DISCLAIMER: Information on this page is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by a competent health care professional. You should not use this information in diagnosing or treating a health problem. No claim or opinion in this email is intended to be, nor should be construed to be, medical advice. If you are now taking any drugs, prescribed or not, or have a medical condition, please consult a competent physician who is aware of herb/drug interactions before taking any herbal supplements. The information presented herein has not been evaluated by the FDA or the Department of Health and is not intended to diagnose, prevent or treat any disease or illness.

A: It is safe to take Green Vibrance during pregnancy and lactation. Many women have used Green Vibrance throughout their pregnancies to great benefit for themselves and the fetus. Green Vibrance delivers essential trace nutrition that benefits both mother and child while improving digestion so that nutrient intake can be maximized. Other ingredients – including ginkgo biloba– help improve circulation thereby enhancing nutrient delivery to all cells and, of course, to the placenta.

Much of allopathic physician’s fear is unfortunately founded on ignorance. They cannot know everything, of course, and the nuances of herbal substances remain unknown to most of them. They are unaware that ginkgo biloba also contains a range of polyphenols that actually improve vascular integrity. So the concern that ginkgo, in conservative doses, may lead to excessive bleeding is overrated, especially in healthy individuals. [However, it is certainly not recommended to give ginkgo to a patient suffering with scurvy. In such a case, vascular integrity has deteriorated to such a point that other nutrients (e.g. vitamin C, zinc, calcium, vitamin D) are needed first to restore firm collagen bonds among the cells of vascular tissue before any blood thinning agent can be given.]

In Green Vibrance, ginkgo biloba is present at a dosage that will not lead to capillary leakage, but will enhance circulation. It is safe to make this statement because the ginkgo is also paired with grape seed extract, milk thistle extract, green tea extract, and Acerola berry extract. All of these botanical extracts supply vitamin C and polyphenols that will enhance vascular integrity. Other nutrients that help build and sustain vascular integrity can be found throughout Green Vibrance (i.e. calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K and boron.)

Green Vibrance is balanced, and thoughtfully formulated. It has contributed to the birth of many strong, healthy babies since it first appeared in 1992.

A: The raw materials in Maximized Curcuminoids (turmeric root extract) and Green Calcium (hydrilla verticillata) have low bulk densities. Encapsulation would result in the need for multiple large capsules in order to provide a meaningful dose. For example, 1000-mg dose of curcuminoids would require two “00” or three “0” capsules, both of which are pretty hefty capsules about 20 mm in length. Vibrant Health’s tablets are all made using a minimum of excipients derived exclusively from purely vegetable sources. The Green Calcium tablet is quite a technological achievement, using just 6 mg of vegetable-sourced magnesium stearate as the only excipient other than a plant-derived cellulose coating.

A: Absorbed calcium plays far less a role in constipation than calcium compounds in transit through the bowels do, and since calcium is required for muscle contraction, absorbed calcium actually normalizes peristaltic action (the waves of muscle contractions that move things through the bowel) thus helping to ensure efficient transit of contents through the intestinal tract. Calcium from a food such as the hydrilla verticillata in Green Calcium is the least constipating of all forms of calcium.

Normal bowel function can be expected from a diet short on grains and refined carbohydrates, but containing plenty of fiber from fruits and vegetables and an adequate supply of probiotics, magnesium and Vitamin C.

A: A good daily intake of Vitamin D is now considered to be 2,000 i.u. Some researchers are advising daily intake of 5,000 i.u., similar to the recommended daily Vitamin A dosage, for optimal health.

D3 is the ideal form of Vitamin D to take as a supplement. The human body has control mechanisms in place that regulate conversion of D3 to its hormonal form, whereas D2 is foreign to the body, lacks controls, and can actually be too aggressive, causing deposition of calcium into soft tissues such as the arteries and muscles, a side effect not shared with D3.

A: Gram negative and Gram positive refer to the dye stain used in the identification of bacteria. Gram staining is named for Hans Christian Joachim Gram (1853-1938), the Danish bacteriologist who developed the process. Gram gained an international reputation with his development of the method of staining bacteria that later played a major role in classifying bacteria.

The terms “negative” and “positive” carry no connotations of “bad” or “good” and refer only to the fact, which Gram observed, that some bacteria (Gram positive) hold on to the dye, but that alcohol or acetone can be used to wash the dye out of other bacteria (Gram negative). The retention or release of the stain by the bacteria relates to the structure of the bacteria’s cell membrane. Probiotic bacteria appear to be all Gram positive.

A: Green Calcium is low in Magnesium, although we are searching for a source of Magnesium that could be added to Green Calcium. In the meantime, We suggest supplemental Mg orotate, Mg diglycinate, Mg 2-AEP, Mg taurate, Mg aspartate, Mg Krebs cycle, or Mg citrate/malate. Magnesium should be taken with food in divided dosages. This means it should be taken in smaller dosages twice or three times per day in order to minimize its laxative effect. The first 4 types mentioned above are the least laxative. Daily dosage of Mg should be 80% to 100% of the dosage of calcium.

We also recommend vitamin D3 at a minimum daily intake of 2,000 i.u. However, current research indicates that if one’s bones are weakening, then 4,000 i.u are needed to restore and maintain appropriate levels of hormonal D (1-25-dihydroxy D3), which is the form of Vitamin D actually involved in placing calcium into bone tissue.

A: We like high-magnesium Dunaliella salina algae, Mg taurate, Mg 2-AEP, Mg orotate, and Mg diglycinate, as well as Mg aspartate. These seem to be highly bioavailable and lowest in laxative effect. Magnesium oxide is the worst, with low to zero bioavailability, and a tendency to be readily converted to magnesium hydroxide (aka “Milk of Magnesia”) in the intestines.

Low magnesium can lead to muscle cramps, heart arrhythmias, hardening arteries, high blood pressure, and poor calcium utilization. Since it stimulates parathyroid hormone, the hormone that commands osteoclasts to tear down bone, supplemental Mg should be taken from morning to mid afternoon, when the pull of gravity counters parathyroid hormone by calling forth calcitonin, the hormone that stimulates bone building osteoblasts. Then, at night, when parathyroid hormone usually holds sway, take some calcium and vitamin D3 before retiring to reduce parathyroid hormone secretion.

A: Teenagers’ metabolism is at its lifetime peak, building most tissues at a fearsome rate. Calcium is needed at high levels. Depending on the quality of the diet, 1,000 to 2,000 mg of calcium should support growth well. However, soft drink consumption (especially those containing phosphoric acid), processed foods, snack items and other less-than-wholesome foods that often invade a youth’s diet, can compromise the dietary calcium contribution and utilization.

Dietary habits play such an important role in calcium bioavailability and utilization that it is impossible to accurately predict what intake of calcium will work best for any given person without knowing their customary eating habits and lifestyle choices. Nevertheless, most experts claim that 1,000 to 1,200 mg calcium is adequate for adults, and 1,500 to 2,000 mg for pregnant and lactating women. For the latter, Green Calcium (hydrilla verticillata) is certainly safe for use during pregnancy. We recommend using it in combination with Phyto-Boron and Green Vibrance.

A: Arthred is manufactured in Germany from the hides of German cattle. The animals are not necessarily organically grown, but Germany and the EU have strict regulations governing the health and biochemical cleanliness of livestock. Use of growth hormones and the sale of hormone treated beef are banned within the EU, and twenty years ago, Europe banned the importation of animals treated with growth hormones. Even so, the process of extracting the collagen from hides, after which the hydrolysis of collagen to gelatin and then to Arthred removes any impurities or contaminants, including BSE. Arthred is thus pharmaceutically pure free amino acids, di and tri-peptides from collagen.

A: No, separate functions of Joint Vibrance and of Methotrexate do not conflict. Methotrexate interferes with cell replication, and can inhibit several enzymes, resulting in immune suppression of T-cell function. Joint Vibrance is designed to stimulate and support the synthesis of collagen and cartilage. The process does not call for the growth of new cells, but only demands that the cells (Chondorcytes) already present inside the cartilage do their job of manufacturing the components of new cartilage.

A: The answer to that depends on the degree of joint damage present at the start of your Joint Vibrance regimen. If you still have any discomfort in your knees, hip or shoulder, I would recommend continuing Joint Vibrance at a full scoop each day. At some point in time, you will notice either that your joints either no longer bother you at all, or there appears to be no further improvement to be hoped for.

If you have reached a stage where the joints are pain free, with good mobility, or where no further improvement is to be had, I recommend switching to a maintenance program where you do not take Joint Vibrance for about 8 weeks, and then take it again on a daily basis for about a month. This alternating schedule will allow you to maintain previous gains, and repair any wear and tear that occurs during the periods “off” Joint Vibrance.

A: Our phyto-boron is a patented calcium fructo-borate that Vibrant Health obtains from Van Drunen Farms. Human clinical trials verify its high bioavailability. The material is synthesized by replicating the forms of boron found in fruit where boron is bound to calcium and fruit sugars

A: There is no soy. Palm oil and rice bran oil are the sources. The capsule is gelatin.