| OM-X
and Anti-aging
By Frontline Magazine
Dr Goh Seng Heng from
Singapore
MBBS (Singapore), M.Sc. (Medical Science in Dermatology Glasgow,
U.K.)
Fellow of American Academy of Dermatology,
Fellow of The Int. Soc. Of Dermatological Surgery,
Member, American Academy of anti-aging Internationai Skin
Centre Pte. Ltd.
In today's level of advancement in life sciences, aging should
now be considered a "disease" like many others.
What is aging? Is aging just a natural process of our life
cycle from birth to death? What changes take place during
the aging process? Many of such questions can now be answered
with some degree of scientific credibility rather than conjectural
propositions.
Aging is a definite process. Everyone must age. From the simple
living thing such as the plant in our garden to the high and
mighty president of the country. Aging takes place in 2 simple
stages. First there is growth, a process of anabolism, followed
by degradation, a process of catabolism. The human body is
no different from the garden plant. We have to age and die.
The process of growth or anabolism forms the first phase of
our lifespan. The foetus in the uterine cavity grows from
the fertilised egg, to the little baby form after nine months.
The baby exits from the womb and continues to grow towards
adulthood. We measure this generally as age 0 to 40. During
this phase, many physiological changes take place. The bones
elongate, muscles bulk increase, brain enlarges, skin thickens,
lungs and heart size increase. Along with physical and structural
changes, the function of each organ from the thyroid glands,
pancreas to the anterior pituitary glands also evolve greatly.
These functional changes are necessary to parallel and complement
the structural growth of the body. The body is now able to
tackle different tasks in life. From a child's ability to
do simple jobs, the adult is now able to do meaningful and
productive things such as procreation and multitasking in
his pyscho social environment.
What is the relevance of OM-X to this first phase of "aging"?
OM-X capsules contain a natural fermented mixture of 7 wild
fruits, 2 herbs and 2 seaweeds in which 60 million lactic
acid bacterias of 12 different strains are found. Biochemically,
it also contains 18 types of amino acids, 9 types of vitamins,
5 types of minerals and quality calcium salts. During our
first phase of growth, the period of anabolism, the body requires
all these essential nutrients found in OM-X. Our daily diets
normally should contain all these essential factors for our
growth phase. However, in today's standard of living, we live
such a busy life and we do not really have time for a balance
diet. Most of us eat out and in hawker centers. Very few people
are obsessed with calculating the quantity of their dietary
requirements for each and every one of the vitamins, cofactors
and nutrients that we need for us to maintain optimal life
functions. OM-X fulfill this function adequately in about
2-4 capsules daily.
During the growth phase of our life, our body is buffeted
by many exogenous and endogenous changes. Most are damaging
and impair our functions and rate of growth. Infections by
viruses, bacterias, fungi and parasites will cause our body
to response physiologically by mounting all kinds of defences
and fight back mechanisms. Not only will these microorganisms
attack and bulldoze us all over, by destroying our cells and
tissues, through their virulence and their overpopulation,
our body damage is accentuated by changes in our under or
over response mechanisms to the micro organisms as well as
the by products of the pathological battle. This will result
in a state of disease and disequilibrium. Micro organism is
just only one facet of the environmental resistant against
our physical survival. What about radiation, impurities in
our water supply, excessive consumption of unsaturated fats
containing cholesterol and triglycerides? Also, the wear and
tear of weather changes, road traffic accident, and physical
traumas are no less detrimental. OM-X nutrients not only supply
us with our daily requirements to fight and protect, but it
also assist us to heal and regenerate the negative changes
occurring within our body. The ability of the quality and
numerous lactobacilli helps the GI tract to regulate its activities
and help the absorption and metabolism of our food intake.
The second phase of our aging is the biological degradation
process or what anti-aging physician would call, the catabolic
phase. Assuming an average lifespan of 80, this phase will
occur from 40 to 80. Along with chronological age, we will
age functionally. Genetic programmes inherent in us will signal
us when to expire according to the genetic codes inherited
from our parents and forefathers. This DNA coding cannot be
altered in each individual except through accidental mutation.
The oxidative changes occurring daily in our lives through
our own metabolic processes will create lots of free radicals
such as peroxides, superoxides and hydroxyl radicals. This
will damage our intracellular activities especially those
found in our mitochondria's. Diseases usually set in during
this phase of aging. High cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes,
cancers, strokes and such will confront us inevitably. They
will come to us in all shapes and sizes. The excesses of our
lives will take its toll during this phase. Over activity,
stress, hyper functioning lifestyle, wear and tear changes,
will reduce our immunological resistance. Our gastrointestinal
tract, the infrastructural centre of our nutritional input
would be impaired and damaged by the accumulation of years
of abnormal amounts of bacteria's, yeasts and unknown microbiological
organisms.
The functions of our various endocrine glands from the ovary
and testis to the anterior pituitary would have deteriorated.
Its ability to secrete and to secrete the precise amount of
hormone is dependent on thermostatic mechanism built along
the hypothalamus connection to our outside world. The visual,
olfactory and auditory inputs are reduced. This degradation
in functions are inevitable. Their fine tuning and feedback
looping in controlling the correct amount of hormonal levels
in our body will be impaired. Our insulin hormones will go
down or the ability to response to a normal insulin level
is reduced. Most people will develop impaired glucose tolerance
even without overt diabetes. Our human growth hormone level
drops from 2000 mcg at the age of 10 to 25 mcg by the age
of 80. This represents a drop of 14% for every decade starting
from 30 years old. This principal hormone is the master controlling
hormone of almost the entire hormone system of the body. When
the absolute level goes down, the thermostatic mechanism is
turned on. Most of the friendly hormones like thyroid, testosterone,
and estrogen will also be down. The "unfriendly "
ones like cortisol and prolactin will go up. These are bad
for the body as they cause the accumulation of fat and poor
metabolism of the intake of food when they enter our body.
The motor vehicle and the computer you own are clear examples
of wear and tear and limited function and life span. What
more the human body! The neuroendocrine changes are far ranging
and permeable throughout the whole human biological systems.
What are the physiological changes in this catabolic phase
of aging? Our muscle bulk thins down and functionally weakens.
We can no longer run as fast as before, nor can we carry the
same heavy load of things we used to carry. Accidental fracture
of our bones will find us lying in bed and immobilized longer
than our children. Our bone density are becoming more porous
and incapable of proper calcification. Even, with our adequate
input of calcium, we are no longer able to mineralize and
harden the integrity our bone. Our lungs can no longer breathe
as deep and fast as ever. Our hearts can no longer beat as
fast as ever without giving irregular rythms and asynchronisation
of the pump cycle. Our arteries are hardened and can no longer
deliver the essential oxygen and nutrients to the vital organs
in appropriate amount. Our veins dilate and the venular pump
no longer brings the blood back to the heart center adequately.
Our memory fails. We cannot remember where we put things and
whether we have locked our car doors. Our reflexes are slower
and react idly to stimuli. Our decision making and timing
become tardy and delayed. Our auditory hearing and olfactory
sense are no longer acute. We can no longer enjoy the Beethoven
music and concerto we used to. We can longer taste the "Ah
Yat" abalone and sharkfins like before. Sleep becomes
superficial and short. We get tired and irritable when we
wake up. The drive to get new projects declines. We no longer
want to start a new career. We are happy with the same situation
and circumstances. We are no longer ambitious like before.
Life becomes dreary and meaningless. Our brain is aging. The
grey and white matter cannot be regenerated like the skin.
The number of fixed brain cells that nature confers on us
when we are born can only reduce and degenerate.
What does OM-X do that can mitigate against this process?
First of all, the amino acids present in OM-X are essential
for the synthesis of HGH by our pituitary glands. By increasing
the intake of arginine, ornithine, lysine, glutamine and tryptophan
we can provide more raw materials for the pituitary gland
to produce more HGH. It has been found that animals fed with
these amino acids, can increase the HGH by 2-3 times their
normal levels. OM-X contains most of these amino acids. The
lactobacilli facilitate the absorption of these acids into
the blood stream making them readily available for the brain
to increase its manufacture of HGH.
By repairing the infrastructure of our gastrointestinal tract,
the ability to absorb and utilize nutrients is improved. By
maintaining homeostatic equilibrium of our body systems, dangerous
metabolites and unhealthy free radicals are not absorbed into
our body . The immunity of our body system is partly centred
in the myxenteric plexus and the lymphoid tissues of our GI
tract. The protection from unfriendly bacteria's conferred
by the OM-X lactobacilli will serve to allow the body to rebuild
these tissues and enhance their ability to take care of the
harmful substances and microorganisms injested in our body
daily.
OM-X improves the absorption of essential nutrients. OM-X
repairs GI integrity and prevent accumulation of toxic wastes
by unfriendly bacteria's and yeasts. OM-X helps to maintain
a normal bacteriological flora so that the GI mortality can
continue to function as normally as possible. All these effects
will mitigate the aging processes. By having a healthy GI
tract, the rest of the organs are indirectly protected from
ongoing harm and degenerative changes. It is possible that
the aging process is delayed and the catabolic process of
the 2nd phase of aging is reduced.
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Baterial
Count Reasoning
In Support of Natural-Fermentation Japanese Probiotic Products
1 Tannock, Gerald W.,
Probiotics: A Critical Review,
Horizon Scientific Press, January 1999.
Some people in the United States
continue to believe the myth that a probiotic product is inferior
if the bacterial count does not equal several tens of billions.
This belief is wrong and its proponents most likely are not
familiar with state-of-the-art probiotic products developed
in Japan using a five year, natural temperature fermentation
process!
The Japanese, recognized as leaders in the development and
use of probiotics, discontinued their efforts to further increase
the bacterial count in their probiotic products more than
a decade ago. That decision was based on scientific research
that ultimately, late in the 20th Century, led to the development
of new, high technology probiotic products. Today, the best
of the Japanese probiotic products appears to be several technological
generations ahead of all freeze dried and most other probiotic
products now being manufactured in the United States.
Usually, a product that contains tens of billions of live
lactic acid bacteria is endorsed because of the mistaken belief
(and hope) that substantial numbers of the bacteria might
survive the challenging journey that begins with the manufacturing
process and concludes with the implantation of the bacteria
in the colon. It has now been established that majority of
the lactic acid bacteria contained in high bacterial count
products die before they are consumed and that many of the
remaining bacteria are often killed after consumption1.
By the time freeze-dried and certain other probiotic products
are eaten, they do not contain the high numbers of live lactic
acid bacteria guaranteed by the manufacturer to be present
at the time of packaging1. Eighty percent of the bacteria
die before consumption! The remaining live bacteria often
do not survive the trip from the mouth to the colon because
of their inability to endure exposure to harsh stomach acids.
Live bacteria also die after reaching the colon if sufficient
levels of naturally developed fructooligosaccharides (FOS)
are not present when they arrive. The natural FOS are required
to nourish the bacteria and permit their survival while battling
well established colonies of bad microflora already existing
in the colon.
Japanese research scientists, including the awardwinning microbiologist,
lichiroh Ohhira, Ph.D., and his team of research scientists
from Okayama University, do not recommend using probiotic
products that allegedly contain tens of billions of live lactic
acid bacteria. They recommend products that contain several
strains of naturally developed organic acids that are encapsulated
along with important strains of live lactic acid bacteria,
vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Dr. Ohhira's probiotic
product, which was developed late in the 1980s, selected as
the Best Product of the Year in Japan in 1991, and improved
over time, contains four types of naturally fermented organic
acids that enhance the body's ability to generate lactic acid
bacteria and support the body's efforts to utilize the 12
strains of friendly lactic acid bacteria contained in the
product. Since 100 percent of the bacteria in the product
are alive when eaten and because of the specially formulated
enteric coating, the entire contents of the capsule survive
the trip to the colon. The existence of naturally developed
fructooligosaccharides (FOS), developed during a five year
natural fermentation process, provides the nourishment required
by the 12 strains of friendly live lactic acid bacteria upon
their arrival in the colon. This permits the live lactic acid
bacteria to thrive while they fight and destroy the bad bacteria
residing in the colon. The bacteria consume these same naturally
developed fructooligosaccharides (FOS) while existing in the
enteric-coated capsule.
The proprietary E. faecalis TH 10 strain of live lactic acid
bacteria present in the product may be the most important
component of Dr. Ohhira's probiotic product. This strain was
developed from the Malaysian food delicacy Tempeh. It is 6.6
times stronger than any other known lactic acid bacteria.
This strain is guaranteed to kill and remove the bad bacteria
living in the colon, as well as eliminate the toxins produced
by those bacteria. The TH 10 then remains in the colon and
if a pathogenic invader arrives, the TH 10 strain, along with
the T cells and B cells, attack and destroy the invader. As
university based, in vitro scientific studies indicate, the
TH 10 strain is effective against E. coli 0157, H. pylori,
the Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus "superbug,"
etc. TH 10 is the foremost ingredient of a 21 st Century approach
to good health.
The Japanese are not the only scientists
who caution against using high bacterial count probiotics.
Probiotics: A Critical Review discusses the body's autoimmune
response to the invasion of tens of billions of lactic acid
bacteria whether they are alive or dead, friendly or unfriendly1.
The author notes that when a large number of bacteria enter
the body, it determines if the invading bacteria are of "self"
or "non-self." When the body determines that the
invasion of bacteria is of "non-self," it elicits
a negative autoimmune response against the bacteria and directs
the body to fight the invaders. The T cells and B cells attack
the bacteria and a substantial number are destroyed because
of the immune system's normal response to "non-self"
invaders. The Japanese scientists, knowing of this immune
system response, reduced the number of bacteria in their product
to assure a favorable immune system reaction. Also, the bacterial
count in Dr. Ohhira's product is sufficient to guarantee the
existence of the requisite number of probiotics in the colon.
Further, the bacteria in the product are demonstrably stronger
than lactic acid bacteria in any other probiotic product,
thus further encouraging a lower bacterial count in the probiotic.
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Superiority
of OM-X Capsules
Dr Lawrence Wong from Brisbane, Australia
B.Sc. (Hons), Ph.D., Dip. Ap. Sc. Nutrition
AACNEM, ANTA
Gastroenterology Scientist,
Clinical Nutritionist
It is unfortunate that modern medicine does not pay much attention
to the many benefits of taking probiotics. This is despite
the fact that the benefits of probiotics have been known for
a very long long time. This is also despite the fact that
about 100 years ago Dr Elie Metchnikoff, of the Pasteur Institute
in Paris, and a Nobel Prize recipient, firmly advocated the
use of probiotics for their beneficial effects. It does not
matter to modern medicine that over the years, there have
been numerous reports and documentation on probiotics. Are
we going to wait for another 50 to 100 years until all is
known about probiotics, because there is, according to modern
medicine, a lack of fundamental knowledge about probiotics?
I think not. I believe we now have enough knowledge to justify
the taking of probiotics on a daily basis for health promotion,
disease prevention and therapy.
Since the work of Dr Metchnikoff, many outstanding
researchers have contributed to this growing pool of probiotic
knowledge. One such person whose contribution is now widely
recognized is DR IICHIROH OHHIRA. Dr Ohhira first encountered
lactic acid bacteria about 20 years ago while working in Malaysia.
This led him to his doctoral dissertation: "Distribution
and Biochemical Properties of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Traditional
Fermented Foods in Southeast Asia". Using this research
knowledge he formulated a very superior probiotic extract
which he also encapsulated and now known to us as OM-X.
To-day there are many probiotic preparations
to choose from. Which is the preferred choice? There are the
liquid preparations, freeze dried powder and Dr Ohhira's extract.
There are four things to look for when choosing
probiotic products: Methods of preparation, Contents of product,
Packaging of product and Health/therapeutic benefits.
LIQUID PREPARATIONS such as yoghurts cannot
be considered superior products. Unless you make your own
yoghurt using the right starter cultures and consume it almost
immediately, you cannot rely on commercial preparations for
health benefits. They often contain additives, preservatives,
flavourings and other ingradients that may be allergenic.
The contents may be contaminated, and damaged by centrifugation
and pasteurization. Bacteria in liquid preparations have a
very short shelf life and when taken in are damaged by stomach
acid. They are not suitable for transport and storage. Note
that after centrifugation, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal,
anticholesterol and other beneficial factors in the fermentation
medium are separated and discarded.
FREEZE-DRIED POWDER can be purchased as tablets
or capsules. Centrifugation removes many beneficial factors
in the fermentation medium. Freeze drying damages bacterial
cell wall. While I do not discount the benefits to health
from using such preparations, I believe they do not represent
superior product. When the powder is added to water it must
be consumed immediately as the bacteria tend to damage quickly.
Exposure to air and humidity can also damage the powder. While
you can transport the powder refrigeration is necessary. The
powder may contain chemical additives.
The preparation of OM-X EXTRACT is most uniquely
carried out. According to Dr Ohhira, 92 kinds of natural ingradients
are used, taken from natural plants from a non-polluted environment.
The final product has undergone 5 years of natural fermentation
process. The product contains 18 amino acids, 9 vitamins,
5 minerals and 12 types of friendly bacteria of proven benefits
to human health. Research carried out by Dr Ohhira shows that
his lactic acid bacteria has proteolytic activity 6.6 times
stronger than ordinary bacteria. The packaging of the fermented
extracts is most uniquely done. Unlike the liquid preparations
and powder, OM-X extract is in the form of a vegetable paste
packaged in a soft capsule also of vegetable matter. Those
of vegetarian leaning will find this preparation most beneficial.
Note some unique features of OM-X: No freeze drying and no
centrifugation, 100% organic being totally of vegetable origin,
and no added chemical additives. When you travel you can easily
carry the capsules with you without refrigeration, as long
as you keep them from the sun and heat. The bacteria are viable
and taken in an empty stomach with a glass of filtered water,
the capsules are delivered to the intestines, therefore bypassing
the acidic stomach. Encapsulated this way contamination is
almost impossible.
IS OM-X BENEFICIAL? Dr Ohhira has carried
out study at Okayama University on 1250 people with different
ailments and shows that OM-X capsules have wide range therapeutic
benefits. He reported antibacterial activity against Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus, and its beneficial effects on athletes.
OMX is effective against H. pylori, the causative agent of
stomach ulcer. OM-X is also effective against E. Coli 0157,
which causes food poisoning. Many people like you have benefited
from taking OM-X regularly. Such evidence although anecdotal
should not be taken lightly. Certainly I would like to see
more scientific studies done on OM-X.
I was introduced to OM-X in 1995 while working
as a gastroenterology scientist. In my present work as a clinical
nutritionist, I always aim to optimize people's health. The
place to start with is the digestive system. Most people do
not realize that they have a less than healthy digestive system.
I have seen and helped many people with different digestive
problems using probiotic therapy. I do not claim that other
systems of the body are less important and that are no other
effective therapies. I affirm that a good digestive system
is foundation to your health and that taking OM-X daily plays
an important role. If you have digestive disorders, you need
to take therapeutic dose of at least 10 to 15 or more capsules
per day to deliver major benefits. This you should do for
at least four weeks and observations taken. It is wise that
you seek a health care professional to guide you. Also certain
digestive disorders need medical attention. Whether you seek
specialist care or not, my contention is that taking probiotics
is absolutely necessary. So go ahead and take your OM-X capsules
even though your doctor may not be enthusiastic and supportive.
Because taking OM-X capsules can help to resolve toxic bowel,
taking it long term will promote antiaging. For health maintenance
I recommend 2 to 5 capsules per day.
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