What makes Body Balance so good for us?

Here's a list of the ingredients in each bottle...

Alaria esculenta The brown alga name Maria esculenta is translated to mean “edible wings.” Alaria sea vegetables have a nice flavor, and they are popular as a food item in some cultures. Like other brown sea vegetation, Alaria esculenta contains fucans—carbohydrate-related nutrients that are often described as the “slimy stuff” found on the outside of the skin of the plant.

Alaria esculenta is made up of 42 percent alginate. In addition, it contains fucoidan, and a number of amino acids (or protein building blocks) . Lastly, Alaria escuienta is relatively high in potassium which helps promotes a healthy nervous system.

Aloe Vera A Sumerian clay tablet, found in the city of Nippu written around 2200 BC, is the first document to include Aloe vera among plants of great healing power. Egyptian writings record Aloe as being used medicinally 1,500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. The Hebrews in the Bible’s Old Testament carried Aloe with them in the wilderness for 40 years to be sure they would have it in their new land. Greek physician Dioscorides wrote of using Aloe for constipation, burns, and kidney ailments.

Life Force's aloe plant is grown in fertile fields at the base of a volcanic mountain in Mexico near the equator. This is significant for several reasons. Fields are fed with water rich in volcanic trace minerals. Sunlight and rain is ideal for aloe, and even the wind plays a part. Certified "organic" under the protocols set by QAI (Quality Assurance International). Aloe is hand-farmed from preparing the soil, to planting, to cultivating, to artfully cutting the leaves.

Ascophyllum nodosum Ascophyllum nodosum is a slow growing sea vegetable found in the northern Atlantic ocean. It grows by attaching itself to rocks and boulders and can live to be several decades old.

It contains high amounts of fucoidan—a specialized polysaccharide. Fucoidan molecules tend to bond with sulphate groups. While this may not say much to the rest of us, scientists know that the higher the sulphate group count in a plant, the higher the plant’s medicinal potential.

It is believed its high fucoidan count may be why in studies an extract from the sea plant helped prevent blood coagulation. This could be beneficial for those at risk for heart disease and stroke. Additionally, fuicoidan has been shown to have significant cancer-fighting properties.

Black Cherry Body Balance is a tastier drink because it has black cherry flavoring, all natural and of course being a botanical, it also contributes its share of phytonutrients. Black cherry contributes to supporting healthy uric acids levels, which supports health

Chondus cripus Chondus cripus grows in thick patches and has leaf tips that are iridescent. Once the sea plant is removed from the water, however, it loses its color. This plant is rich in iodine, which is known to promote a healthy thyroid. Chondus cripus is a powerful antioxidant that has a unique genetic structure.

Scientific literature reports that one single gene isolated from Chondus cripus contained a polypeptide of 825 amino acids. The role of antioxidants is important to health. Sickness, particularly chronic illness, has been attributed to the high presence of free radicals in our modern society.

Fucus vesiculosus The common name for Fucus vesiculosus is bladder wrack. It is grown on the coastline of colder regions including the northwestern United States and northern Europe. The plant has receptacles that are usually swollen at the ends, which has everything the plant needs to reproduce (both eggs and sperms). When it’s about to die, the seaweed’s swollen ends will burst. This way the plant manages to reproduce itself.

The plant has a thick skin that secretes a sticky substance that helps keep it moist. It contains fucoidan and myostatin, which have been reported to have varying health benefits such as being an anti-coagulant (blood thinning and anti-clotting), anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral. There will be more about fucoidan and it benefits in the section about the brown sea plant Ascophyllum nodosum.

Fucus vesicuiosus also contains alginate. Besides helping to excrete toxins from the body, alginate may also positively affect the immune system T-cells and support the endocrine system (or hormonesystem) in the body. Lastly, alginate from Fucus has been used to help control gastroesophageal reflux disease (also known as GERD). GERD is a type of chronic heartburn. Statistics show that more than 60 million Americans experience heartburn once a month. The alginate from Eucus may help control the reflux problem and reduce the acidity content of the stomach.

Gigartina chamissoi Gigartina chamissoi is a leafy, red seaweed. There has been quite a bit of research done on the natural carrageenans found within Gigartina. arrageenans are a special kind of polysaccharide. Originally, carrageenans from red seaweed were extracted and used for gelling and thickening agents in the food industry. Then it was discovered that some of these carrageenans worked well in skin products and cosmetics.

Within the last few years, scientists have discovered that the carrageenans in Gigartina also possess some unique medicinal properties. Among other things, they have found them to be antibacterial as well as antiviral. In fact, one study showed that an extract of Gigartina could kill the bacteria Streptococcus. In addition, in 1997 scientists from Argentina found carrageenans in Gigartina to be anti-herpetic (able to kill the herpes viruses) and anti-coagulant (able to prevent blood from clotting).

Honey The types of flowers the bees pollinate determine flavor and color of honey. The darker shades of honey are believed to have more antioxidants. The study showed no weight gain in participants for the month they were consuming honey. And, some claimed that eating honey for breakfast actually made them feel full and satisfied.

Eating honey along with supplemental calcium appeared to enhance calcium absorption in rats, according to a study from Purdue University. In addition, the researches suggested that the absorption of calcium increased as the amount of honey taken was upped. Sugar is a crystalline carbohydrate extracted from sugar cane and sugar beets. It is a non-nutritive empty calorie that robs the body of vitamins and minerals. Sugar is addicting. The biggest culprit? Soft drinks, which account for one-third of our total sugar intake. Honey contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, and is a wonderful beauty aid that nourishes the skin and the hair. Honey acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent and helps disinfect and speed the healing process in wounds, scrapes and burns.

Laminaria Laminaria is a perennial type of sea plant, meaning that it grows back year after year. As with the some of the other brown sea vegetables, Laminaria digitata contains potassium, iodine, and calcium, which may promote health of the nervous system, thyroid gland, and bone structure. There has been quite a bit of research done on Laminaria digitata because of its apparent health benefits. We will discuss just a few studies.

A couple of recent studies (in 2003 and 2004), demonstrated that in a laboratory setting Laminaria digitata displayed strong anti-cancer properties. For example, in the first study a sxolution extracted from Laminaria digitata had a strong inhibitory activity gainst the spreading of human leukemia cells. The second study looked specifically at tumor cells. In this experiment the extract from Laminaria digitata killed tumor cells in both in vitro and invivo tests. In vivo means the extract was able to kill the tumor cells within a living biological organism (such as rats), whereas in vitro means the experiment was done in a test tube or some similar medium.

Another study, completed as recently as 2005, showed that a preparation made from Laminaria digitata acted as an effective vaccine against several disease-causing fungi in the human body such as Candida albicans, which is involved in various gastrointestinal as well as vaginal infections.

Palmaria palmate High in potassium and calcium, the red sea plant Palmaria palmata is named for its resemblance to the palm of the human hand. Like other red sea vegetables, it is also known for its high levels of healthy antioxidants. One scientific journal reports that Palmaria palmate has anti-cancer properties. Extracts from the sea plant were tested on human cervical cancer cells. It was found that chemicals in the sea plant stopped the cells from reproducing and spreading.

Another health benefit of Palmaria palmate may be to those with irregular blood sugar and even those with diabetes. Scientists found that the polysaccharides in Palmaria palmate affect the intestinal absorption of glucose and insulin response.

Porphyra yezoensis Nori, a sea plant known to scientists as Porphyrayezoensis, is one of the most widely used sea vegetables in Japan. It has been grown in Japan as a food source for hundreds of years. As a plant, it is highly nutritious. It contains minerals such as zinc and copper, as well as various vitamins and provitamins.

As of late, Porphyra yezoensis has also become the subject of a number of health-related studies. It has been shown to help healthy liver activity, prevent the occurrence of gallstone disease, and control blood cholesterol levels. It also contains sulfated polysaccharides, which may inhibit the growth of certain tumors and help prevent ulcer activity in shay ulcers.

Porphyra yezoensis is a potent source of vitamin B. Diseases aggravated by low levels of vitamin B in the body are dermatitis (skin inflammation), depression, and anemia (low iron). One recent study, published in 2001, showed that Porphyra yezoensis has high amounts of bioavailable vitamin B

Stevia Stevia is a genus of about 150 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America. As a sweetener, stevia's sweet taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or liquorice-like after taste at high concentrations.

With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Stevia also has shown promise in medical research for treating such conditions as obesity and high blood pressure. Stevia has negligible effect on blood glucose, therefore it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate controlled diets.

Ulva Lactuca Ulva Lactuca is often called sea lettuce. It grows in many areas around the world but especially in the northern hemisphere. Ulva Lactuca has a long history of being used in different cultures medicinally. In Cuba, sea lettuce was boiled and then drunk as a juice to kill intestinal worms. In Bretagne, the plant was applied directly on wounds to help stop infection.

The main elements within Ulva Lactuca are bioactive substances as well as fiber, iron, calcium, and magnesium. It contains polysaccharide fibers that cannot be dissolved or degraded by digestive enzymes.

This aids in digestion. One particular polysaccharide within Ulva Lactuca is called ulvan. Ulvan is asulfated polysaccharide that has been shown to kill cancerous colon cells. Researchers from France reported ulvan proved to be useful in killing various human cancer cells. The iron content in sea lettuce is high, 15 times higher than the iron found in an egg yolk or spinach. Iron is known to stimulate the immune system and improve overall strength and physical performance.

Blending sea vegetables with Aloe Vera juice adds to the nutritional value of a dietary supplement. Aloe Vera should be whole leaf, cold processed Aloe Vera juice that is certified by the International Aloe Science Council and rated Kosher for purity. A recent survey found that Aloe Vera is the most popular organic remedy on earth. One prominent physician suggested, “If Aloe Vera were to be discovered today, it would be hailed as the wonder drug of this century.” Mounting research agrees that Aloe Vera has powerful healing and soothing properties. This recognition is largely due to its ability to clean morbid matter from the stomach, liver, kidneys, spleen, bladder and small intestines.

Although there are over 200 species of aloe, one of the best is Aloe Barbadensis, which contains over 75 nutritional compounds including vitamins, minerals and 18 amino acids. One of the top rated vegetable sources of vitamin B12, Aloe is also an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, niacinamide and choline. It has long been used for ailments ranging from cuts, burns and bruises to digestive and intestinal irregularities.

Oxygen at the cellular level is essential to growth and life, and Aloe Vera contains more oxygen molecules than the fluids of any other plant. Dr Steve Levine reports in Antioxidant Adaptations: Its Role in Free Radical Pathology, 1985, “Hypoxia, or lack of oxygen in the tissues is the fundamental cause for all degenerative disease.” Dr Otto Warbur, twice Nobel Laureate, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1931 for discovering the cause of cancer. He states, “The growth of cancer cells is initiated by a relative lack of oxygen. Cancer cannot live in an oxygen rich environment.”