Stay healthy by keeping your gut happy
“ALL disease begins in the gut”, a quote from the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, still holds true today. Physical inactivity, alcohol abuse, chronic laxative use, diets low in fibre but high in red meat and colon inflammation triggered by bacterial infection are common causes of poor gut health.
A 2017 study titled How many cancer cases and deaths are potentially preventable?
Estimates for Australia in 2013 published in International Journal of Cancer suggests that almost 40% of cancer deaths, including colon cancer, could have been preventable with lifestyle changes. These changes can include adopting a plant-based, fibre-rich diet, exercising regularly and ensuring regular bowel movement.
Most individuals resort to laxatives as a quick fix for bowel irregularity. Frequent use of laxatives can cause the bowel to become dependent on them and lose its normal function, which eventually leads to a condition known as lazy bowel syndrome, in which our bowels move slowly and sluggishly.
Datuk Dr Rajbans Singh, consultant physician and geriatrician, says, “Chronic use of laxatives depletes our body of minerals and hydration and disrupts our gut microbiota. Consumers are highly advised to be cautious when using supplements that contain drug-like ingredients such as senna or cassia, even though they are usually marketed as natural.”
According to Dr Rajbans, a diet high in soluble and insoluble fibre with plenty of beneficial bacteria is key to improving bowel movement and restoring gut function. People with constipation had lower levels of Bifidobacteria in the large intestine, found a 2012 study titled Bifidobacteria for Life Betterment published in World Applied Sciences Journal.
These good bacteria in our gut decrease as we age, so in addition to sufficient daily fibre intake, dietary supplementation with probiotics may be necessary to ensure optimal gut function.
Protect your gut with fibre and probiotics
Biogrow Progut is made from a natural, food-form formula that contains Swedish oat fibre with dual action from the wellresearched Oat BG22 fibre powder and Bifidobacteria lactis – a BB-12 probiotic strain from Denmark and the world’s bestdocumented Bifidobacterium with more than 300 scientific publications, including over 130 clinical studies.
One sachet (≈7g) taken daily provides a synergistic effect for improved intestinal function and balanced gut microbiota. Take one or two sachets mixed in a glass of cold water or fruit juice or sprinkle it on cereal or yoghurt. It is recommended to be taken after meals but can be ingested anytime convenient. Each sachet contains 2.4g of soluble and insoluble fibre and a guaranteed potency of one billion colony-forming units (CFUS) of live probiotic cultures.
This dose of one billion CFUS of BB-12 has been clinically tested and shown to have the desired benefits on defaecation and bowel movement frequency, according to a 2015 study titled Effect of the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, BB-12®, on defecation frequency in healthy subjects with low defecation frequency and abdominal discomfort: a randomised, doubleblind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial published in British Journal of Nutrition.
Biogrow Progut is suitable for all who wish to maintain or improve gut health, as it offers a natural way to manage bowel movement with fibre and probiotics. It is available at all pharmacies nationwide.
This article is brought to you by Legosan (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.
For more information, call 03-7956 2220 (9am to 5pm) or email info@biogrow.com. my