Personal Health Blog

Natural Coconut Water

A fashionable product is bottled coconut water. It is a natural electrolyte fluid and promoted as a healthy alternative from the Gatorade. Although I must say that I am disappointed with certain brands that have added variety to offer other flavors (mango, blueberry, pina colada) and sugar. For me, natural coconut water is my favorite, I avoid the addition of flavor or sugar so that the original flavor is lost.

Coconut oil, coconut and coconut sweets are also fashionable. We have seen that the Asian companies and Brazil have put the battery in this area, as the producer of this fruit and take advantage of the logistics.

I had recommended 3 brands of coconut water:

O.N.E.™ is 100% natural coconut water, which is the water inside a young green coconut. It is naturally filtered for nine months through the dense fibers of the coconut creating a nutritious, pure and refreshing isotonic beverage.

ZICO Natural is 100% pure water from young coconuts. We hand-harvest our coconuts when the water inside reaches a peak level of potassium and the perfect balance of electrolytes. Captured 100% pure in this convenient, environmentally friendly package, ZICO is simply the best tasting and most nutritious coconut water this side of the tropics.

ZICO Natural has more potassium than a banana, four other naturally occurring electrolytes, only 60 calories per 14 oz serving, and zero fat, zero added sugar and zero cholesterol. It is low in acidity and high in potent antioxidants.

By K Sprite – We drink this coconut water every day in our house. It’s become somewhat of an obsession. We used to have a subscription to the 12 pack of vitacoco and when that ran out we tried this instead. I like it better. It tastes cleaner though I can’t describe what’s different about it, I just feel better after drinking this than drinking the vitacoco. Coconut water in general has an odd taste to it but it’s still really sweet and feels SO refreshing when you drink it. If I’m really hungry I drink this between meals and it’s kind of like a protein shake or energy drink. It settles my stomach and gives me a fantastic burst of energy.

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Coconut Water Benefits

Coconut is a very nutritious food, thanks to its high level of minerals and fiber, one of the fruits with the highest caloric value that exists in the world. Its properties are highly beneficial to health and are massively enjoyed around the world. Its high mineral content, acts as remineralizing the bones, teeth and nails

Coconut is a valuable food for children, contains a large amount of sugar, vitamin C, some B vitamins and most minerals. Used to control urinary disorders, liver, kidney and heart, among others.

Coconut water benefits: it is sweet due to its high content of natural sugars that help improve digestion, cleanses the urinary tract and acts as a lubricant for all body systems, one of the purest nutrients that nature provides us.

Coconut water is low in carbohydrates, 99% fat free, sugar-containing organic compounds and properties of which promote healthy growth, is ideal for people who suffer from eating disorders or anemia. It’s good to regulate body fluid levels, helping to maintain blood pressure, circulation, kidney and liver functions.

Coconut water applied directly to the skin, helps eliminate eczema, prevents dandruff, wrinkles, dry skin and helps keep skin soft and smooth.

Potassium is one of the many minerals that provides the coconut water is an electrolyte regulating our body, which helps to better elimination of toxins by natural means.

By his mineralizing power, get the coconut water benefits to take before, during or after sports or physical activity, as well as being very refreshing and tasty.

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Health Benefits of Coconut Water

Health benefits of coconut water: Coconut water has a sweet taste very special, as it has become a healthy alternative to soft drinks and a perfect substitute for specific sports drinks. The truth is that coconut water has been shown to help improve physical performance and muscle recovery. In addition, nutritionists recommend that athletes because of its low calorie content and its natural supply of water and essential electrolytes.

Coconut water is the liquid inside the fruit. If he says the greener, the more abundant and rich in nutrients will be water. The result is a perfect drinking coconut water to quench thirst, widely consumed in tropical countries where coconut palms are grown. Because of its composition, coconut water has become an alternative to energy drinks and sugary for persons with high physical activity muscle. In addition, the slight sweetness helps digestion and does not cause stomach feeling full after eating, so lets continue the exercise without problems.

Full restoration of fluid and electrolyte allows a better recovery of muscle tone. If exercise is not long lasting or very intense, it is sufficient to drink coconut water just before the start, it’s good to drink during and after exercise to ensure proper hydration, especially if environmental conditions are hot. If a more physically demanding, it is necessary to use sports drinks, developed specifically to repair the fluids lost through sweating and evaporation of the body itself.

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Coconut Water

Considered by its nutritional composition as the ‘liquid life’, the coconut water has ceased to be a typical food of the Caribbean to become a product that increasingly taking more presence around the world. The coconut serves as a natural water filter, and to get there, the liquid rises through innumerable fibers which purify the water resulting in a natural drink rich in vitamins and minerals.

Possessing an electrolyte profile nearly identical to the human body, potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium and phosphorus, coconut water is not surprising that their intake is especially recommended for athletes. In fact, the Organization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommended as a natural alternative to sports drinks processed.

Coconut water essential nutrients

coconut waterThe secret of its nutritional richness lies in its composition and that “contains water, 94 percent, and a wide variety of minerals essential for normal body functioning among which is the magnesium (30 mg per hundred grams) and potassium (312 milligrams per hundred grams), “recalls Gonzalez. It is also rich in vitamins, “especially in group B, folate and enzymes, amino acids and phyto-hormonal substances. Further amenities include a moderate amount of simple sugars, which determines its low calorie, 20 calories per hundred milliliters. Although coconut is considered a fruit with a high input energy, water containing just add calories. “It has a fat medium chain, which causes the liver to metabolize it easily and therefore will not work too.

Health benefits of coconut water

There are many health benefits of coconut water. The presence of cytokinins, plant hormones, “according to scientific studies show a protective effect against aging and weight loss, thrombotic processes and oxidative degeneration. Regarding its natural enzymes bioactive composition contains acid phosphatase, catalase, and peroxidase diastase, among others, which are involved in metabolic processes of the organism and digestion. It has a high amount of protein and a high percentage of some essential amino acids.” Unlike other foods, coconut water is no contraindications, compared to the fruit, “to be moderate in sugars, low energy, but rich in micronutrients, is recommended for children, adults and elders.”

Products that claim to be created with water from the pulp and coconut water have been increasingly popular to assert that help the body recover and rehydrate after exercise and burn energy. However, they are now under scrutiny after finding a discrepancy between the compounds listed in the coconut water nutrition content of its packaging and those found in the liquid in the container.

Researchers Consumerlab.com tested the contents of some of the best coconut water brands to discover their levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium and sugar. As part of its findings found that only the brand Zico Natural coconut water contains the amount that claims to have all the ingredients while other brands such as Vita Coconut water and O.N.E found to have much lower levels of sodium and magnesium.

The fact that the products do not contain the elements that claim to have not necessarily mean they can harm the body, but rather not have the pure coconut water and content can not provide the desired results from energy drink.

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Muscular dystrophy Diagnosis

Muscular dystrophy is a group of several types of progressive degenerative diseases of the muscles. Taking each type and individual characteristics that differentiate it from other types of DM. At first glance, you can think through these features can make an identification or muscular dystrophy diagnosis type involved. But overall, we need to know in more detail what kind it actually is, giving a more accurate diagnosis and resulting in better management of long-term condition. Since due to many types of DM are very similar, it is necessary.

Muscular dystrophy Diagnosis

Physical exam by physician: A detailed DM diagnosis usually consists of a series of medical examinations or tests and clinics, which directly or indirectly show whether muscular dystrophy is present and which type is what is implied. It started with the physician’s suspicion of its presence. Such diagnostic tests are:

It is observed that the disease presents features, posture, walking, standing, climbing stairs, all to appreciate that physical abilities are affected and which not. Once done, physical palpation, checking individual muscles or groups of them, looking for a pattern of weakening them through muscle mass, size (abnormal) and flexibility. Traversed in this review the doctor may suspect whether the pattern of decline is typical of a muscular dystrophy. Depending on the overall results of this examination, he asked medical examinations for specific clinical DM.

Muscular dystrophy Diagnosis Blood Test Creatine Kinase (CK or CPK)

In the various types of diabetes, often secondary to causes of disease, imbalances are generated and / or increased number of muscle proteins and enzymes, this being indicative of illness. The most common type of enzyme that is analyzed for signs of the condition, the enzyme creatine kinase, which is found in muscles. CK is an enzyme that plays a very important role in energy production within cells or muscle fibers. This enzyme normally increases in the blood when muscle tissue is damaged by various causes, this smaller increase. But in the case of DM due to progressive muscle degeneration process, the damaged muscle tissue blood flow sends large amounts of CK, well above normal, between 10 and 100 times more than normal.
It is therefore by measuring the amount of CK in the blood, indirectly, can have a clear indication of the presence of the disease.

Muscular dystrophy Diagnosis with Electromyography (EMG):

Normally when a muscle contracts, an electrical flow in the muscle tissue in response to electrical nerve signal. The electrical pattern of the electrical flow, is well known in a healthy muscle. In the case of DM muscle tissue operates abnormally, so that the electrical flow in response to electrical nerve signal will be abnormal, causing an abnormal pattern of this flow, which can be recognized. The form used to measure the abnormality is through a special device known as electromyography, which measures and records electrical flow patterns of muscle contraction. A review of EMG, two small electrodes are placed above the device on the skin over the muscle, a small electrical charge generated by the device, and this measures the electrical response of muscle to contract by the load. Once measured and recorded the electrical flow will be analyzed for any abnormalities, and on that basis will know if the disease is present.

Biopsy

A biopsy is a minor surgical procedure in which a tiny piece of tissue or organ, this to be studied in detail under a microscope by a pathologist (a specialist who looks for the presence of disease), and find presence of certain disease at the cellular level. In the case of DM the biopsy is done on muscle tissue, being a minor surgery, using only local anesthesia in most cases, and usually does not cause significant discomfort. Once you remove the small piece of muscle is cut in very thin sections, followed by giving special treatment to preserve the sample and so that it can be examined under a microscope. Then, the pathologist examines the sample for signs of muscle fibers of muscle damage and / or features to be told if the disease is present, how far along, and Muscular Dystrophy type possibility.
One advantage is that the biopsy sample can be analyzed several times, and by several specialists, without requiring you to perform another biopsy.

Muscular dystrophy Genetic Diagnosis:

Muscular dystrophies in full, due to a genetic problem in a related gene encoding a certain protein in muscle. Because of this, some types of diabetes is possible to examine the genetic code of the person concerned, looking if there is a problem with a gene related to any of those types of disease. In general, this type of genetic testing is of recent use, and because of that only some types of MD is known with certainty the location of the abnormal gene is not always possible to use for all types, or perhaps several family members require sample the affected party. Moreover, this type of examination tends to be much more expensive than the others, and take longer to get a result, not always performed well in the country concerned.
Yet despite this when it knows the gene involved is highly accurate, and even serves to identify a carrier and to know their chances of inheriting the disease.

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Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common inherited neuromuscular disease in childhood (1/3.000 male births), with recessive X-linked The current delay in the diagnosis of this disease makes many parents have other sons during the asymptomatic stage of the first affected child.

The objective of this review is to assess the feasibility of a neonatal screening for DMD nonselective which would give the parents of a newborn affected eugenics timely genetic counseling and to avoid the appearance of new cases.

Development. In duchenne muscular dystrophy, the enzyme creatine kinase (CK) levels are always high, since birth. Numerous international studies have shown the high sensitivity of neonatal screening for DMD by measuring the levels of CK. To this end, the heel enough impregnated filter paper and application of techniques such as spectrophotometry and fluorometric with others that have shown fast and affordable.

Given a positive outcome, there would be confirmation of diagnosis by conventional techniques appropriate genetic counseling and eugenics. Conclusion. In spite of having no effective treatment, screening for neonatal screening for DMD by CK serum technically possible at reasonable cost, could be justified in order to identify families at risk and offer genetic counseling early, thereby could be avoided as one in five cases of this serious disease.

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Muscular Dystrophy Research

U.S. scientists discovered a way to reverse muscular dystrophy
According to an article published on July 30, 2006 by BBC News, a group of U.S. scientists has discovered the Nature Genetics way to reverse muscular dystrophy in mice, encouraging the hope of finding a cure for humans. The animals in the study had myotonic dystrophy is the most common in adults.

Myotonic dystrophy causes by a major expansion of the DNA code, which probably causes a buildup of toxic messenger RNA molecules in cells. The mRNA or messenger RNA is a copy of the information carried by a gene on the DNA, so that if the DNA is defective, the mRNA will too. These abnormalities are those that lead to the loss and progressive weakness of the muscles and heart problems seen in myotonic dystrophy.

Dr Mani Mahadevan and his team thought that eliminating the toxic mRNA molecules might help reverse the process of disease. To do this, did the mice they had a faulty DNA that could be switched on or off by adding or removing an antibiotic in their drinking water.

In phase with activated DNA, the mice showed all the key features of myotonic dystrophy, on the contrary, when DNA was off, most of the mice (but not all) recovered their normal functions of skeletal muscles and heart. Although treatment was not 100% effective, the researchers believe their findings are proof that all scientists were hoping to demonstrate that it is possible to reverse muscular dystrophy.

Their work also suggests that the toxic mRNA that causes the disease.Pohlschmidt Dr. Marita, the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, UK, says that “the muscular dystrophy research results are very encouraging for finding a treatment for myotonic dystrophy. ” He adds: “It may be possible to reverse the symptoms of the disease by neutralizing the toxic substance is produced, but much work remains to be done before we can be sure will work.”

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Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophies are part of a variety of genetic alterations that are associated with different gene mutations that lead to progressive weakness and muscle atrophy. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder, which causes mutation in the dystrophin gene located on Xp21. It is fatal and has an estimated incidence of 1 in 3500 male births. The main finding is the progressive muscle weakness associated with deficiency of sarcolemmal protein called dystrophin 427-kda. There are a wide range of symptoms in the disease, which may delay diagnosis, Most changes start before the age of four, commonly characterized by difficulty in gait and falls.

muscular dystrophy statistics

Dystrophin is a large gene consisting of 2.6 million DNA base pairs and contains 79 exons. In two thirds of cases the disease is transmitted by a female carrier and the remaining third comes from de novo mutations, no family history of the disease. Approximately 60% of DMD cases are associated with a large intragenic deletion of one or more exons located significantly in the proximal and middle of the gene (exons 3-7 and 44-55 respectively).

About 6% of mutations are associated with duplication of a large segment and the remaining cases result from mutations, small deletions or insertions. The following report will refer a number of cases evaluated at our institution to ascertain the main features of clinicopathologic presentation of DMD and conducted a review of clinical and therapeutic aspects of this type of muscular dystrophy.

Muscular dystrophy Diagnosis

muscular dystrophyDMD is a lethal X-linked recessive, so the risk of recurrence in a female carrier of the disease in each pregnancy is 50% of sick children, 50% of healthy children, 50% of daughters carriers and finally 50 % of daughters carriers. The muscular dystrophy diagnosis in a family creates hence the need to detect female carriers in order to establish the appropriate genetic counseling.

In the present series only one family could study to establish the carrier status of the mother, which was performed at a national referral center. Advances in molecular genetics have expanded knowledge in relation to muscular dystrophy. Clarification of the pathogenesis, due to lack of a specific protein complex that alters the dystrophin-associated proteins has created a new classification based on the protein and genomic defect. The dystrophinopathies X-linked from a mutation in the dystrophin gene, which is the most common inherited myopathy in men and shows varying degrees of severity from asymptomatic elevation of creatine in Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD) which is the form of a mild to severe form of DMD whose disease progresses rapidly and may lose the ability to walk before 12 years.

The course of the DMB is therefore more benign and the average age of onset of symptoms such as muscle weakness and gait disturbance is reported around 12 years old. The clinical phenotype and paraclinical results are relatively homogeneous in DMD, as expressed in the cases studied in this report, which shows no significant differences in the clinical course of other series of cases reported in the literature, but the pediatrician should know to diagnose the various tests and use complementary and available for the diagnosis and provide timely medical care to the patient and family.

DMB shows a more heterogeneous, with little correlation between clinical and laboratory findings. Patients with DMD may have a lower average cognitive and can be shown more specifically on language deficits. In 25 Dutch patients with a mean age of 10 years, five had serious disorders, and five moderate reading. These reading problems were independent of the level of information processing and behavioral functioning. Analysis of reports in parents claimed: the acquisition of early precursors of language in 130 children with DMD and 59 siblings of those who were not affected.

Children with DMD were more likely to show delays in both the motor and language development also had low cognitive scores compared to their healthy siblings. These data show the need for early intervention, as early onset of limited help for learning problems will give benefit of their quality of life. A study analyzed the perception of quality of life of DMD patients conducted in Brazil, reported that the motive which produces unhappiness is caused by socialisolation, as a result of this patient immobility and the second reason is the limitations imposed by the disease, although in this case is more present in the child’s caregiver perceptions own. A cardiopulmonary disease causes progressive muscle weakness, respiratory and other skeletal muscle.

Vital capacity increased along with the physical growth during adolescence, it began to decrease in the early stages of DMD patients. It entered the phase of decline in vital capacity, falling by an average of 8.5% per year after 10-12 years. As a result, patients develop chronic alveolar hypoventilation with advanced. Heart disease manifests as dilated cardiomyopathy and / or cardiac arrhythmias. Ikeniwa, Reported two cases of patients 21 years of age with DMD complicated with dilated cardiomyopathy and stroke, dysarthria and right facial weakness in the first patient with hemiplegia and dysarthria together right at the second. Death occurs primarily from the twenty years from cardiopulmonary failure, where patients are usually subjected to mechanical ventilation.

Muscular dystrophy treatment

Advances in strategies for muscular dystrophy treatment described by Nowak and Davies include stem cell therapy, transplantation of myoblasts, gene replacement therapy, sobrereguladora therapy, proteasome inhibitors and precise correction of mutation, and other tools that are being tested, with varying results. However, the available management so far in our area are of medical, surgical and rehabilitation, to optimize and maintain function.

Among the different drugs have been tried as treatments only corticosteroids have provided a temporary improvement. The results show a low rate of progression or stabilizing muscle strength, but the adverse effects of chronic steroid use has not allowed the consensus of this drug in the standard treatment for DMD. King et al Studied the effects orthopedic long-term treatment with corticosteroids in 143 young people affected, which steroid treatment significantly reduced the scoliosis for over three years independent ambulation, however, there is an increased risk of vertebral and lower limb compared with untreated patients.

The mechanism action of corticosteroids is still uncertain, although several possibilities have been proposed based on the observation in the animal model and in a limited number of patients studied, which include: 1. Altered mRNA levels of structural and signaling genes in the immune response. 2. Reduction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. 3. Decrease in calcium concentration and flow. 4. Increased expression of laminin and myogenic repair. 5. Delayed muscle apoptosis and cellular infiltration. 6. Enhances the expression of dystrophin. 7. Impairment of neuromuscular transmission. 8. Attenuates necrosis of the muscle fiber. 9. Decrease the percentage of muscle fiber damage. 10. Increased levels of taurine and creatine muscle.

However, further muscular dystrophy research is needed to establish the cellular mechanisms that demonstrate the usefulness of the drug in DMD. On the other hand has been reported that oral administration of glutamine or amino acid supplementation for more than ten days inhibits the breakdown of body protein. While there is no curative treatment can only slow the progression of the disease through a multidisciplinary approach which includes attention and assessment: neurological, nutritional, cardiovascular, respiratory, orthopedic, psychiatric and genetic latter to provide timely advice parents and relatives of patients.

It is also necessary that this treatment should be conducted at an early stage, regular and permanent in this way can reduce these effects and improve life expectancy of patients. It is necessary to know the representative aspects of this disease to be diagnosed early and in turn should be noted that other types of muscular dystrophy, whose data are needed to establish differential diagnosis. In addition to conducting a genealogy can help guide diagnosis or corroboration.

It is essential to conduct a thorough and proper clinical examination looking for signs and symptoms characteristic of the disease, testing laboratory examination results discussed in this report, as well as muscle biopsy to determine the defect through the realization of immunohistochemical and molecular studies of gene alteration, all together to determine the diagnosis of both the patient and the mother and women living in the family. In our institution is not performed molecular diagnosis of conditions such as mentioned above, important information to correlate phenotype and genotype. However, a patient with clinical suspicion of muscular dystrophy, and their families enter into a multidisciplinary clinical assessment protocol to provide comprehensive medical care. The review of cases assessed as presented in this section provides us with interesting data on the clinical course of patients, and committed group of physicians continually updated scientific advances relating to this type of alteration lethal, to provide new tools treatment to be available.

Types of muscular dystrophy

• Becker’s muscular dystrophy • Congenital muscular dystrophy • Duchenne muscular dystrophy • distal muscular dystrophy • Muscular Dystrophy Emery-Dreifuss • Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy • Duchenne muscular waist and limbs • Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy • Muscular dystrophy oculopharyngeal

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Florazyme Dietary Enzyme

Dietary advice

Dietary enzymes, enzymes that are part of the composition of food, largely destroyed by the action of heat, ie, grilling, cooking, heating or frying. Therefore raw foods will be the main food source of enzymes, making it important that the diet includes plenty of salads and fresh fruit. There are proteolytic enzymes, bromelain and papain, found in pineapple and papaya respectively, so that consumption of these fruits after meals can help digestion easier. However, these enzymes are more abundant in other parts of the plant’s own fruit, why that is often used capula that contain higher doses.

While carrying out a balanced diet, if your digestive system can not transform and absorb nutrients, it is difficult to enjoy good health, so if necessary, you can resort to the use of enzyme supplements, under the supervision of a specialist to assess the need in each case to ensure the utilization of nutrients and prevent the accumulation of toxic substances in the body.

Florazyme dietary enzyme

FloraZyme dietary enzyme takes both probiotics and digestive enzymes to fully support the absorption of precious nutrients from the foods and supplements in your diet and promote the lifelong health of your digestive tract. Florazyme help your diet more effective.

This integrated formula supports digestion in the stomach, small intestine and large intestine with a powerful blend of 18 vegetarian digestive enzymes and five specialized probiotic strains at 5 billion active cells per serving** – plus scFOS® non-gas forming prebiotic fiber for complete digestive health support.

If this is a MUST HAVE product, be sure to ORDER NOW and get the best price of Florazyme.

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Florazyme Digestive Aid

Lack of digestive enzymes

The digestion of food takes place through the action of these enzymes. There are three types of digestive enzymes, proteolytic needed to digest protein, lipase to digest fats, and amylases needed to digest carbohydrates. Most are formed inside cells in the mouth, stomach, pancreas and small intestine, i.e. along the digestive tract and glands attached.

The deficit of these enzymes affects the absorption and utilization of nutrients as protein, carbohydrates and fats, without the presence of enzymes, can not be split and lead to simpler substances that can pass into the bloodstream to be used by our cells. Also this can lead to fermentation and putrefaction of food that has been partially digested, which causes the appearance of various symptoms such as dyspepsia (indigestion difficult), flatulence or eructation (excess gas), skin problems, fatigue or fatigue, muscle or joint pain and allergic reactions, among others.

An example of digestive enzyme deficiency is the lack of lactase in the intestine. This enzyme is responsible for degrading the lactose (milk sugar), and its deficiency leads to lactose intolerance that is accompanied by flatulence, diarrhea and abdominal pain and swelling. In this case it should eliminate or reduce the amount of milk and other foods containing lactose from the diet. Yogurts and cheeses and semi contain little lactose, so they are tolerated quite well and are interesting foods to meet the daily requirements of calcium, a mineral essential for maintaining bone structure.

Florazyme Digestive Aid: recommended

FloraZyme Digestive Aid takes both probiotics and digestive enzymes to fully support the absorption of precious nutrients from the foods and supplements in your diet and promote the lifelong health of your digestive tract.

Florazyme integrated formula supports digestion in the stomach, small intestine and large intestine with a powerful blend of 18 vegetarian digestive enzymes and five specialized probiotic strains at 5 billion active cells per serving** – plus scFOS® non-gas forming prebiotic fiber for complete digestive health support.

If this is a MUST HAVE product, be sure to ORDER NOW and get the best price of Florazyme.