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Thanks to Darlene, who wrote in a comment that she had found Align on the Costco website, for $24.99. The hitch is that they require you to purchase two packages at once. They also tack on a 5% surcharge for non-members. Then the shipping charge for standard shipping is 8.50. Here’s the total:
2 @ 24.99 = $49.98
Shipping & Handling: $8.50
Non-Member Surcharge:$2.50
Order Total: $60.98
Using the AlignGI.com web site to order, and supplying the ALIGNWOM Promo Code, cuts the price from $29.99 on the web site, to $24.99, with free shipping — but no shipping options.
The Costco option is listed on the AlignGI web site, as are some others. The Amazon option is not particularly great, unless you have an Amazon gift certificate — no free shipping, for example.
Also, their website gives explicit ordering instructions that you can take to your pharmacist. If the pharmacy is across the street, as mine is, that’s the simplest.
August 27th, 2008
Posted by
tummyblogger |
Probiotics, IBS therapy, Align, Online sources |
2 comments
Background
For more information on the importance of soluble fiber in the dietary approach to IBS, see these earlier posts:
Fiber Glossary, and
Fiber 101a, as well as
Fiber 101b.
Today’s web adventure:
Today, as I placed a regular supplement order with Vitacost.com, I somehow saw a long list of products. From idle curiosity, I scrolled down the page. I noticed that they listed guar gum, the main ingredient in the old form of Benefiber ™. Of course I clicked on the listing, and got two listings, for Source Naturals ™ versions of the same product.
Because I knew Amazon sells Source Naturals, and VitaCost had a shipment delay on one size of the Guar Gum product, I checked price and shipment information on Amazon.com, using “guar gum” for the search term. Yes, they have the same product, but you have to buy three at a time. Yes, it’s shipped directly from Amazon.com, so (especially if you are an Amazon Prime member) the ship time is very fast and accurate. Just to see what else there is, I checked their whole listing for guar gum. You can do the same — just avoid Bob’s Red Mill ™ or Barry Farm guar gum, which are intended for baking, and very hard to use as a supplement.
Believe me, I’ve tried.
At the bottom of the Amazon list of guar gum products, they had an allied ad from HerbalRemedies.com.
Poking around that web site, I found the following information on acacia fiber, the basis for Heather’s Organic Acacia Tummy Fiber ™.
Acacia General Information
Ancient Hebrews considered Acacia to be the Shittah tree of the Bible which supplied the sacred wood. The Ark of the Covenant and the sacred Tabernacle were made from Acacia wood. As a spiritual icon it is also one of the most powerful “symbols” in Freemasonry representing the eternal soul and purity of the soul. The ancient Egyptians used the gum of the tree on loose teeth because its thick mucilaginous (thick and sticky) properties supported the tooth while the astringent qualities tightened up the gum tissue surrounding the loose tooth. The Egyptians also used the material as a glue and as a pain reliever base. The gum of the Acacia tree was applied to open wounds as an antiseptic. The Aztecs used it as a food and dye, and ate the seedpods as an aphrodisiac.
Where The Acacia Tree is Found Today
The acacia tree (Acacia Senegal) is a thorny, scraggly tree that grows to heights of about 15 feeet. It grows most prolifically in regions of Africa, in particlular in the Republic of Sudan. During times of drought, the bark of the tree splits, exuding a sap that dries in small droplets or “tears”. In the past, these hardened sap tears served as the major source of acacia gum, but today commercial acacia gum is derived by tapping trees periodically and collecting the resin semi-mechanically. At least three grades of acacia gum are available commercially and their quality is distinguished by the coloor and character in the collected tears. There is considerable variation in the gum quality depending on whether it is obtained by natural flow secondary to extreme drought, obtained by tapping of induced by the boring of beetles at sites of branch injury. Gums derived from Combretum are readily available at low prices in East and West Africa and are often offered for sale as “gum arabic”.
Acacia Uses & Scientific Evidence For
Today Gum Arabic is used to provide a soothing coating over inflammations in the respiratory, alimentary, and urinary tracts. It is also helpful for coughs, sore throat, and catarrh, eyewash, diarrhea, and dysentery. Acacia is sometimes used for typhoid fever as well. Acacia is highly soluble, with low viscosity and a high soluble dietary fiber content, and therefore, used in meal replacement products, nutritional beverages, and weight-loss products. Acacia gum has been used in food as a stabilizer and in pharmaceuticals as a demulcent. It is used topically for healing wounds and has been shown to inhibit the growth of periodontal bacteria and the early deposition of plaque.
Post Summary
That’s comprehensive information on acacia fiber, when I started out looking for guar gum supplements — especially to replace Benefiber ™, which is now made with wheat dextrin. So in the next post, I’ll deal more specifically with guar gum as a soluble fiber, not just where to get the supplement.
August 22nd, 2008
Posted by
tummyblogger |
fiber, VitaCost, FiberSure (tm), Heather's Organic Acacia Tummy Fiber (tm), Benefiber (tm), Prebiotics, IBS Diet |
no comments
For some time there has been a Page Title — in the upper right hand corner of the header menu — called “Window Shopping.” If you clicked on it, you would see a browser window that goes directly to the Best Life International website, and their “Soy Amazing” ™ Meal Replacement shake.
That was it. No blurb, no explanation, just the browser window.
I have now added several more browser windows, for products mentioned here that are not available at Amazon.com. The full list of products:
Two soy shakes mentioned here:
-
Soy Amazing Meal Replacement Shake, ™ from BestLife International–high soluble fiber content, high protein
- Revival Soy ™ Chocolate Daydream Shake — no fiber content, high protein.
Two probiotics for IBS reviewed here–windows to their web sites.
- Ganeden Digestive Advantage - IBS ™: currently serializing a review.
- Align. ™ Series of reviews, completed.
Use the Google site search, or the Category listings, for more information.
September 25th, 2007
Posted by
tummyblogger |
Breakfast, fiber, Chocolate, Revival Soy, Probiotics, Food for IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS food, Align, Soy Products, Soy Amazing, Online sources, BestLifeInternational, Digestive Advantage - IBS, IBS Diet |
2 comments
Amazon is, or customers are, tagging some of its products with “IBS,” and hoping to generate some sales. As one of their “other” ads, they have a one-line ad for Digestrin which runs as follows:
Suffering From IBS? — Attack The Bacteria That Causes IBS And Eliminate The Sumptoms Today — www.digestrin.com
While there is potentially much to critique here, from grammar to the claims made, I will confine myself to pointing out that none of the literature about IBS, in a wide range of opinions, has ever said that there is a single bacterium that causes IBS and its multiple symptoms. To support of its observation, the ad itself links to the www.digestrin.com web site. The web site has a pitch for their expensive product. Nowhere in the pitch materials do they ever again say any of the following:
- That a bacterium causes IBS , or any symptom of IBS
- That Digestrin acts upon this causative bacterium
Repeat: Nowhere in the pitch materials is the claim about a bacterium that causes IBS ever made again!
The one-line ad does its damage, though. It skilfully suggests that bacteria make IBS happen, that the way to get over IBS is to get rid of the bacteria, and that their product will do just that.
How to wipe out their growing competition from probiotics like Align and Digestive Advantage in a one-line ad on Amazon!
September 11th, 2007
Posted by
tummyblogger |
Probiotics, Amazon, general, IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Online sources |
no comments
Source of the Recipe
This “recipe” is something I have adapted from a New York Times post six weeks ago or so about making coffee without using fossil fuels. The writer wanted iced coffee, and learned the following method of making it.
Reason for this Post
Also, in blog statistics I noted that someone came here on a search looking for cold-press coffee for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). I don’t quite know what s/he came away with, though I hope this post will provide a belated answer.
Coffee and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
No. I am NOT going to tell you can have coffee if only you brew it this planet-saving way. I AM going to tell you that you can have a good tasting morning drink. And if you want to live dangerously on your otherwise well-kept IBS diet and use genuine coffee for a quarter of the brew, I’ll tell you how.
RocaMojo Soy “Coffee”
Yes, this is a product endorsement. I do more of this endorsing stuff than I like, but some things work, and some things don’t. Some things taste good, and some things don’t. RocaMojo makes three kinds of product in the range of
- No coffee, only soy beans are used
- Half-coffee, half and half soy beans and coffee beans
- All coffee, using only coffee beans
All three kinds come either unflavored or with the following flavors added: chocolate-flavord mocha, vanilla, and hazelnut. Amazon.com has a terrific deal. If you order three one-pound cans at a time, you pay $18.20. For those who are not Amazon Prime members, shipping is $7.06 (or free if your total order is over $25). Just enter “Rocamojo soy coffee” in the Amazon search box on the Amazon page here.
“Coffee” Maker Needed
Okay. The next thing you need for this environment-sparing method of preparation is a French Press coffee maker, which–you guessed it–you can also order from Amazon for between $10 and $20 for a single-serving size.
Environment-saving Method of Making “Coffee”
I make strong “coffee” substitute. You may have to experiment to get the strength you like. With a clean French-press coffee maker, do the following. The night before you want your morning coffee, or six to eight hours before you would usually drink your soy beverage/ soy-coffee combination drink/ coffee (Rocamojo) do this. Measure out the recommended amount into your French press coffee maker. Add water. Stir. Add the press gadget. Sleep or do stuff. Wake up, or come back. Press. Pour. You will have room temperature “coffee.”
Enjoy!
Take your morning–or evening–dose of soluble fiber. Eat something. Zap your “coffee” in the microwave for a few seconds if you want it warmer than room temperature. Don’t add ice! But you could make double strength brew and add cold water.
Environmental Impact
This drink was prepared without using the gas burner on the stove to heat the water. OK, it uses electricity if you zap it in the microwave. However, we will (have to) develop methods of generating electricity that don’t use fossil fuels and don’t contribute to global warming. So I’m willing to continue using electricity.
What do you think? Do you have another recipe?
August 11th, 2007
Posted by
tummyblogger |
Breakfast, coffee, Chocolate, Amazon, IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS food, Soy Products, Online sources |
no comments
Benefiber in the Past
In reviewing the statistics for this growing blog, I notice that one of the most frequently used keywords is Benefiber. I imagine that people are checking out whether Benefiber is a good choice for a soluble fiber. Indeed, there used to be three soluble fibers on the market that I could recommend; Heather’s Organic Acacia Tummy Fiber ™, FiberSure ™, and Benefiber ™. I have used Benefiber myself, and my doctor recommended it at one time.
BUT
At the time I could make these positive statements, Benefiber ™ consisted entirely of processed Guar Gum, one of the group of PREbiotics that shared the benefits of soluble fiber. I searched for ingredients of Benefiber on the web and every listing said the main ingredient was Guar Gum. I know that the Benefiber I have seen on the shelf at my local–across the street, easy to do research–CVS has maltodextrin as its main ingredient. Have I gone crazy? No. I checked with Amazon.com for an up-to-date listing. The ingredients are “Wheat Dextrin. Gluten Free (Less than 10 ppm Gluten).” Hmm. So maybe it’s okay. But is it the product for which Novartis — who brought us Zelnorm ™ — got FDA approval. That FDA approval figured large in my doctor’s recommendation for Benefiber.
Novartis
Novartis simply has not updated any of its own or others’ listings of ingredients for Benefiber. I want to be sarcastic here, but won’t. To read more about the switch, see this review at IBS Tales, http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome.ws/benefiber.htm. .
This Blog Withdraws Approval
Based on the unannounced switch and the negative customer review on IBS Tales, I am withdrawing approval for Benefiber of the Wheat Dextrin kind. As much as possible, when I can, I’ll go back and change earlier posts to reflect the change in the product.
Feedback
What is your feeling about Benefiber? Do you like and use the new, wheat-dextrin product? Did you notice the change?
August 10th, 2007
Posted by
tummyblogger |
fiber, Amazon, IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Benefiber (tm), Prebiotics |
no comments
Summer Travel has a number of hazards for a person with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
- Traveler’s Diarrhea
- Chancy Diet
- Stress
- Absence of facilities
- Getting over-tired
- Did I say stress?
First of all, avoid carbonated drinks and ice water. And, drink plenty of cool, not cold, water.
One element of the travel kit that I have used with success–and there’s no payoff for mentioning this other than that you may find it helpful, too–is Equalactin. This product consists of chewable tablets that equalize the water content in the large bowel (intestine, colon). Equalactin works to prevent tipping the balance from where you are generally comfortable to discomfort or disaster. Equalactin doesn’t do the whole job but it certainly helps.
You add it to your IBS kit together with enough soluble fiber for your trip. Those small travel bottles in travel kits often help.
Then you add a few envelopes of organic instant oatmeal (see my Amazon page), some rice crackers, and perhaps some rice cakes. These will calm the gastrocolic reflex, and substitute for a meal when you can’t get to food.
And have a good time. That is, after all, the best stress reliever.
On the absence of facilities, stores and restaurants in many states are now required by law to make their restrooms available to people who come in because of an imperative need to use the restrooms. See GastroGirl’s recent column on this at Revolution Health.
I push the envelope all the time on overdoing it, blogging into the wee hours, staying up with a book, spending a night out with friends or family–and then getting up early the next morning to do necessary stuff like (recently) allergy testing. Just saying: cool it with this stuff on your vacation. If you stay up, or stay out, late, sleep in as long as you can the next morning.
As for chancy diet, please resist the ball-park frankfurters and other summer foods laden with fats, wheat, and such. Print out and take along the list on the IBS Triggers page here.
July 27th, 2007
Posted by
tummyblogger |
fiber, Amazon, IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS Triggers, IBS food, Online sources |
no comments
This article is in the category “Digesting IBS Information”–a pun, based on some of the information digest articles I’ve already posted in the category probiotics.
Probiotics are in the news that people with IBS have been following. They are a selling feature for Activia yogurt and DanActive cottage cheese. I have a category just for probiotics. The makers of Align will be going all out to promote their probiotic for the aid of us and our IBS tummies. This is not news.
“Prebiotics”–what are they? Is this just a funny different word for the same thing? It ends in “biotics,” after all. Here are the differences:
First, in simple terms, from a 3/3/2004 (that long ago!) article by Medstar.com at www.news14.com, on both PRObiotics (familiar) and PREbiotics (not so familiar).
First, to review PRObiotics:
It may surprise you to know that eating bacteria can actually be good for you. Nutrition researchers are sinking their teeth into the science of probiotics.
Everyone has bacteria or bugs in their body. You need friendly bugs in the digestive tract to keep the unfriendly ones at bay. But as nutritionist Samantha Heller explains, you can easily upset the balance. “Through medications like antibiotics or chemotherapy, through stress and through a poor diet, which so many of us have,” Heller said.
You put “good bugs” back into your system by adding living bacteria to your diet with “probiotics.”
“There are several of them found in fermented foods,” she continued. “These are healthy bacteria that . . . colonize our intestine, [and] help keep it healthy.” Common probiotic foods to replace the good bacteria include yogurt, buttermilk, tempeh, kefir, miso and sauerkraut.
(I may have rearranged the paragraphing in the above quote.)
Next, to the PREbiotics, from the same article:
Here’s another nutritional buzzword: “Pre-Biotics.” They nourish the good bacteria you already have.
“A prebiotic is actually a substance found in other foods that feeds the probiotics, and in a way it’s the probiotic’s lunch,” Heller continued. Prebiotic food sources include oatmeal, flax, and other whole grains, beans, greens, and fruits. . . .
While how they work is a mystery, putting beneficial bacteria on the menu may help you feel better. While eating probiotics and prebiotics in moderation is safe, researchers still have lots of questions.
There are no established guidelines about which microbes work best, who should and should not eat them or how much is good for you. Check with your doctor before drastically changing your diet.
A major sources of PREbiotics is the soluble fiber that we have added to our diets–see the category Fiber here. One good PREbiotic source for managing IBS that I haven’t mentioned much on this blog is oatmeal. And by oatmeal, I mean plain, unfooled-around-with, oatmeal. That is either Quaker or Mother’s oatmeal at your grocer, or the Instant Oatmeal by Arrowhead Mills
. It’s also listed on the Amazon Page, right here.
More complicated stuff on PREbiotics comes next, in the post PREbiotics 102
July 8th, 2007
Posted by
tummyblogger |
fiber, Probiotics, Amazon, IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS therapy, Digesting Information, Prebiotics |
no comments
For those who are interested in the claims for other probiotics besides Align, here is the copy writer’s description of the probiotic I use, distributed by VitaCost. It’s an example of the multiple probiotic approach rather than the single-strain approach. I’m not trying to sell this, or Align. Instead I’d like to provide information, and develop information, about the use of probiotics in IBS-C and IBS-D.
Daily support for healthy digestion!
May also promote optimal immune function.
How Does [deleted product name] work?
Probiotics, also known as “good bacteria,” are bacterial cultures which favorably alter intestinal microflora supporting a healthy intestinal balance.
Besides inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria, these micro-organisms may help promote healthy intestinal activity, good digestion, and colon regularity.
Probiotics may offer the following benefits:
# Aid in healthy digestion and nutrient assimilation.
# Replenish colonies of friendly bacteria that may be destroyed by antibiotics and certain health complications.
# Counter overgrowth of “bad” organisms in the gastrointestinal tract.
# Enhance immune response (A large percentage of cells of the immune system are located in the digestive tract).
NSI® Probiotic 15-35 is a potent probiotic blend containing 15 different probiotics strains, with each strain offering its own unique health benefits. It also features a superior 35 billion colony forming units (CFU’s) in each two-capsule serving.
NSI® Probiotic 15-35 contains NutraFlora® FOS, a highly-concentrated complex of fructooligosaccharides, or naturally-occurring carbohydrates (also known as “prebiotics”) that are indigestible by humans but serve as food/an energy source for friendly bacteria in the intestines, helping to increase their numbers in the body.
NutraFlora® has been shown in more than 200 studies to improve the absorption of calcium, magnesium and soy isoflavones, which may contribute to bone, immune and digestive health. NutraFlora® also provides added fiber. It’s known to be one of the highest-quality FOS’ available and is used in more than 500 food products worldwide.
NSI® Probiotic 15-35 is manufactured using the patented LiveBac® process for an improved probiotic shelf life, even at room temperature.
In addition, we utilize Viablend™ Gastric Acid Bypass Technology. Unlike enteric coated capsules, which can become brittle and crack or chip, rendering probiotics ineffective when exposed to gastric acids, our capsules deliver more viable organisms to the intestinal tract.
NSI® Probiotic 15-35 with NutraFlora® FOS is better because it:
# Each two capsule serving delivers 35 billion CFU’s and 15 different probiotic strains.
# Contains a high-quality “prebiotic” to nourish and sustain existing friendly bacterial colonies in the intestines.
In contrast, Acidophilus is a single formula probiotic, which comes without ad copy and is sold by the chain drug stores — at least CVS has several brands.
The problem is that here we cannot verify the claims, while the Align web site has lots of material at various levels. We can know that the claim of 200 studies is made for probiotics in general, because various NSI probiotic formulations use almost the same ad copy.
The NSI web site is http://www.gonsi.com/. I’ll write them today and ask them to specify the 200 studies–and provide abstracts.
June 29th, 2007
Posted by
tummyblogger |
Medical, Probiotics, IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS therapy, IBS-C, IBS-D, NSI Probiotics, Online sources, VitaCost |
no comments
For a long time I’ve been contemplating a list of safe foods for IBS, foods that may be available in your local or nearby supermarket. I just found such a list, that is comprehensive, on Heather Van Vorous’s web site. The link is as follows:
Safe Foods List, By Country
I would caution you still to READ THE LABEL (that’s similar to the injunction to RTFM). For people, like me, who also need a low-carbohydrate diet, and who do not tolerate most artificial sugar substitutes, some of the Soy milks listed are not acceptable. Look for unsweetened soymilk. If you can’t find unsweetened soy milk, look for the use of crystallized cane sugar (or “evaporated cane juice”=sugar) in low quantity. You can tell this by comparing carbohydrate counts.
Update: There is a page of links to purchase unsweetened soy and other milks at IBS Tummy Chow.
October 16th, 2006
Posted by
tummyblogger |
Amazon, Soy milk, Food for IBS, IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS food |
no comments
