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FAQ's

This information has been provided by our Clinical Physician Advisors, Rachel Olivier ND and Miranda Jorgenson ND from Biotics Research Corporation. They are both "wells of knowledge" and have provided our Clinicians with valuable information over the years. Thank you Rachael and Miranda!

Disclaimer: Information and statements contained in this document should not be construed as a claim, nor does it represent any particular product procedure or advice as constituting a specific cure, whether palliative to ameliorative.

FAQ Clinical

DOSING SYNTHETIC vs NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS

Q - Question: A patient might ask their doctor why they have to take (for example) three tabs of the BioMulti Plus compared to the one tablet of an OTC product. My feeling is that if the ingredients are sourced from something other than synthetic ( as in the vegetable culture base source used by Biotics Research ), then they are larger by mass, volume and weight per say, and so in order to get those nutrients into a tablet or capsule, less has to be incorporated into one tab?

A - Answer: Yes, you are correct; a more natural product will contain a larger bulk to possess a similar amount as a synthetic. Thus it is necessary to take a larger quantity of the more natural product. Additionally, with synthetics they are more easily compressed (i.e.. packed together) thus less bulk/quantity. Because of this they are not as easily digested/assimilated.

One joke in the industry is that the 1/day vitamins essentially amount to expensive stool. They are typically excreted whole rather than being absorbed.

FAQ Ingredients

Ultra Vir-X

Click to download PDF Ultra Vir-X

Q. Does the Wheat Grass in Ultra Vir-X contarin Gluten?

A. The product does NOT contain gluten however the manufacturer of the wheat grass is not a gluten free facility. At Biotic Research Corporation, we have had no complaints of gluten sensitivity with Ultra Vir-X.

Ubiquinone vs Ubiquinol 2 forms of Coenzyme Q10

Ubiquinone is the form of CoQ10 used by Biotics Research. It is the stable form and is the form synthesized by the body.

Ubiquinol is a reduced form of CoQ10. It is unstable, and therefore must be supplied as a softgel or a low concentrated micro-encapsulation.

Some would suggest that the body cannot convert Ubiquinone to Ubiquinol. The fact is, Ubiquinone converts back and forth to Ubiquinol…This is how the electrons get transported; the molecule gains an electron and forms Ubiquinol, and losses and electron to form Ubiquinone. This is why it’s called “redox” (reduction is the addition of an electron, and oxidation is the loss of an electron).

Ubiquinol was found to improve congestive heart failure (CHF) in subjects at doses pf 900 mg per day. However, the study’s author, Peter Langsjoen (Biofactors 32, 2008) reported that it was the plasma level of CoQ10 that favored the clinical outcome. In an interview with Kirk Hamilton, he reported “Many patients absorb CoQ10 quite well and if they are doing well with a good plasma level on Ubiquinone, there is no reason to switch to Ubiquinol. Our practice is to use supplemental CoQ10 in all patients with impaired heart muscle function”.

Biotics’ micro-emulsified CoQ10 (Ubiquinone), unlike the typical dry powder form that was the source of comparison by Ubiquinol, has demonstrated uptake and bioavailability 3 times greater than the dry form, is more cost effective than Ubiquinol, and because it is stable, can be supplied in more dose forms (tablets, capsules, powders, liquids).

Biotics Research was the first company to introduce CoQ10 as a dietary supplement back in the early 1980s. Back then, it was only available in Japan as a pharmaceutical preparation and was not available for export. Therefore, Biotics Research produced our own CoQ10 as a concentrated extract from bovine heart tissue. Today, Coenzyme Q10 is produced in many countries via chemical synthesis or micro-fermentation process. Biotics Research only uses fermented CoQ10 material in our products.

Biotics’ emulsified CoQ10 contains no soy derivatives, artificial detergents or chemical surfactants such as polyoxyethylenesorbintan ester (Tween 80) or polyethylene glycol; all of which are commonly used to enhance CoQ absorption into the blood by making it “water soluble”. Biotics’ emulsified QoQ10 is not water soluble, but is micro-emulsified into tiny microscopic droplets and is water dispersible. Biotics’ emulsified CoQ10 is absorbed lymphatically, as Mother Nature intended, and transports in the lymph, where it appears in the abdominal lymph duct in 2-3 hours, and peaks in the venous blood in 6 to 8 hours.

Synthetic vs natural ingredients

Q: Patients might ask their doctors why they have to take (for example) three tabs of the BioMulti Plus compared to the one tablet of a OTC product.

A: A more natural product will contain a larger bulk to possess than a similar amount of a synthetic ingredient. Thus it is necessary to take a larger quantity of the more natural product. Additionally, with synthetics they are easier to compress (i.e.packed together) thus less bulk/quantity is required. Because of this they are not as easily digested or assimilated.

It has been said that 1a day vitamins essentially amount to expensive stool, they are typically excreted whole rather than being absorbed.

Magnesium Stearate & Stearic Acid

We, at Biotics Research Corporation, believe it is important to address concerns surrounding the ingredient, magnesium stearate. In response to what can best be described as a rumor put forth by some supplement companies looking to distinguish themselves from their competitors, we reviewed the scientific literature and intend to allay any concerns.

What is magnesium stearate and stearic acid?

Magnesium stearate is the magnesium salt of stearic acid, a common fatty acid found in meats, poultry, fish, eggs, butter, grains and milk products. Stearic acid is one of the most commonly occurring saturated fatty acids, and can be found in foods such as cocoa butter, olive oil and coconut oil. 7-10% of total breast milk fat comes from stearic acid.(1)

Why do some supplement companies use magnesium stearate?

Magnesium stearate is an excipient commonly used in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. An excipient is defined as an inactive substance that serves as the vehicle or medium for an active substance. At Biotics Research Corporation, we believe using magnesium stearate provides the even distribution of nutrient dosage within our tablets and capsules, and therefore, the consistent nutrient delivery patients require. Without the excipient, ingredients are at risk of clumping together. Excipient use aids in the ease of uniform delivery within the body.

Is magnesium stearate toxic?

Magnesium stearate and its parent compound, stearic acid, are both US FDA approved ingredients with GRAS status (“generally recognized as safe”). In order to maintain this classification, updated toxicology reports are filed, and no evidence has been found to show toxicity or safety concerns. Marketers, however, target one in vitro study by Tebbey and Buttke,(2) which showed that feeding large of amounts of stearic acid may lead to an impaired cell membrane integrity. The in vitro method of testing allows the cell to be exposed to an inordinate amount of the substance relative to an in vivo experiment. In such an experiment, any substance would become “toxic”, which renders this study inaccurate, in our opinion. In vivo studies are preferable in the fields of medicine, nutrition and toxicology.

On the contrary, multiple studies have shown some benefit to stearic acid, including activating neutrophil function.(3) Results from another study indicate that stearic acid (19g/day) in the diet has beneficial effects on thrombogenic and atherogenic risk factors in males.(4) Also, foods high in stearic acid favorably affected blood lipids and factor VII coagulant activity in young men, according to another study.(5)

How much magnesium stearate is found in capsules relative to what is found in foods?

The amount of magnesium stearate in a tablet or capsule is generally no more than 0.5%. This means that a single 1000 mg dosage would supply 5 mg of stearic acid. One tablespoon of sun-flower oil contains 588 mg of stearic acid. To get the equivalent of stearic acid found in one tablespoon of sunflower oil, a patient would need to consume over 100 tablets or capsules. In another example, where one tablespoon of coconut oil contains 381 mg of stearic acid, a patient would need to take over 75 tablets or capsules to equal the amount in the coconut oil. Without belaboring the point, the amounts of magnesium stearate or stearic acid found within the dietary supplement is inconsequential, particularly when compared to what is found naturally-occurring in common foods.

Will magnesium stearate affect nutrient absorption?

Stearates do and can impact dissolution.(6) Too much of a binder or lubrication can cause a delay in disintegration, as have been found in a number of pharmaceutical products. However, at Biotics Research Corporation, our quality control standards surpass industry standards, and we only release products that meet dissolution specifications.

Our thorough review of research has found no conclusive evidence that the presence of magnesium stearate in our nutritional supplements interferes with absorption of our high quality nutrients.

References

1. http://www.jbc.org/content/154/1/255.full.pdf

2. Tebbey PW1, Buttke TM. Immunology. 1990 Jul;70(3):379-84.

3. Eur J Cain Invest. 2002 Apr;32(4).

4. Kelley FD, Sinclair AJ, Mann NJ, et al. A stearic acid-rich diet improves throbogenic and ather-ogenic risk factor profiles in healthy males. Eur J Clin Nutriion. 2001;55(2):88-96.

5. Tholstrup T, Marckmann P, Jespersen J, et al. Fat high in stearic acid favorable affects blood lipids and factor VII coagulant activity in comparison with fats high in palmitic acid or high myristic and lauric acids. Am J Cli Nutr 1994;59:371-77.

6. Mol Pharm. 2017 Oct 16. doi: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.7b00629.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

FAQ Product

Morning Sickness

Q. What do you recommend for morning sickness and as an anlternative to diclectin?

A.We typically recommend Gastrazyme and B-6 Phosphate. Dr. Duffy found that it relives nausea during pregnancy. The recommended dose is 1-2 tid. She can also suck on them when she is nauseated. The Chlorocaps can also be effective. Harry’s manual recommends Cr-Zyme, 1 tablet tid and ginger, 1 tablet tid.