Fos-a-dophilus

Fos-a-dophilus has become extremely popular among our practitioner clients. It is a highly effective pre and probiotic formulation in capsules.

It contains 6 active strains of probiotic bacteria, plus the prebiotic fructooligosaccharides. This product is ideal for long or short-term usage for those groups of people whose lifestyles and/or diets predispose them to digestive upsets. It is also good for the elderly to take on a regular basis. We recommend it for maintenance in people over 40 because it is high in bifidobacterium, which tend to be less easily regenerated as we get older.

In easy-to-swallow vegan capsules, a one-a-day dose is ideal for maintenance, whereas this can be increased to one capsule three times daily in acute situations. The form of this product makes it ideal for travelling or taking on holiday. It is suitable for children, and the contents of the capsule can be emptied into a little yoghurt or fruit juice if the capsules are too large for your child to swallow.

Probiotic bacteria fundamentally inhabit the gastro-intestinal tract, and in return for food and shelter they help us to digest food, absorb nutrients, keep pathogenic
bacteria at bay and support the immune system. Prebiotics are dietary substances such as fructo-oligosaccharides, which stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria and other healthy bacteria in the gut. FOS are specific carbohydrates, which are indigestible by humans but which selectively promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria at the expense of the others. The addition of the fructo-oligosaccharide Inulin to Fos-a-dophilus make it particularly useful for encouraging the probiotic bifidobacteria in the lower part of the intestine.
Many traditional societies include bio-cultured food products as an important part of their daily diets, such as yoghurt, miso and pickled fruits and vegetables. These are all foods known to contain cultures of friendly bacteria, mainly as lactobacillus acidophilus. The health-promoting benefits of these foods have been noted for many years.

Some of the important roles these bacteria play are:
• Helping to maintain a favourable balance of friendly bacteria in the GI tract;
• Production of important digestive enzymes, lactic acid, B vitamins and vitamin K;
• Enzymatic breakdown of lactose, a milk sugar which some people find hard to digest;
• Colonisation of the mucosal surfaces of the digestive tract with friendly bacteria as opposed to colonisation by pathogenic bacteria; and
• Support for the immune system.

Who should take a probiotic supplement?
• People who want to optimise health on a daily basis (probiotic products have been shown to help maintain a healthy gastro-intestinal tract);
• People taking, or who have taken, antibiotics;
• People whose normal diet has been changed;
• People travelling abroad who are experiencing diet and water changes; and
• Those who suffer from dysbiosis, digestive insufficiency or digestive upsets.

Bacteria used in probiotic strains must have several desirable qualities:
• Production of lactic acid and occasionally other acids which lower the pH of the digestive tract and reduce pathogenic bacteria;
• Compatability between supplemental strains and the natural lactic acid bacteria of the digestive tract;
• Significant resistance to acidity, especially of the stomach, which allows more bacteria to reach their site of action;
• Resistance to bile;
• Adherence to buccal, intestinal and vaginal mucosa and epithelial cells to prevent pathogens from adhering to these sites;
• Production of inhibitors of undesirable or pathogenic bacteria;
• Stimulation of immunity. Different strains of probiotic bacteria stimulate different aspects of the immune system. No single bacteria can do it all;
• Stability during storage; and
• Resistance to antibiotics, so that a mixture of species of probiotic bacteria could resist most antibiotics in use and continue to protect the digestive system.

Probiotics can be used to support:
1. Acute and chronic intestinal disturbances for adults and children;
2. Diarrhoea and constipation;
3. Foreign travel;
4. IBS-type symptoms;
5. Lactose intolerance; and
6. The Immune system.

Suggested Intake: 1-2 capsules daily, or take as directed by a practitioner.
Suitable for: Vegetarians, vegans, and for people with Candida, yeast and lactose sensitivities.
Contraindications: None.
Non-Active Ingredients: Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, magnesium stearate, ascorbic acid.
Non GM & Free From: Dairy, wheat; yeast, starch, gluten; lactose; added colourings, sweeteners & preservatives.
Storage: Keep cool, dry & out of direct sunlight. No need to refrigerate. Use within two months of opening.