Heal Your Gut – with Chitosan

by Steve November 5, 2022

Feeling and looking great is everyone’s dream. DigestShield® makes that dream easier!

DigestShield® works to make your life better in four big ways.

Serrapeptase and AN-PEP enzymes break down gluten before it can cause any damage to your gut or cause you to have any of the awful symptoms of gluten sensitivity. (1)
General digestive enzymes make sure that you’re getting the best nutrition possible from what you eat and prevent other common dietary irritants like wheat, soy, and dairy from giving you trouble. (2)
Eleven types of probiotics work to heal your gut and crowd out bad bacteria or yeast that you have wreaking havoc in your gut.(3) (4)
Vegetarian chitosan protects you from dangerous proteins found in wheat and it binds up fat in the gut reducing the amount that is absorbed .(5)(6)

Was the second bit of #4 a surprise? Yes. DigestShield® can help you lose weight.

We include a healthy dose of vegetarian-derived, ultra-low molecular weight chitosan in every capsule of DigestShield®. The molecular weight is important because in clinical trials, the lower the molecular weight of the chitosan used, the greater its binding capability. (6-8) The vegetarian chitosan in our formula has the lowest molecular weight of any digestive product on the market at just 3000 Daltons! The chitosan found in typical shrimp or crab shell-derived chitosan, used in glucosamine chondroitin formulas is approximately 300,000 Da.

Studies have shown that chitosan binds to fat in the gut and prevents it from being absorbed as well. This means that you can lose a few pounds just by taking DigestShield® without making any other changes.

Protection from gluten, relief from digestive ills, and a weight loss boost all in one!

Ehren J, e. (2015). A food-grade enzyme preparation with modest gluten detoxification properties. – PubMed – NCBI . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Mahan, L. Kathleen., Escott-Stump, Sylvia., Raymond, Janice L.Krause, Marie V. (Eds.) (2012) Krause’s food & the nutrition care process /St. Louis, Mo. : Elsevier/Saunders
Sanders, M., Guarner, F., Guerrant, R., Holt, P., Quigley, E., & Sartor, R. et al. (2013). An update on the use and investigation of probiotics in health and disease. Gut, 62(5), 787-796. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2012-30250
Linsalata M, e. (2004). The influence of Lactobacillus brevis on ornithine decarboxylase activity and polyamine profiles in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric mucosa. – PubMed – NCBI .Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 12 October 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15068419
Sharon, Nathan, and H Lis. Lectins. Dordrecht: Springer, 2007. Print.
Zhang, J., Xia, W., Liu, P., Cheng, Q., Tahi, T., Gu, W., & Li, B. (2010). Chitosan Modification and Pharmaceutical/Biomedical Applications.Marine Drugs, 8(7), 1962-1987. doi:10.3390/md8071962
Y, S. (2016). Low molecular weight chitosan inhibits obesity induced by feeding a high-fat diet long-term in mice. – PubMed – NCBI . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Trivedi, V., Satia, M., Deschamps, A., Maquet, V., Shah, R., Zinzuwadia, P., & Trivedi, J. (2015). Single-blind, placebo controlled randomised clinical study of chitosan for body weight reduction.Nutrition Journal, 15(1). doi:10.1186/s12937-016-0122-8

What is Phytate?

by Robert Prowse October 31, 2022

Phytate or phytic acid is simply the storage form of phosphorus in plants. It has been identified as an anti-nutrient or bad actor in our diet because we lack the proper enzyme, phytase, to convert it to usable phosphorus. It has a tendency to bind to important mineral nutrients like calcium, iron, and zinc, making them unavailable for use in the body. The enzyme Phytase can be supplemented and will convert phytic acid into a form of phosphorus that the body can use. Every capsule of DigestShield® contains Phytase specifically for this job.

Phytate is found in many plants but is heavily concentrated in grains such as wheat, potatoes and nuts. Beans, including soy, contain high concentrations of phytate. Note that all of these are also sources of lectins.

PHYTATE MOLECULE

Because it is found in so many plant foods, the best way to prevent phytate from stealing calcium, iron and zinc from you is to take a supplement containing phytase. This gives your body the tools it needs to convert phytate to a beneficial form of the nutrient phosphorus.

Phytase

Phytase is the enzyme that is required to convert phytate into a usable form of phosphorous for the body. Ruminant animals like cows, and certain probiotics like Lactobacillus salivarius, produce phytase but humans do not. Because of this inability by the human body, we have included phytase and L. salivarius in DigestShield® to help you deal with the phytate in your diet.

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Gut Flora – What is it?

by Steve July 21, 2022

Gut flora refers to both good and bad bacteria living in our gut. The number of bacteria living on and inside of each and every one of us is estimated to be 10 times greater than the number of our own cells. In the past few years, it has become increasingly clear that the specific makeup of one’s gut flora plays a huge role in their health and happiness. There are good bacteria, bad bacteria, and bacteria that can be either depending on how many of them colonize you.

What is Gut Flora?

The term gut flora refers to the bacteria that live in your gut. There are thousands of species of bacteria that have been found in the gut and everyone’s gut flora is different. We get some of our gut flora from our mother during birth but the rest of the flora comes from a combination of our environment, the foods we eat and the choices we make. Balance is important because, just like people, different kinds of bacteria behave differently and optimal health derives in part from having the right ratio of the right kinds of flora.

What Does Gut Flora Do?

In the past, it was thought that fermentation of fiber was the primary function of gut microbes. Indeed, our gut flora ferments the carbohydrates that make it through the small intestine and into the large intestine. This is how they eat. The fermentation process is how they extract nutrients from our food. The byproduct of fermentation is gas (yes, that kind of gas) and that is why we feel bloated after eating something that is poorly digested like gluten or dairy or fibrous vegetables.

Recently, we have discovered that gut flora is responsible for so much more than fermentation. Researchers are finding more and more evidence in favor of the idea that the specific makeup of a person’s gut flora has very real effects on their immune system, mood, food preferences and maybe even weight. These tiny organisms are able to control these aspects of our lives by chemically signaling our bodies to release hormones that can activate the immune system, affect our mood or trigger cravings for certain foods.

How Do I Balance My Gut Flora?

The key to balancing your gut flora is getting the right mix of bacteria into your system. The easiest way to get this variety is by taking a high-quality probiotic supplement. When selecting a supplement, choose one that has a good variety of strains rather than a huge number of one or two strains. The mix of strains is more important than the number of colony-forming units (CFUs).

DigestShield^® provides the ideal blend of 11 probiotics, 20 digestive enzymes, and 5 potent prebiotics to create the best possible digestive support. After you try it, you’ll believe it.

Hidden Sources of Wheat

by Steve January 21, 2022

Processed foods are part of most people’s diet. They are packed with salt, sugar, fat and loads of additives. One of the most common additives is wheat, hidden in many different ingredients. This can make following a gluten-free diet impossible if you aren’t in the habit of reading labels. We have compiled a list of common places that wheat and gluten may be hiding in processed foods.

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Hidden Sources of Wheat

Beer
Breadings and coating mixes
Bouillon Cubes
Brown Rice Syrup (May contain malted barley)
Candies
Canned meats and fish in broth
Caramel Color (Usually corn-derived, but check)
Cheese products- Sauces and some shredded cheeses
Condiments (Carefully read condiment labels. Gluten is often used as a stabilizer or thickening ingredient in ketchup, mustards and Oriental sauces)
Deli Meats, breaded fish and meats, pre-packaged ground beef products and hot dogs
Dextrin (Usually corn-derived but always check)
Dry-roasted nuts
Flavorings, food starches, seasonings, and malt are general and vague words to watch for on labels of packaged foods. These terms are often clues that the product may contain gluten. For example, “malt” vinegar and “malted” milk powder contain gluten.
French fries
Gravy Products (Dry products, bouillon cubes, and processed, canned products)
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) and Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP)
Imitation fish, meats and cheeses
Instant flavored coffee/cocoa mixes
Licorice candy (black and red)
Matzo Meal
Modified Food Starch
Mono and di-glycerides
Pickled Products
Salad Dressings
Sauces, including soy sauce which is commonly made by fermenting wheat. (Check ALL processed sauce labels- From BBQ sauce to ice cream toppings, chili pepper products and tomato sauce products-all may contain gluten)
Sausage
Self-basting poultry products including turkey with added “solutions”
Snack foods including flavored potato chips and corn chips
Soups, stocks and broth
Spice and herb blends (spices and herbs in their natural form do not contain gluten)
Rice products with seasoning packets

As you can see, the list is pretty long. Obviously, your best bet would be to avoid processed foods whenever you can but that’s not always possible. When you do have to rely on processed foods, do two things to protect yourself from gluten and other dietary bad actors: read the ingredients and take DigestShield® before you eat.

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Gluten and Flour

by Robert Prowse October 30, 2021

We’ve identified gluten as a potential cause of leaky gut syndrome, chronic inflammation and possibly a key factor in autoimmune diseases. Gluten is found in anything made from wheat, barely or rye including breads, cupcakes, muffins, bagels, cakes and the like. However, these things do not contain the same levels of concentration of gluten due to differences in flour composition. Let’s take a look at a few of the most common flours, what they are used for and how full of gluten they are.

Processing

Before we get into the different types of flours, let’s talk about a few common terms associated with the processing of grains into flours. Grinding grains into a fine powder makes flours. Over the years, processors have further refined grains by removing portions of the hull before grinding and have found that adding certain chemicals to the flour can change the color, texture or both.

Refined vs. Whole

When someone says that a flour is “refined”, they don’t mean that the flour likes classical music and afternoon tea. The term refined is referring to how much of the grain has been removed prior to grinding. Wheat and other flour grains have three parts: the bran, the endosperm, and the germ. The bran, or hull, is the outer layer and contains most of the grain’s fiber. The endosperm is the largest portion and contains most of the carbohydrate of the grain — it is the energy storage for the germ. The germ is the portion of the grain that actually sprouts.

Refined grains have had the bran and the germ removed so that the endosperm is all that remains. This will render the finished product softer in texture and lighter in color. It also removes almost all of the fiber and B vitamins found in the grain. Most of the gluten found in bread is in the endosperm so refining does not make grains any safer from a gluten perspective.

Whole grain flour is just that – whole. In this process, the complete grain has been ground into flour so it contains the bran, endosperm and germ. This results in flour that is tougher in texture and darker in color. The resulting product will be more fibrous, contain more B vitamins and be tougher than products made from refined flours. The gluten content, however, is similar in refined and whole-wheat products.

Bleaching

Bleaching refers to adding a chemical that actually makes the flour lighter in color. Though chlorine gas is one of the things used to bleach grains, the term comes from the color-changing properties, not because actual bleach is used. There are many different agents used to bleach grains including benzoyl peroxide, chlorine gas, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and azodicarbonamide. If you choose to continue to eat grains, you should try to avoid any processed with azodicarbonamide because it transforms into two potentially carcinogenic compounds when baked.

Maturing

Another process commonly employed by grain producers is maturing. Maturing is the process of adding a chemical agent to the grain to increase or decrease the development of gluten. Because gluten is the protein in flour responsible for much of the texture of baked goods, its development will affect the texture of the final product. Some common maturing agents are potassium bromate, ascorbic acid, chlorine gas, and azodicarbonamide. You’ll notice that some of these are both bleaching agents and maturing agents. Potassium bromate should be avoided if possible for the same reasons as azodicarbonamide: it can cause cancer in humans.

Types of Flours (In Order of Gluten Content)

Cake Flour

As the name implies, this flour is used for making cakes and has the finest texture and lowest gluten content of all of the common flour types. It is so fine that it almost has a silky texture. Because of its very low protein (gluten) content, it is mostly starch and yields very soft and fluffy products. It is roughly 6-7 percent gluten by weight.

Pastry Flour

Though it has very similar properties to cake flour, pastry flour is more well-suited for the specific texture of pastries – crisp but soft. Both cake and pastry flours can be used to make cookies, cakes, pastries, and crackers. Pastry flour is roughly 9 percent gluten.

All-Purpose Flour

This, as you may have guessed, is the most commonly used flour. It is about 11 percent gluten and is the flour usually used to make breads. Because of the higher gluten content, it will yield a denser, tougher product than pastry or cake flour.

Whole Grain Flour

This is flour ground from the whole grain, not just the endosperm. Because the bran or hull is included, products made using whole grain flour will be even more dense and tough than products made with all-purpose flour. Whole grain flour is typically unbleached as well so the baked goods will be darker than products made from the other types of flour.

High-Gluten Flour

So, flours are not very interestingly named. High-gluten flour is upwards of 15 percent gluten. This flour is also most often used for bread making but is not as commonly used as all-purpose flour. The higher protein content means lower carbohydrate content so it is sometimes used to make breads for diabetics.

They All Contain Gluten

It would be wonderful to say that cakes, due to the low gluten content of cake flour, are not causing the same problems as other baked goods. However, even this small concentration of gluten in cake flour is still probably enough to cause at least temporary leaky gut issues. That means that the gluten in all of the other flours will as well.

As we’ve said before, the best way to protect yourself from the gluten in baked goods is to simply stop eating them. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds. Not only are these foods delicious, they are everywhere in our food supply. Unless you are able to completely eliminate baked goods and the other bad actors from your diet, we recommend taking DigestShield® to prevent them from doing damage.

Gluten Sensitivity

by Robert Prowse January 4, 2021

How Bad is the Problem?

Gluten sensitivity is a condition that causes a wide range of symptoms including indigestion, bloating, abdominal pain, joint pain, fatigue, headaches/migraines, and brain fog whenever an affected person eats gluten-containing foods. Though people suffering from gluten sensitivity experience many of the same symptoms as people with celiac disease, it is not the same condition. Though the topic of this article about gluten, we are just getting started with identifying things in foods we eat every day that are bad for our body and from which we need protection. We cannot pin down exactly how many people are affected by gluten sensitivity because it is so hard to diagnose. Researchers estimate that it may be as many as 1 in 20 Americans.

How Do I Know If I Am Gluten Sensitive?

Currently, there is no procedure for physicians to follow in order to diagnose gluten sensitivity but there are a few questions that you can ask yourself to determine if you may have this condition.

Do you experience indigestion or upset stomach, especially after eating bread or processed foods?

Do you have frequent headaches, suffer from migraines or have trouble focusing?

Do you feel tired after eating?

Do you have joint pain?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, your problems may be caused by sensitivity to gluten.

What I can do to find relief?

Traditionally the treatment for both celiac disease and gluten sensitivity has been the total avoidance of gluten. It is still true that a gluten-free diet is the only way to treat celiac disease but people with gluten sensitivity now have another option. Shield Nutraceuticals has developed a new co-probiotic dietary supplement designed to aid in the digestion of gluten, processed foods and more.

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DigestShield®, the world’s first co-probiotic, works to break down gluten, dairy, carbohydrates, fat, and protein with a synergistic blend of enzymes, prebiotics, and probiotics. It is the only product of its type on the market and is an all-in-one digestive powerhouse. Each DigestShield® capsule contains 20 different enzymes, 5 Prebiotics (including 200 milligrams of vegetarian, ultra-low molecular weight chitosan), and 11 probiotic strains to help protect you from gluten, processed food, and other “bad actors” in your diet and get your gut flora back in balance.

DigestShield® is specially formulated to help maintain a proper balance of intestinal microflora, inhibit pathogenic bacteria and prevent the overgrowth of yeast organisms, including Candida.

Candida albicans is usually a harmless yeast present in the body. However, stress, in the form of modern lifestyles, hormonal imbalances, excessive sugar consumption, environmental pollutants, and pharmaceutical drugs, including antibiotics and oral contraceptives, can wreak havoc on the proper balance of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract.

Candida, being an opportunistic organism, will flourish under these adverse conditions. And when Candida is anchored to the intestinal tract, intestinal leakage and immune disorders may result.

Candida removal is the logical first step toward effective intestinal cleansing. The protease enzyme Serrapeptase and enzymes like Cellulase and Chitosanase attack the outer cell wall of Candida yeast, weakening its hold on the intestinal mucosa and reducing their viability.

Here are some of the ways DigestShield® distinguishes itself from other intestinal balancing formulas:

Chitosan Oligosaccharide, derived from the cell wall of the oyster mushroom and hydrolyzed to an ultra-low molecular weight of just 3 kDa, is a unique prebiotic that will attach itself to lectins found in many of the foods we eat (including wheat and soy) so they won’t attach to the epithelial cells lining our gut. This can help prevent leaky gut.
Bacillus Coagulans is a special spore-forming probiotic that is incredibly stable in the dormant state. Using our Enhanced Probiotic Delivery System™(EPDS), this probiotic can exist in a dehydrated state indefinitely.
EPDS™ delivers larger amounts of living bacteria into the intestinal tract, where they colonize and flourish. Once in the intestinal tract, these bacteria exit their spores, attach themselves to the intestinal mucosa, and begin to germinate, producing new colonies of friendly bacteria.
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), nutrient-dense alfalfa, and papaya powder comprise a fortified prebiotic blend, which enhances the growth and stability of probiotics in the gut.
High-activity proteases, including Peptizyme-SP brand serrapeptase, hydrolyze putrefying food matter trapped between the intestinal villi, which can cause sluggish digestion, bloating, and an increase in toxins. These enzymes create a better intestinal environment, improved absorption, motility, and better overall colon health.

The recommended dosage is 1-2 capsules before each meal and or 1-2 capsules at bedtime. Every bottle comes with a 100% money-back double guarantee.

Order yours today!

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Blog

Heal Your Gut – with Chitosan

What is Phytate?

Phytase

Gut Flora – What is it?

What is Gut Flora?

What Does Gut Flora Do?

How Do I Balance My Gut Flora?

Hidden Sources of Wheat

Hidden Sources of Wheat

Gluten and Flour

Gluten Sensitivity

How Bad is the Problem?

How Do I Know If I Am Gluten Sensitive?

What I can do to find relief?

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