Digestive Enzyme

When your body produces inadequate amounts of bile salts to digest fat properly, it will instinctively develop a dislike for fats. Answer the following questions sincerely to determine how well your digestive process is taking place:

• Do you like fatty meats?
• Do you like sausages?
• If fatty meats are not something you like, do you like items such as crisp-cooked bacon or a snack such as pork skins?
• Do you like lamb?
• Do you like salmon?
• Do you like fish only if it isn’t oily or “fishy”?
• Do you like flax oil?
• Do you like nuts and/or seeds?

If you answered “yes” to the first few questions (and don’t have indigestion, bloating and gas when you eat those foods), you’re probably producing adequate amounts of bile salts. The further down the list before you answer “yes,” the more likely it is that you’re having problems digesting fat.

If fat digestion is an issue for you, I suggest using bile salts. There are several bile salt products on the market, and many can be found in your local health food store. I use the product called Cholacol from Standard Process. I recommend taking two tablets immediately before a meal.

For more information on fat digestion, digestive enzymes, or overall body digestion, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site.

Prebiotics are substances that bacteria feed on or ferment, and are necessary to maintain a healthy bacterial balance. Most prebiotics are oligosaccharides, or long-chain sugar molecules. They’re considered to be indigestible fiber, and they mostly are, at least from our perspective. But from the perspective of the bacteria, they’re quite digestible.

Whey is a particularly effective prebiotic because of the sugars it contains. (There’s one more reason to start your day with a whey protein shake.) However, many other foods and compounds are also effective as probiotics. One that’s gotten some exposure lately is inulin, from chicory root.
 
Another that’s receiving increased attention is the kiwifruit. Studies from Hong Kong and elsewhere show that eating kiwi decreased constipation and laxative use in constipated patients by improving bowel transit time. (World J Gastroenterol 07;13:4771–4775)

Some of the benefit of kiwi comes from the fiber contained in each piece. The fruit also contains enzymes that aid in digestion and improve bowel motility, the pulsations that help move food through your digestive tract. I know that kiwi isn’t the cheapest variety of fruit available in your grocery, and it’s a very seasonal item in most parts of the country. In addition, the participants in the studies I mentioned were eating around three pieces of the fruit a day.

For those reasons, I’ve been looking for substitutes for kiwi. It turns out that the best substitute is a concentrate of kiwi itself. This concentrate maintains all the enzyme activity of the whole fruit, while packing the prebiotics into a much more convenient form.

Prebiotics are often combined with probiotics to create what’s called a synbiotic. Research in animals shows that synbiotics can help reduce the risk of colon cancer. (Food Chem Toxicol 2009 Dec 21)

Synbiotics also improve healing in patients who have undergone surgery or experienced significant injury. Trials in Greece with trauma patients showed that treatment with synbiotics reduced inflammation and the risk for pneumonia and blood infections, as well as length of stay in intensive care and the amount of time spent on mechanical ventilation. (J Trauma 09;67:815–821) (World J Surg 06;30:1848–1855)

If you find that you’re currently taking a probiotic supplement, and you’re not seeing the probiotics benefits you expected, it could be due to a lack of appropriate prebiotics.

For more information on probiotic benefits, body digestion, or bowel regularity in general, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Williams’ FREE eLetter or subscribe to his monthly newsletter.

Any steps you take to increase your glutathione levels will be an extremely worthwhile investment when trying to detoxify the body. It seems that every disease process begins with a decline in glutathione levels. And when you take a closer look at many of the "miracle" antioxidants that have become popular, much of their therapeutic effect comes from the fact that they help raise glutathione levels.

You can increase glutathione levels by taking the amino acid N-acetylcysteine. N-acetylcysteine is converted in the body to glutathione. Taking 600 milligrams daily of N-acetylcysteine has been shown to increase blood plasma levels of glutathinone by 38 percent. (Euro J Can 95;31A(6):921-923)

You can also take glutathione powder, and while it's possible that it may be one of the more reliable methods of raising glutathione levels, it's also the most expensive. Jo Mar offers glutathione in bulk powder form. In homemade capsules or with food or drink, a daily dose of 500 mg will run around 50 cents a day.

Finally, melatonin has been found to stimulate the production of glutathione peroxidase, the principle enzyme for controlling free radical damage in the brain. Plus, grape seed extract, bilberry extract, curcumin from turmeric, and Pycnogenol from pine bark have all been found to increase glutathione levels.

Glutathione (pronounced "glue-tah-thi-on") is an extremely important compound that naturally occurs in the body. It is composed of three amino acids, namely glycine, glutamic acid, and cysteine. It is particular useful in detoxifying the body.

Research has shown that glutathione levels decline as we age, and there seems to be a corresponding decline in our health and longevity. It's possible in many instances that the drop in glutathione levels may be related to exposure to heavy metals like mercury, lead, and cadmium.

These metals are sulfhydryl-reactive metals. In simple terms, this means that they steal sulfur groups from enzymes, protein compounds and/or peptides such as glutathione. Once these compounds lose their sulfur component, they lose their ability to detoxify the body.

Much of glutathione's ability to improve your longevity and overall health comes from its role in detoxifying various chemicals, thereby preventing them from damaging your cellular DNA. When you increase glutathione, you in turn increase glutathione S-transferase, a naturally occurring enzyme in the body that neutralizes several different carcinogens. It keeps these toxins from damaging the cells' DNA, thus preventing cancer and other cellular damage.

Choose Glutathione–Rich Foods

There are several ways you can help to raise your glutathione levels and help increase the production of the GST enzymes:

1. Eat cruciferous vegetables. This family of vegetables is one of the richest food sources of glutathione. The most potent vegetable is Brussels sprouts. Others include: cauliflower, broccoli (particularly the flowers, not the stem), cabbage, kale, bok choy, cress, mustard, horseradish, turnips, rutabagas, and kohlrabi.
2. Eat garlic.
3. Use rosemary when cooking. At the University of Illinois, researchers found that including the herb rosemary in the diet could increase GST enzyme activity.

I am a big fan of anything that aids common digestive problems, as well as more serious conditions like celiac disease. That’s why I am such an advocate of papain.

Papain is a digestive enzyme derived from papaya. Research has shown that taking papain supplements (500 to 1,000 mg with meals) can help digest wheat gluten. It often works so well that with supplementation many celiac disease patients can once again eat wheat products without problems (Gut 64;5:295-303)! Papain can be a godsend to those people who have a gluten intolerance or allergy and must meticulously avoid wheat-containing products.

Finding papain in lower dosages combined with other digestive enzymes is easy to do. You will also find a large selection of papaya tablets. Locating papain by itself is more difficult. One source that sells papain by itself is Nutriteck. It comes as a powder, which can be taken by weighed doses. If you take it in bulk form, make sure you take it with meals. Remember, this is the same stuff used to tenderize meat. It can do a job on your tender lips and mouth if it stays there long enough!

For years, I’ve told my subscribers to chew their vitamins. Clinical research has shown that there is more to digesting something than simply dropping it in the stomach and forgetting about it. You should chew (or at least taste) all of the vitamins you are taking! Nutritional substances are really foods either concentrated or extracted in some way or another. It’s not so much the chewing that seems to be the important thing here, but instead it’s the mixing of the saliva that makes the difference.

However, digestive enzymes are the one exception to this rule. You should NEVER chew or suck on any digestive enzymes!

Digestive enzymes often contain acids and substances that are found only in the parts of the digestive system that are able to handle their caustic properties. Chewing or sucking on these substances cannot only remove enamel from your teeth, but it could cause irritation to the membrane lining of the mouth and the throat. That’s one of the reasons why many manufacturers place a coating on their digestive enzyme products.

Did you ever think that an "aspirin substitute" could come in the form of a digestive enzyme? Think again.

Bromelain is a digestive enzyme extracted from the pineapple plant. It is referred to as a "protease," which means it breaks down proteins, reducing them to their basic building blocks.

Almost 500 years ago, Christopher Columbus and his crew "discovered" the pineapple on the Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe. Even then, they were amazed at its medicinal uses. Natives used the juice to aid in digestion of meat and cure stomachaches. Women used it to beautify their skin and warriors used it to improve the healing of their wounds. Recent research suggests that the pineapple (more specifically bromelain, which is extracted from the stem) may be one of the best tools we can use to help prevent and even treat heart disease.

Research has continually shown that the clots formed in arteries are composed largely of protein (fibrin). These clots also contain particles of various fats and cholesterol, but the protein mesh of fibrin seems to be the culprit holding the clot together. In fact, the new clot-busting drugs that have been shown to dissolve 70 percent of the clots in heart patients, work by breaking down the protein fibrin!

Bromelain works much the same way as these new miracle clot-busting drugs. (Just like streptokinase, bromelain stimulates the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin, which in turn helps break down fibrin clots.) Even more surprising, bromelain may be able to "clean" arteries of atherosclerotic plaquing before a problem occurs. In an animal study, bromelain broke down arteriosclerotic plaque in the aortas of rabbits.

Bromelain also has been shown to be very effective in treating inflammation, again without the side effects of aspirin or the non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Motrin, Advil, Midol, etc. In fact, even the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has been effective using 2,250 mg of bromelain twice daily between meals. In one study, over 70 percent of those on the program experienced good to excellent results of less joint swelling, less pain and more mobility.

Bromelain is sold in health food stores everywhere as a digestive aid and is generally considered very sage, without any known side effects. After all, it comes from pineapple juice, which again has been used medicinally for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Most studies recommend between 2,000 and 4,000 mg daily. When taken to ease common digestive problems, it should be taken after meals. If you are using this digestive enzyme for inflammation and as an aspirin substitute, it is best taken between meals.

IBS has many triggers, including antibiotics, certain foods, and poor digestive capability, just to name a few.

IBS is a complicated condition with several factors that can trigger or contribute to its development. Top among these are antibiotic use, certain IBS trigger foods, or poor digestive capability.

Antibiotic Use

For many people, IBS first shows up after an infection (often one in the gastrointestinal tract), particularly when a long course of treatment or potent antibiotics have been used to address the infection. Antibiotics disrupt the normal bacterial flora in the gut, and this imbalance can lead to IBS.

Food Intolerance

Intolerance to certain foods is one of the primary triggers of IBS. Many people incorrectly refer to food intolerances as food “allergies,” but ingesting the offending foods doesn’t trigger a reaction from the immune system the way a true allergy does. Studies have shown that patients with IBS can usually correct their problem by following a diet that eliminates offending foods.

Some of the most common IBS trigger foods include:

• wheat,
• corn,
• dairy products,
• coffee,
• tea, and
• citrus fruits.

In fact, one study suggests that fructose (fruit sugar) alone may be responsible for 30 to 60 percent of all cases of IBS. The most common source of fructose in the American diet nowadays is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). And while it’s a given that you need to avoid HFCS, fruit can also trigger IBS.

Poor Digestive Capability

A decrease in digestive juices and/or enzymes results in the incomplete breakdown of various foods. Undigested proteins, fats, and carbohydrates can all create havoc in the intestinal tract. Protein fractions can be absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine and cause reactions that mimic allergies, locally as well as throughout the body.

Undigested fats can ferment in warm cavities of the lower bowel and create gas or flatulence, resulting in bloating, distension, and pain. And, undigested carbohydrates can pass to the lower bowel and provide the ideal food for the growth and replication of pathogenic and disease-causing bacteria, fungi, and yeast.

As we age, our ability to produce hydrochloric acid in the stomach is reduced—which reduces our ability to break down proteins. Sluggish bile and gallbladder problems prevent many people from properly breaking down fats in the diet. Surgical removal of the gallbladder without supplementing the diet with bile salts probably increases the difficulty a hundredfold or more.

Additional IBS Triggers

In addition to antibiotics, food intolerance, and poor digestion, there are a myriod of other factors that can trigger IBS. These include:

• genetics,
• drugs,
• radiation therapy,
• smoking,
• alcohol use or abuse,
• carbonated beverages,
• lack of sleep and exercise,
• surgical trauma or injury to the bowel,
• eating disorders, and
• use of hormones (particularly oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy).

There are dozens of digestive enzymes on the market that can improve your overall body digestion capabilities. A good digestive enzyme product will include acids and digestive enzymes similar to those produced by the stomach, like pepsin and betaine hydrochloride.

If you can’t find a digestive enzyme product at a health food store, visit Progressive Laboratories for more information. They sell an excellent product called Digestin #987.

Digestive supplements could save you significant money, if you're one of the millions of people currently using a prescription medication. A recent survey conducted by the Medical Expenditure Panel showed that more than 10% of Americans received a prescription for a digestive drug in 2007--up from about 7% in 1997. In addition, the average cost of a prescription rose from $90 to $120.

As I've said many times, digestive health supplements such as digestive enzyme supplements and probiotics can be just as effective as any drug--and at a significantly lower cost.

The category includes drugs for common digestive problems such as heartburn, ulcers, constipation, and diarrhea. And while digestive supplements aren't always the answer to every bowel problem, for many people they work like magic, restoring the natural balance in your intestinal tract.

The next time your doctor reaches for the prescription pad, think about digestive supplements as an alternative before you swallow that purple pill.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, nausea can be caused when the stomach doesn't empty quickly enough. Nausea can also arise when digestive products don't move quickly enough through the gut, a situation known as slow transit time.

If digestive enzymes don't help with your nausea, try adding probiotic digestive supplements to your daily routine. Probiotic benefits include stimulating the muscles in your intestines to improve transit time, improving bowel regularity, and reducing the possibility of bloating and gas.

Nausea after eating can be cause by delayed emptying of the stomach.

As people age, they naturally produce lower levels of digestive enzymes that are used to break food down. Other symptoms of low digestive enzyme levels include bloating and gas.

Speeding the process of food breakdown allows the stomach to release food into the small intestine more quickly.

If you frequently feel nauseated after eating, try taking digestive enzyme supplements. Look for a product such as Digestin 987, from Progressive Labs, that contains the digestive enzymes lipase, protease, and amylase.

You can cure bloating and gas, simply by adding digestive enzyme supplements to your mealtime routine.

Bloating and gas are caused by poorly digested food. The poor digestion is often due to a lack of digestive enzymes. These enzymes work on the various components of your food--proteins, fats, and carbs--to help break them down, If those components are not broken down properly, then bloating and gas are the products of the other means your body uses to extract nutrients.

Digestive enzyme supplements taken with every meal can bring long-term relief from bloating and gas. Look for a product that contains amylase, lipase, and protease.

Digestive enzymes are for more than just relieving common digestive problems such as bloating and gas. Believe it or not, they help with allergies, as well.

A reader wrote in to say that for years he had been suffering from sneezing, headaches, dripping sinuses, and red, itchy eyes. Finally, on the advice of his chiropractor, he began taking digestive enzyme supplements. It took him about three weeks of use, but his symptoms went away, and have never returned. He saw similar results in his son and daughter-in-law.

Digestive enzymes work to correct all sorts of GI issues.

Many common bowel problems can be cured with kiwifruit. Studies from Hong Kong and elsewhere show that eating kiwifruit decreases constipation and laxative use in constipated patients by improving bowel transit time.

Some of the benefit of kiwifruit comes from the fiber contained in each piece. The fruit also contains enzymes that aid in digestion and improve bowel motility, the pulsations that help move food through your GI tract.

I know that kiwifruit isn’t the cheapest variety of fruit available in your grocery, and it’s a very seasonal item in most parts of the country. In addition, the participants in the studies I mentioned were eating around three pieces of the fruit a day. That much added fiber can cause bloating and gas in people who aren't used to it. 

Nevertheless, kiwifruit looks like a fine addition to your diet, to help clear up bowel irregularity.

Foods that can cause bloating and gas seem to show up around the holidays. Still, there's no reason to avoid holiday parties; you just have to be smart about your food choices.

The number-one food source of common digestive problems is dairy foods. Milk is an ingredient in all kinds of baked goods and sauces, so if dairy is a problem for you be sure to ask the cook.

Even healthy foods such as broccoli and cauliflower on party platters can cause bloating and gas. Choose the carrots and peppers instead.

Of course, you'd rather not have the sensitivity to begin with, so here's a suggestion.

Dealing With Foods That Cause Bloating and Gas

Bloating, gas, and other bowel changes from foods are most often due to an inability to digest them properly. Good digestion depends on the presence of digestive enzymes and bacteria to break down the components of food.

• First, look for a good probiotic digestive supplement. Benefits include clearing up all sorts of bowel problems, including constipation and diarrhea as well as the bloating and gas.
• Second, take a digestive enzyme supplement. Some specialized supplements are available for specific uses, such as LactAid for milk and Bean for beans, but most people find that a overall product such as Healthy GI Advantage can bring relief.

Take these simple steps, and you'll be able to enjoy holiday companionship with no worries about the food.

Here's a question from a reader. It's typical of the concerns folks have.

Question:For the last two years I have had a lack of energy, a full bloated feeling after eating and difficulty breathing. My stomach feels like it’s tied in knots and bloated. I can eat only very small meals and have lost my appetite.

My doctors had me eliminate all sugar, white flour, etc. from my diet. Since then I have lost a considerable amount of weight and really don’t feel much better. At first I thought I might have a hiatal hernia, but I don't have any heartburn. I’ve also taken digestive aids but they’ve had no effect. Do you have any idea what might be causing my problem?
Robert H.

Answer: First of all, it is still possible to have a hiatal hernia even without the heartburn, but it sounds more like a gallbladder problem. Your gallbladder is like a small sack that stores and regulates bile. Bile is a fluid made in the liver that is essential to the digestion of fat. As fat from your food passes into the small intestine the gallbladder dumps in the proper amount of bile to aid in fat digestion.

It’s not an uncommon occurrence for either the gallbladder to become clogged with stones or the bile itself to become thick and sluggish. When this happens you can have plenty of problems.

Usually, from 5 to 20 minutes after eating you will experience bloating and gas, and may feel extremely uncomfortable and sometimes even sick to your stomach. You may have pain in the gallbladder area—just under the ribs on the right side. The pain can also be accompanied by stiffness and aching on the right side of the neck. All of these sensations are worse if the food is fried or greasy. In some people with gallbladder problems just the smell of greasy food makes them ill.

If you’re unable to digest your fats or fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, & K), serious problems begin to develop. Since fats provide you with long term energy, you feel fatigued all the time. Your skin can become extremely dry from vitamin A, E, & D deficiency and eye problems are common. You may start to start to bruise and bleed easily since you aren’t getting enough vitamin K--which could lead to a stroke. Your hormonal system can’t function properly since all hormones are made from fats. The list of symptoms can go on and on.

Sometimes the solution is as simple as a digestive enzyme supplement. In more advanced cases such as yours, you may need to "flush" the gallbladder. Fortunately this "flushing" can remove stones and sluggish bile without surgery.

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, the turkeys are thawing, and the pies are baking. Unfortunately, many individuals will eat until they're overstuffed and uncomfortable. Whether it's out of a sense of obligation, or just because everything looks so good, people don't think about what they're eating;  they just stuff more in.

There are a couple physical reasons for this. One is that it takes a while for the "full" message, the hormones that signal satisfaction and cut your appetite, to get transmitted to your stomach. You'll keep eating even after you've had enough. That's why many weight loss programs include the recommendation that you eat slowly: so you'll put less food in before the "stop" signal gets raised.

The second reason you can feel so bloated is that the food is absorbing liquids from your stomach, and can actually swell up faster than you can digest it.

To remedy the second situation, and actually to provide relief for practically any overeating or digestive upset, I recommend digestive bitters. These are alcohol-based herb preparations that are, as their name implies, quite bitter. The bitter taste triggers extra secretion of digestive enzymes.

You're probably already familiar with Angostura bitters. Others include vermouth, Jagermeister, and Underberg. Just a small amount of any of these can produce almost miraculous relief, in what will seem like no time. I've overindulged myself at times, and just one shot of bitters brought comfort in less than ten minutes.

I'd suggest that you lay in a small supply to have handy for those guests who overdo it at your holiday table. Jagermeister and vermouth are available at any liquor store. Don't serve it cold, though, because that will reduce the taste--and it's the taste that does the trick.

This isn't an excuse to let yourself go completely, but it will be comforting to know that you have the solution at hand for those times when you do overindulge.

The American holiday season is filled with many things: family gatherings, parties, special events, and gifts. More often than not, these celebrations revolve around a lot of food. While breaking bread with family and friends is an important part of the holiday tradition, an overabundance of fatty foods, sugar-laden desserts, and alcohol can really play havoc with your digestive health.

So this holiday season, consider giving yourself the gift of good digestion.

It's not difficult if you stick to a few basic "smart holiday eating" guidelines:

• Make your holiday gatherings as much about fellowship as food. This year, place the focus on conversation and social interaction rather than on the food.
• Don't go hungry. If you're headed to a party or meal where unhealthy food will abound, have a nutritious snack beforehand. It will take the edge off your hunger and bolster your resolve to avoid unwise food choices.
• Break your dieting rules carefully. Steering clear of every rich holiday dish is probably unrealistic, so choose your break from common-sense dieting rules carefully. Pick one or two things you really can't resist and enjoy them in smart portion sizes.
• Make space on your plate. Be mindful of the portions you take for every part of your meal. You don't need heaping servings or seconds.
• Eat slowly and thoughtfully. During a holiday meal (or any meal for that matter), take small bites, chew slowly, and put down your fork often to engage in conversation. Take time to savor the holiday food and company.
• Get your blood moving. Within an hour of eating, head out for a walk with others. It's a great way to rev up your circulation, improve your digestion, burn some calories, and socialize while being active.
• Drink plenty of water. When people eat heavily and drink alcohol, they often don't drink enough water to wash out the extra dietary toxins. If you drink pure, clean water before, during, and after your holiday events, not only will you feel more satiated and be less likely to overindulge, but you'll also support your body's natural digestion and detoxification processes.

Give your digestive system the extra support it needs to survive holiday stress
Addition Holiday Digestion Support

In addition to these guidelines, there are two things I recommend you do during the holidays and throughout the year to promote healthy, comfortable digestion: take a quality digestive enzyme supplement and a probiotic supplement.

Maintaining the proper level of digestive enzymes will help you break down hard-to-digest foods and keep your digestive process running smoothly and comfortably. A good formula will contain enzymes that target the three types of foods: carbohydrates, protein, and fats. You'll know it's working for you because you'll notice less bloating and gas, and feel greater overall digestive comfort.

I typically recommend one capsule of a digestive enzyme product before your two biggest meals. But if you're eating a particularly large meal, like so many holiday feasts are, you can take two capsules to help your system break down the extra food.

A top-notch probiotic will replenish the good bacteria in your gut, which also helps relieve bloating and gas, and can help prevent constipation and even occasional diarrhea. Plus, since 70 percent of your immune system actually resides in your digestive tract, a good probiotic will bolster your immune system as well as your digestive health. That's a bonus you'll want to have during the holidays, which can be a time of stress for many people.

Paying attention to how you approach food, taking enzymes to help you achieve greater levels of digestion and absorption, and using probiotics to support optimum digestive health can all make a positive difference in how you feel and help you enjoy a healthy holiday season.

The compound from grape skins called resveratrol is back in the news, because research suggests that it might also become a powerful tool to help stop the spread of the flu.

Researchers at the Institute of Microbiology found that resveratrol could stop the replication of the influenza virus in cell cultures. The greatest effect was seen when the compound was given three hours after the virus was introduced into the cultures. It showed less effect six hours after infection, and had no effect when given nine hours after the infection. Strangely, pre-treatment of the cultures with resveratrol also had no effect.

The researchers then tested the effects of resveratrol on mice. Animals given the compound following inoculation with the influenza virus had a 40 percent increased survival rate compared to those not given resveratrol. And six days after the infection, the mice given resveratrol had 98 percent lower pulmonary viral antibody concentrations in their lungs than those not given the compound. (J Infect Dis 05;191(10):1719–1729)

I have no doubt that the amazing powers of resveratrol are just starting to be uncovered. In the years to come, it will undoubtedly become one of the more sought-after supplements. In addition to its longevity capabilities, and now its flu-fighting ability, it’s been well established that it helps inhibit blood platelet activity (i.e., it stops the blood from clotting and forming blockages that lead to heart attack and stroke), and it also inhibits enzyme activity that leads to atherosclerosis. (FEBS Let 99;451:63–67) (Clin Sci 02;103:72S–75S)

Resveratrol may have just recently been discovered by our generation, but it’s really just another one of those “re-discoveries.” The ancient system of healing from India called Ayurveda has used a formulation called Drakshasava for hundreds of years. It has been prescribed for both digestive and cardiac problems with a great deal of success. It happens to be a wine preparation made from red grapes, cinnamon, and other herbs and spices. Recent laboratory analysis has found that it is an excellent source of both resveratrol and pterostilbene. (J Ethnopharmacol 99;68(1-3):71–76)

Resveratrol is widely available on the Web and in retail stores. Drakshasava is available from the National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine at 845-278-8700 or www.niam.com. (Both products can be expensive, but can be very beneficial.)