TriVita – What Causes Bad Breath?

by Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

One of the most common complaints among people today is poor digestion. This becomes even more distressing when personal issues like poor digestion develop into social issues like bad breath. The signs and symptoms of digestive imbalance are important as we learn to listen to our body.

Learning to listen

Imagine you had to write a book describing in detail how the ecology of our earth functions – how the rain cycle works, photosynthesis, biodiversity, seasons, and so on. Now imagine you could use only 100 words. Would that be a challenge? Absolutely!

Your body has only a few words in its vocabulary. See how many you can name:

• Fatigue
• Pain – sharp or dull
• Bleeding
• Constipation or diarrhea

You get the picture. Your body must communicate an infinitely complex system with just a few “words” in the form of symptoms. So, we need to listen carefully when our body speaks to us.

The heartbreak of halitosis

Digestion begins when we feel the sense of hunger and anticipate satisfying our needs with certain foods we crave. When we see and smell those foods our anticipation is heightened and we begin to secrete digestive juices in preparation for eating. Our mouth may water; this is because digestion begins in our mouth when we chew food and mix it with saliva.

It is important to thoroughly chew our food in order to neutralize the carbohydrates found in absolutely everything we eat. One reason why some people have bad breath (halitosis) is because they just don’t chew their food well enough to neutralize the carbs. It may also be the sign of a more serious health condition.

Slow down when you eat. You will enjoy your meal more, have sweeter breath and digest your food better.

Vitamins and digestion

Our intestines are teeming with trillions of bacteria – most of them friendly! These bacteria are needed to help us utilize our vitamins and minerals. The vitamins and minerals from our food are often not in the form we need them. They must be converted through several steps in order for us to get the benefit from them.

A good example of this is TriVita B-12

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1. Vitamin B-12 must first bind with protein and be digested in the stomach with pepsin, which is a combination of enzymes and acids.
2. B-12 must be “tagged” for identification by another stomach protein called intrinsic factor. When B-12 reaches the small intestines, certain friendly bacteria begin to convert this complex. So now we have B-12, intrinsic factor, protein and bacteria all combining to prepare our vitamin for transport into the liver.
3. When B-12 reaches the liver it is bound to fiber and secreted through the bile back into the small intestines. More bacteria break down the vitamin into even smaller fractions.
4. This is repeated several times throughout our digestive cycle until the bacteria and fiber ferment the B-12; once the B-12 is fermented it can be absorbed by the liver. This may take up to three weeks.

Any imbalance in this system will result in indigestion of B-12. Any sign of indigestion or imbalance is a major red flag, warning that you are not digesting your vitamins, especially Vitamin B-12. These signs can include:

• Excess acid
• Bloating
• Gas
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Bad breath

Take care of your digestion by eating nutritiously. Be sure to include:

• Water
• Fiber
• Probiotics
• Vitamin B-12
• Proteins
• Healthy carbohydrates
• Healthy fats

Remember, your digestion can also be impaired by stress. So consider ways to reduce your stress, and supplement your diet with TriVita Adaptogens to protect digestive health from stress. And don’t forget the joy of eating. Joy is really a sign of acceptance. Acceptance is essential for emotional health as we learn to listen to the subtle language of our body.

Sources: TriVita Weekly Wellness Report February 7, 2009

Another TriVita Article: How to Help Avoid Liver and Kidney Pollutants

by Dr Brazos Minshew

In a previous Weekly Wellness Report we discussed the toxins that come into our body through our drinking water. What happens to these toxins when they enter our body? Can toxins lead to liver or kidney disease? What are some early signs of liver and kidney toxicity?

Early warning signs
Your liver and kidneys cooperate with another detoxification organ: the lungs. Signs that your liver and kidneys are struggling and pushing the toxic overload through your lungs can include:

• Breathing problems
• Bad breath
• Frequent lung and sinus infections
• Allergies.

Toxicity in the liver and kidneys affect another organ of detoxification: your skin. If your detoxification system becomes overloaded, your body will try to compensate for this overload by pushing some of this waste out through your skin. Early signs of this include:

• Itchy skin
• Bad-smelling perspiration
• Discolorations

Eventually, you might even experience a breakdown in your skin when it can no longer handle this toxic load. A good example of this: When someone with diabetes has a toxic level of glucose, cracks can appear in the skin of the feet.

What about kidney/liver disease?

Kidneys
Kidneys filter your blood and ensure that proteins and minerals are in the right balance. Too many proteins from an unbalanced, low-carb diet may injure the kidneys. Too many minerals, such as too much phosphorus from soft drinks will injure your kidneys, and too much sugar will damage your kidneys beyond repair.

So, for good, healthy kidneys:

• Drink pure water
• Eat a balanced, healthy diet
• Avoid concentrated sugars.

Many toxins can destroy the kidneys, such as toxic levels of homocysteine and glucose. Still, one of the most common kidney toxins is aspirin, so it should be taken in moderation.

The liver
Many of the toxins excreted by the liver are either absorbed (taken out of your body) by fiber or reabsorbed into your liver. This is why it is so important to eat a high fiber diet and supplement your diet with fiber when needed.

Many toxins can destroy the liver, such as those from alcohol and hepatitis virus. However, the number one reason for liver transplants is acetaminophen toxicity. That’s why I suggest minimizing consumption of any products containing acetaminophen.

Toxic minerals such as lead and mercury can damage both the kidneys and the liver. Protect yourself from these serious diseases by isolating yourself from common toxins and insulating yourself with nutrients and fiber.

Fiber and detoxification

Our liver has a four-step process for detoxification.

1. First, toxins enter the liver, typically from the intestines. They are changed in the liver by an enzyme called CYP, which stands for cytochrome. In the first stage of detoxification the CYP enzyme makes the toxin expand and creates a large surface area – like a sponge.
2. The second stage is to douse this sponge-like toxin with antioxidants and other special nutrients.
3. The third stage is to convert this fat-based sponge to a water base so that it can be attached to fiber.
4. The fourth step in detoxification is to push the fiber and the toxin out through the colon.

Now you can see why fiber in our diet is so important. To properly detoxify we must have at least 30 grams of fiber in our diet every day. In many cultures, people ingest 60 grams or more of dietary fiber every day. These groups have the absolute lowest cholesterol on the planet, as fiber helps detoxify cholesterol as well.

Source: TriVita Weekly Wellness Report Jan 03, 2009.