Primal Defense with HSO's Aids Return to [...]
Healthy Living, Vol.6 No.8

Primal DefenseTM with HSOsTM Aids Return to Primitive Health by Jordan Rubin, N.M.D. Healthy Living, Vol.6 No.8 One of the reasons Primal DefenseTM with HSOsTM (Homeostatic Soil OrganismsTM) goes so far beyond ordinary probiotics is due to its ability to correct so many underlying health conditions caused by our modern lifestyle and dietary practices. The homeostatic soil organisms (or HSOsTM as they are known) contained in the Primal DefenseTM formula are as old as the earth. When ingested, they repopulate our body with beneficial organisms missing from our modern lifestyle. These soil and plant microorganisms aid our return to the super health our hunter/gatherer forbearers enjoyed. One of the most important methods by which the HSOsTM in Primal DefenseTM enhance our health is to return our bodily tissues to their formerly healthy alkaline state. Due to our modern diets, most of us are now in a state of chronic acidosis. This has profound health implications. Return to Primitive Diet for Super Health Much anthropological evidence has been found that proves primitive cultures, for the most part, enjoyed superior health to members of our more modernized agricultural society. For thousands of years humans had been nomadic hunters and gatherers. Our diet, laden with protein- and energy-rich foods, enabled us to survive and to maintain a healthy, lean form. Consider this archaeological evidence to show how healthy primitive people were compared to their modern descendants: The skeletons of primitive people are taller in stature; the bones have more density. Pre-industrialized people lived longer, taking into account infant mortality rates, childhood diseases, and physical trauma. Nutritional deficiencies such as iron-poor anemia and pellagra (a vitamin deficiency caused by a lack of niacin) were more frequent in modernized humans. The number of dental caries and enamel defects was higher in modern societies. One of the most important detrimental effects of our shift to an industrialized existence has been chronic acidosis. This has been brought about in large part by the replacement of potassium-rich foods with salt, as well as our marked increase of acid-producing foods. Understanding Your Body's pH Foods are of two types, acid or alkaline. This refers to the ash value of a food, meaning the type of residue that remains after the food is digested and processed. If there is an acid residue, the body must neutralize this acid to keep the blood from getting acidic. The acid is neutralized with alkaline. Ideally there is adequate alkaline in the diet to do this. However, if there is not, the body must extract alkaline from its cells to neutralize the acid. This, of course, causes the cells to become acid, and, thus, diseased. Because our bodies are an alkaline entity, in order to maintain health, the majority of our diet must consist of alkaline ash foods. Deficiency of such foods in the diet increases the net systemic acid load imposed by the diet. Health Consequences of Chronic Acidosis Chronic metabolic acidosis has many damaging effects on health. These include growth retardation in children, decreased muscle and bone mass in adults, kidney stone formation, as well as chronic inflammation and arthritis. Correction of acidosis can ameliorate those conditions. Perhaps even more scientifically intriguing is that chronic acidosis may age us prematurely-and correcting this condition might be a prime anti-aging strategy. Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco have shown that contemporary net acid-producing diets do indeed characteristically produce a low-grade systemic metabolic acidosis in otherwise healthy adult subjects, and that the degree of acidosis increases with age. They ask, "Is it possible that a lifetime of eating diets that deliver evolutionarily superphysiologic loads of acid to the body contribute to the decrease in bone and muscle mass, and growth hormone secretion, which occur normally with age? That is, are contemporary humans suffering from the consequences of chronic, diet-induced low-grade systemic metabolic acidosis?" In clinical research sponsored by Garden of Life, we have found that the most effective tool today for quickly reversing chronic acidosis is Primal DefenseTM with HSOsTM. As I mentioned, HSOsTM are as old as Earth itself. Cultivated from ancient soils untainted by modern man, our soil organisms return the body to a state of dynamic homeostasis, as well as returning the body's tissues to an alkaline state, and aiding in the assimilation of mineral-rich, alkalizing foods. Beyond Probiotics-Clinical Study Proves Primal DefenseTM Neutralizes Chronic Acidosis At Garden of Life, our HSOsTM have taken the concept of friendly bacteria light years beyond probiotics. In a 90-day blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study with 70 patients to be published this fall in the International Journal of Immunotherapy, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of Primal DefenseTM's HSOsTM as a primary treatment for chronic digestive disorders and malabsorption syndrome. Nearly all of the participants had abnormal carbon dioxide levels in their blood and extremely low levels of potassium, signifying mild to moderate acidosis. By the end of the study with the use of Primal DefenseTM and no other dietary changes, the CO2 and potassium levels were normalized among participants receiving the actual formula. Circulating levels of other minerals such as phosphorus and calcium, greatly increased as well. Approximately 52 percent of those taking Primal DefenseTM achieved full remission of symptoms; 32 percent of the participants achieved greater than 60 percent symptom reduction and the remaining 16 percent achieved a greater than 40 percent improvement of symptoms; no subjects had zero improvement or a worsening of symptoms. Fourteen patients (nine females/five males) reported remarkable increases in their energy levels beginning toward the end of the second month and continuing through the third month of treatment. Overcoming Chronic Acidosis A difficult question is what level of acidosis is acceptable. At Garden of Life, we would argue that any level of acidosis may be unacceptable from a historical perspective, and indeed, that a low-grade metabolic alkalosis may be the optimal acid-base state for humans. One reason acidosis is altogether too common among modern men and women is our typical diet, which is rich in acid-producing animal products such as meat, eggs and dairy. In addition, our intake of salt (sodium chloride) has replaced our intake of potassium-rich vegetables. Other dietary culprits include white flour, processed sugars, coffee and soft drinks. Artificial chemical sweeteners are highly acid forming. Lack of exercise and smoking can also produce a chronic state of acidosis.