marshmallow is Althaea officinalis.  Althaea comes from Greek that means “associated with healing.”  The root as well as the leaves contain mucilage– a mucus-like substance that does not dissolve in water.  It is the abundance of this mucilage that makes Marshmallow and excellent demulcent and emollient making it useful in inflammation and irritation of the entire GI tract, and of the urinary and respiratory organs.(1)  Because of Marshmallow’s “healing properties, it can soothe irritated mucus membranes especially in the GI tract and Lung.(2)

Its connection to weight loss is that the mucilage swells in the stomach and thus promotes a feeling of fullness.(3)  When coupled with the resistant starch in Eiro Pur, and the timing of consuming Eiro Pur 1/2 hour before your evening meal, satiety is created and therefore smaller portions are consumed during the evening meal.  Marshmallow’s soothing effect on the GI tract, and the feeling of fullness created by the mucilage is the reason it is part of the Eiro Pur formula.

References:

1.  Monographs on the medicinal uses of plant drugs.  Exeter, UK: European Scientific Co-op Phytother, 1997.

2.  Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.

3.  Schultz V, Hansel R, Tyler VE. Rational Phytotherapy: A Physician’s Guide to Herbal Medicine.  Terry C. Telger, transl. 3rd ed. Berlin, GER: Springer, 1998.

Dandelion is an herb with many uses, so I’ll hit the highlights and then concentrate on why it was added to Eiro Pur.  Preliminary research suggests that dandelion might have anti-inflammatory effects.(1)  Several of the constituents of Dandelion effect inflammation by:  1.   suppressing prostaglandin E2 (similar to the way aspirin does) 2.   suppressing the COX-2 enzyme (just like several prescription drugs)(2)  3.  inhibiting production of the inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. (3)  It improves circulation, stimulates bile secretion, tones the skin, and aids in digestion, but the reason it is in Eiro Pur is its ability to increase a family of enzymes that help detoxify the body, specifically the liver and kidney.  Exactly how it does this would be a lesson in physiology and biochemistry, so let me try and put it into simple terms.

Dandelion increases a family of enzymes called UDP-glcuronosyltranferases (UDPGT’s).  UDPGT’s are a family of enzymes which detoxify many hundreds of compounds by conjugating them to glucuronic acid, renering them both harmless and more water soluble, hence excretable.(4)  This process is called Xenobiotic metabolism.  The detail people can learn more about Xenobiotic metabolism by clicking HERE, but basically what happens is that these enzymes keep breaking down a toxin until it becomes a water soluble conjugate and then can be excreted by the kidney. The Liver makes most of these enzymes and the Kidney removes the inactivated toxins from our body.  Pretty cool, huh, and Dandelion stimulates an increase in these detoxifying enzymes.  By removing these compounds from our bodies, our metabolism works more efficiently, which helps us maintain a more healthy weight.

References:

1.  Mascolo N, Autore G, Capassa G, et al. Biological screening of Italian medicinal plants for anti-inflammatory activity.  Phytother Res 1987:28-9.

2.  Hu C, Kitts DD.  Luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside from Dandelion flower suppress iNOS and COX-2 in RAW264.7 cells.  Mol Cell Biochem 2004;265:107-13.

3.  Seo SW, Koo HN, An HJ, et al.  Taraxacum officinale protects against cholecystokinin-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.  World J Gastroenterol 2005;11:597-9.

4.  Tukey RH, Strassburg CP. Human UDP-glucuronosyltranferases: metabolism, expression, and disease.  Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2000;40:581-616.

I could write several pages on how milk thistle could impact your health, the organ systems it influences, and the health conditions it has been used for, but for now, why is it in Eiro Pur?  It could get very technical in a hurry when trying to explain why this herb is in Eiro Pur, so , for now, let’s go over the basics.  The active constituent of milk thistle seed is Silymarin.  Silymarin consists of 4 flavonolignans called silibinin, isosilybinin, silichristin, and silidianin.  Silibinin makes up about 70% of silymarin.(1)  When consumed orally, silymarin goes straight to the liver where it undergoes enterohepatic recirculation. (Told you this could get technical in a hurry) What this means is that Silymarin goes from the liver via bile to the intestines, gets absorbed again, then back to the liver where it concentrates in the liver cells.(2)  What happens next is why Silymarin is in Eiro Pur.  Silymarin seems to cause an alteration in the outer cell membrane of liver cells (hepatocytes) that prevents toxin penetration.  It also stimulates the liver to replace old hepatocytes with new healthy ones.(3)  Now that we have healthy liver cells with cell membranes that toxins can’t get through, the silymarin is now free to protect the gall bladder and intestines during the enterohepatic recirculation, AND, once it is absorbed and gets into the blood, it can help protect the kidney cells as well.  Now in the kidney, silibinin and silichristin also appear to have a regenerative effect on kidney cells, similar to the effect on hepatic cells.(4)

So in a nutshell, here is what is happening.  As old liver cells (that are full of toxins) die off, they are replaced with healthy cells that have cell walls that toxins can’t penetrate.  The same thing is happening in the kidney.  During the enterohepatic circulation, Silymarin is helping to protect the gall bladder and intestines.  And as a side benefit, silibinin is an antioxidant, a free radical scavenger, and an inhibitor of lipid peroxidation (oxidative stress) in its own right.(5)  Silymarin has many other health benefits, but the purpose of this post is to help you understand how it helps you with detoxification and thus helps you make yourself whole.

References:

1.  Boerth J, Strong KM. The clinical utility of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) in cirrhosis of the liver.  J Herbal Pharmacotherapy 2002;2:11-7.

2.  Manna SK, Mukhopadhyay A, Van NT, Aggarwal BB.  Silymarin suppresses TNF-induced activation of NF-kappa B, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and apoptosis.  J Immunol 1999;163:6800-9.

3.  Salmi HA, Sarna S.  Effect of silymarin on chemical, functional, and morphological alterations of the liver.  A double-blind, controlled study. Scand J Gastroenterol 1982;17:517-21.

4.  Sonnenbichler J, Scalera F, Sonnenbichler I, Weyhenmeyer R.  Stimulatory effects of slilbinin and silichristin from the milk thistle Silybum marianum on kidney cells.  J Pharmacol  Exp Ther 1999;290:1375-83.

5.  Flora K, Hahn M, Rosen H, Benner K.  Milk Thistlr (Silybum marianum) for the therapy of liver disease.  AM J Gastroenterol 1998;93:139-43.

Spirulina is a Blue-Green algae with many phytonutrients that can positively impact your health.  It is a very high quality protein source, with more protein value than beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, soybeans, rice, tofu, or wheat, and is 5 times more digestible than meat or soy.  It contains 18 amino acids including all 8 of the essential amino acids.  It is the highest whole foods source of vitamin B-12 and has 25 times more beta-carotene than carrots.(1,2)  It contains a rare essential fatty acid that is key to brain health: Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and other than breast milk, is the only whole foods source of this fatty acid.(3)  It has 8 minerals including Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, and Selenium.  Its deep green color comes from chlorophyll (green), phycocyanin (blue) and carotenoids (orange).(1,2)

Spirulina is best know for its ability to chelate heavy metals.  From aluminum in deodorants to mercury in seafood, and arsenic, cadmium and lead from industrial waste, metal toxicity seems to come at us from every angle theses days.  Yes, we should work to avoid these substances as much as possible, but some exposure is unavoidable at times.  Since even small amounts of heavy metals can cause negative side effects, it is important to cleanse the body of these toxins.  Spirulina works as an effective chelating agent for removing these toxins from the body.(4,5)  A chelating agent is a molecule that binds to a metal creating a soluble compound that can be removed by the kidney.  With the inclusion of Spirulina to Eiro Pur, it allows the kidney to gently remove these heavy metals from the body over time.

References:

1.  Babadzhanov, A.S., et al. “Chemical Composition of Spirulina Platensis Cultivated in Uzbekistan.” Chemistry of Natural Compounds. 40, 3, 2004.

2.  Tokusoglu, O., Unal, M.K. “Biomass Nutrient Profiles of Three Microalgae: Spirulina platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, and Isochrisis galbana.” Journal of Food Science. 68, 4, 2003.

3.  Otles, S., Pire, R., Fatty Acid Composition of Chlorella and Spirulina microalgae species. J OAOC Int. 2001 Nov-Dec;84(6):1708-14.

4.  Jeyaprakash K, Chinnaswarmy P.  Effects of spirulina and Liv-52 on cadmium toxicity in albino rats.  Indian J Exp Biol. 2005 Sept;43(9):773-81.

5.  Ponce-Canchihuaman JC, Perez-Mendez O, et al.  Protective effects of Spirulina maxima on hyperlipidemia and oxidative-stress induced by lead acetate in liver and kidney.  Lipids Health Dis.  2010 Mar 31;9:35.

What is the function of Eiro’s Detox Blend and how is it different from the Colon Flush or Colon Cleanse that has become so popular in weight loss products?  If you have ever had a colonoscopy (you over 50 people) you know what happens during a colon cleanse.  If you haven’t then maybe you have had a bowel prep and know why the word “cleanse” raises so much concern.  Yes, these popular “cleanses” cause a laxative effect and no one wants to consume a product on a daily basis that will have us chained to the bathroom door.  So how is Eiro Pur different, and what exactly is it cleansing from your body?

Eiro Pur provides a gentle detoxification of the major organ systems of your body, NOT a violent purge of the contents of your colon.  The natural herbal detoxifiers help your body safely remove accumulated cellular waste, environmentally acquired toxic by-products, heavy metals, and a host of other not supposed to be there chemicals that congest your blood, gall bladder, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, spleen, and yes, your gastrointestinal tract.  I will provide you with details on each of the detoxifiers contained in Eiro Pur;  which organ system they effect, and how each contributes to this detoxification process in future posts.  Be assured that Eiro Pur will be a product you will want to consume daily, that will positively impact your health, and WILL NOT confine you to the house no more than 10 feet away from the bathroom.

Much research went into this product, and extensive research was done before choosing which ingredients would be included.  The prebiotics and detoxifying herbals each have a specific purpose.  You know why FOS was included and how it helps to change your ratio of gut micoflora.  When I’m done, you will also know why each herbal ingredient was chosen.  Stay tuned!

As stated previously, there is a direct relationship between the ratio of the gut bacteria strains Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes to weight gain and obesity. The greater the shift toward the bacteroidetes strains the more favorable the conditions are for weight loss.(1,2)  So why not directly increase these bacteroidetes strains?  The main reason is that there is no scientific proof that you can alter the ratio by directly supplementing with probiotics containing these beneficial strains.  It is very difficult for  probiotics to survive  the very challenging conditions through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract before they are able to colonize the gut.  There is, however, several studies that have shown that you can alter this ratio by creating a favorable environment within the GI tract for these strains to live, grow, and thrive.  You create this favorable environment through the proper use of prebiotics.

The prebiotics contained in Eiro Pur are Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and Resistant Starch. FOS serves as a substrate to encourage the growth of the right strains of gut flora and also prevents yeast growth in the GI tract.  FOS also promotes calcium absorption.(3,4)  The microflora ferments FOS which  lowers the gut pH.  Since calcium is more soluble in an acid environment, more calcium is available to enter the bloodstream.  These acids created by the fermentation of FOS provide some energy to the body with a very low caloric value.  We have discussed Resistant Starch in the posts on EiroLean and you can review it here, but resistant starch is also a prebiotic and helps promote the favorable ratio.

References:

1.  Ley R, Turnbaugh P, Klein S, Gordon J (2006). “Microbial ecology: human gut microbes associated with obesity”. Nature 444 (7122): 1022–3.

2.  Turnbaugh P, Ley R, Mahowald M, Magrini V, Mardis E, Gordon J (2006). “An obesity-associated gut microbiome with increased capacity for energy harvest”. Nature 444 (7122): 1027–31.

3.  Zafar, T.A., C.M. Weaver, et al. 2004. Nondigestible oligosaccharides increase calcium absorption and suppress bone resorption in ovariectomized rats. Journal of Nutrition 134(February):399-402.

4.  van den Heuvel, E., et al. 1999 Oligofructose stimulates calcium absorption in adolescents. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 69(March):544-548.

The main questions are these: How does Eiro Pur help in a weight management program?  Why a prebiotic and not a probiotic?  What is the significance  of a detoxifying cleanse, and how does this help me with weight management and overall health? Great questions that I will answer in detail in coming posts. As customary on the Eiro Pharmacist, I will also give details on each ingredient, and why it was included in Eiro Pur, so you will have a better understanding on why this will be one product you will want to use daily.

In a nutshell, this is what Eiro wanted to accomplish with this product.  The microbes occupying the human gut have a direct relationship in how we digest and utilize the food we eat.  The composition of the gut flora is connected to the energy-reabsorbing potential of undigested carbohydrates, especially polysaccharides.   It is known from experiments on mice that the ratio between the bacteria divisions of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes have a direct relation to obesity.  If there is a shift towards the firmicutes strains, weight gain occurs.  Conversely, if there is a shift towards the bacteroidetes strains, then weight loss occurs.  If you could design a product that would provide a favorable shift in this ratio and detoxify the body, then you could promote weight management and improve overall health.  Eiro Pur has accomplished this and I will explain how.  Stay tuned!