B&B
B&B
combines minerals and herbs in the form of food that can effect
balance of and support the metabolic benefits associated with
hormonal supplementation. This combination helps balance hormones,
build lean muscle mass, increase strength, burn fat, bring
migraines under control, arrest osteoporosis, increase your
body’s ability to absorb Magnesium and Calcium, which
can help women to wean off hormone replacement therapy, decrease
appetite, balance blood sugar, increase strength and stamina,
can prevent calcium leaching, decrease recovery time in athletes
and decrease PMS and menopausal symptoms. |
B&B
combines minerals and herbs in the form of food to affect
balance and support the metabolic benefits associated with
hormonal supplementation. The mineral constituents
of this product can act as hormonal modulators,
while the herbs offer substances with hormone like
activity. The product also serves as a source
of hormones (bovine orchid). Hormones are the body's
internal chemical messengers of information that control the
functions of almost all of the cells and tissues of the body.
The combination of two minerals, boron and chromium, and two
herbs, Sarsaparilla and Wild Yam, are used for this purpose.
Boron is an essential nutrient and its deprivation leads to
detrimental changes affecting bone metabolism associated with
increase incidence of degenerative bone and joint disease.
Thus adequate dietary boron may be necessary to prevent
osteoporosis and other bone diseases (1). Overall
animal studies with boron indicate that it modifies
hormonal responses of vitamin D and other hormones involved
in calcium and magnesium metabolism. Aging has been
associated with reduction of estrogen secretion that in turn
causes bone loss and development of osteoarthritis; consequently,
an adequate supply of this can have an anti-aging
effect or even give a youthful, vibrant appearance, along
with arresting osteoarthritis. Clinical studies on
humans have demonstrated that low boron intake reduces serum
levels of estradiol and testosterone (2). While an increase
of boron intake causes a significant decrease of urinary
excretion of calcium and magnesium thus preserving these minerals
in the blood. Boron causes beneficial changes similar
to estrogen and enhances the effects of estrogen therapy important
for the bone and mineral metabolism. Supplementation with
boron can improve bone mass including increased levels
of vitamin D, calcitonin, testosterone and osteocalcin
(3). Diets low in fruits and vegetables, common in the US,
will lead to lower boron intakes. Even so, proper diet does
not assure adequate boron intake, especially if the fruits
and vegetables are harvested from geographic areas where the
soil is poor in boron. This increases the significance of
boron supplementation.
Chromium
is essential for optimal insulin activity.
Even people with non-insulin dependent diabetes show
improved glucose tolerance following a period of
chromium supplementation. Thus chromium is identified as a
"glucose tolerance factor" (5).
The mechanism of action is yet to be determined. The nutritive
effects of chromium are related to its trivalent state while
toxic effects are due to its hexavalent state. Chromium can
be ergogenic, meaning it can increase muscle mass
and reduce body fat (4). It is often combined with
picolinate or other compounds to increase its bioavailability.
Another benefit associated with chromium is its effects on
the fat itself where it reduces total cholesterol
and LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides (6). Chromium
affects hormone secretion decreasing serum cholesterol, and
this affects how the body utilizes fat and other nutrients
and helps reduce inflammation. Further, chromium can stimulate
the immune system by increasing serum immunoglobulins (7).
These metabolic effects make chromium an important part of
B&B.
Sarsaparilla
herb contains two main chemical classes of compounds, saponins
and phytosterols (8). The pharmacologic effects of this plant
have been attributed to the saponins that are claimed to be
"blood purifiers" or tonics. However,
because of its phytosterol components, the herb also exhibits
a hormonal type of activity and is used as an anti-inflammatory
as seen in the healing of bone fractures in rats. It has also
been used as an athletic performance-enhancing agent,
particularly as an anabolic for a body-building athlete (9).
The inclusion of this herb in B&B is for its phytosterol
content as a source of hormonal activity.
Wild
yam root is also rich in phytosterols and recommended as a
natural alternative for estrogen replacement therapy (10).
The root contains the glucoside diosgenin, a steroid precursor
that was used in the first commercial production of estrogen
and progestorens and other sex hormones and
has been shown to stimulate growth of mammary tissue
(11). Further diosgenin is a precursor of dehydroepiandrosterone
(DHEA) that increases athletic performance and slows
the aging process. B&B uses wild yam to restore
hormonal imbalances, especially for PMS and menopause
because of its estrogenic substances, and for its muscle
relaxant and antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory action.
REFERENCES
1. Bucci L. Nutrition Applied to Injury Rehabilitation and
Sports Medicine, page160, CRC Press, FL (1995)
2. Nielsen FH, et al, FASEB 1: 394 (1987)
3. Nielsen FH, et al, J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 5:237 (1992)
4. Hasend DL, et al, Int. J. Sport. Nutr. 2:243 (1992)
5. Mertz W, Physiol. Rev. 49:163 (1969)
6. Offenbacher EG, et al, page 389, Handbook of Nutritionally
Essential Mineral Elements, Marcel Dekker, NY (1997)
7. Kegley EB, et al, J. Dairy Sci. 79:1278 (1996)
8. Fetrow CW and Avila JR, page 573, Handbook of Complementary
and Alternative Medicines, Springhouse, PA (1999)
9. Lenng AY and Foster S, Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients
Used in Foods Drugs and Cosmetics, 2nd edition, John
Wiley & Sons, NY (1996)
10. Foster S and Tyler V, Tyler's Honest Herbal, 4th edition,
Haworth Herbal Press, NY (1999)
11. Aradhana AR, et al, Indial J. Exp. Biol. 30 (5): 367 (1992) |
