NICS Saw Palmetto + Pumpkin seed

One of the most successful herbs of recent times is the saw palmetto, also known as saw palmetto. Native to southeastern North America, it grows 2-3 metres tall. It was considered a weed in the United States, but its true value was discovered in Europe. The North American Indians used the fruit as food and for various treatments. Today, the dried, black-coloured fruit and its extract are used.

Like so many other valuable plants, the pumpkin was discovered in America and is now widespread throughout the world. It is a popular delicacy among the people. The precious oil pressed from the seeds is a favourite ingredient in cooking, and the cold-pressed version is used in cosmetics and medicines. When naturally occurring, it is rich in vitamins and minerals, which are very important for our body.

Everyone is familiar with the unpleasant sting of nettles, so many people question its use as a medicinal herb. It is a tall perennial plant, 50-150 cm tall, covered with nettle hairs. The leaves of the nettle are collected and the leaves and roots are used. It contains minerals such as iron and selenium, and is naturally abundant in provitamin A and vitamin K. The latter two cannot be extracted with water.

Of interest

Nettles have been used by humans since before they were known as medicinal plants. "As strong as a canvas": death shrouds woven from nettles have been found in Bronze Age tombs excavated in Denmark. Its medicinal use also dates back centuries, when in the 3rd century BC, Greek contemporaries of Hippocrates used nettle leaves externally to treat scorpion stings and snake bites, and internally to cure plant poisoning. Around the 19th century, nettle decoction was widely used as a hair-growing agent. The early European herbalists used nettle leaf tea to cure coughs and tuberculosis, and it was also used to soothe scurvy and haemorrhages. The healing properties of nettle were also known and used by Indian women, and the first settlers adopted this knowledge. In the 19th century, eclectics used it mainly as a diuretic and for kidney and bladder ailments.

Live flora is made up of beneficial, living microorganisms that help maintain a healthy balance of gut flora by surviving the acidic environment in the digestive tract. Our products contain high germ counts of several live flora and Inulin, which promotes their reproduction.

The term Probiotic, also known as Living Flora, is of Greek origin, meaning for life. In its modern sense, the term probiotic was first used by R. B. Parker in 1974 to describe the organisms and substances responsible for the microbial balance of the intestinal tract. The characteristics of probiotics are that they are of human origin, non-pathogenic, resistant to the action of gastric acid, bile and digestive enzymes in saliva, pancreas and intestinal fluids. They retain their resistance during the shelf life of foodstuffs and during technological processes. In addition, probiotics are able to adhere to mucosal cells, exerting an antimicrobial effect against potential pathogens and reducing the adherence of pathogenic microbes to the mucosal surface. Probiotics are mostly lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. The majority of the best known probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria belong to the genus Lactobacillus, with a minority belonging to the genus Streptococcus.

Prebiotics are the natural nutrients that are typically the exclusive nutrients of probiotics and therefore promote their proliferation and predominance. In the oral cavity or gastrointestinal tract, digestive enzymes do not break down prebiotics, so they can pass undigested into the large intestine. Prebiotics are dietary fibres, but they are water soluble, making them the most excellent of all dietary fibres. In addition to their dietary fibre function, their real utility lies in the fact that they are the sole food source of probiotics. As the large intestine is already low in digestible food, i.e. relatively malnourished, ingested prebiotics offer the opportunity for the proliferation of human-friendly gut bacteria.

In their natural state, they are found in many foods, e.g. Jerusalem artichokes, chicory root, onions, garlic, leeks, artichokes, wholegrain cereals, wheat, bananas, flax, spinach, spinach, cabbage, Swiss chard, mustard, berries, pulses, milk and most mature cheeses.

One type of prebiotic is Inulin, basically a dietary fibre that enters the colon undigested, enhancing the reproduction and overgrowth of probiotics.

Their role: digestion, intestinal flora balance

Our intestinal tract, the largest surface area of our body, is about 7-9 metres long and is the way we communicate with the outside world. This makes it a potential site of attack for pathogens and toxic substances. Under normal conditions, the gut contains around 200-400 strains of bacteria. During foetal life, beneficial bacteria predominate in 95-98%. A healthy gut flora provides protection against many pathogens, ensures the integrity of the gut lining and helps the body absorb the nutrients it needs. They produce many vitamins essential for the body. If the defence mechanisms of the digestive tract are weakened, this can cause, among other things, a disturbance of absorption processes.

In order for probiotics to be able to have an effect on their environment, high abundance is a prerequisite, which means at least 108 c.f.u. organisms per gram of intestinal fluid.

What does the term c.f.u. mean?

c.f.u.: colony-forming unit per millilitre, the number of viable micro-organisms (germ count). In preparations, the number of bacteria is usually expressed in this unit. However, Inulin is expressed in mg. A minimum of 109 c.f.u. is accepted as an appropriate dose.

What is an effective live-flower preparation?

• Prebiotics promote the growth of probiotics, so the preparation should contain Inulin or fructo-oligosaccharides.
• They are resistant to the action of stomach acid, bile and digestive enzymes, allowing the beneficial bacteria to live and enter the large intestine, where they can multiply and thrive. It is essential that the bacteria retain their viability during their passage through the gastrointestinal tract.
• Good live-flora preparations contain a minimum of 5 to 6 strains, as we want to replenish the diverse multicultural gut bacteria.
• They retain their resistance during their shelf life and during technological processes.
• They contain an adequate number of germs, with a minimum of 108 or 109 colony forming units recommended by experts.