MegaGuard by Microbiome Labs

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has a long history of use for treating digestive discomforts. In Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, licorice is well-known for its ability to protect the gastric mucosa and modulate everyday inflammation. One of the most commonly known active ingredients in licorice is a saponin called glycyrrhizin that has been used as an emulsifier and sweetener in the food industry. However, most supplements contain deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) because large amounts of glycyrrhizin have been associated with serious adverse side effects like elevated blood pressure and lowered potassium levels.

Gutgard® licorice flavonoids are entirely different from DGL with respect to chemistry, composition, manufacturing, and mechanisms of action. While a classical extract of DGL does not contain any significant quantity of flavonoids, Gutgard® is standardized to contain more than 10% total flavonoids and less than 0.5% glycyrrhizin to avoid undesirable effects. More than 50 flavonoids have been identified in Gutgard® which have been shown to have beneficial activity for digestive complaints. In fact, Gutgard® licorice flavonoids have been shown to protect the stomach lining and balance Helicobacter pylori levels much more effectively than regular DGL extracts. Gutgard® licorice can also relieve occasional indigestion, bloating, and stomach pain at 150mg/day.

Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) leaf extract (ALE) has also been used in traditional medicine as a digestive aid. The bitter compounds, particularly cynaropicrin, are responsible for the digestive benefits of artichoke. ALE has been shown to increase bile production, protect the liver, balance blood lipids, and act as an antispasmodic.

In 2003, German researchers demonstrated that 640mg/day of artichoke leaf extract significantly improved digestive symptoms like bloating and fullness as well as quality of life in 244 patients with functional dyspepsia. Though the study was conducted over 6 weeks, the majority of the treatment group saw relief of their digestive symptoms in the first week.

Ginger (Zinziber officinalis) has been used as a digestive aid in Eastern medicine for generations. Studies have demonstrated that ginger accelerates gastric emptying and can relieve occasional bouts of nausea and vomiting. Gingerols and shogaols, the active polyphenolic compounds in ginger, appear to be responsible for such effects by weakly inhibiting cholinergic M3 and serotonergic 5-HT3 receptors, whose temporary dysfunction is responsible for nausea, vomiting, and hypomotility.

Ginger extracts with a higher gingerol content (20-30% gingerols) are stronger and more effective at relieving digestive discomforts. In 2015, an Italian study of 126 patients found that the daily combination of 40 mg of ginger extracts (25-30% gingerols) with 200 mg of artichoke leaf extracts reduced the severity and frequency of common digestive symptoms like nausea, bloating, early satiety, and abdominal pain 17% more effectively than just artichoke leaf extract alone. While most ginger extracts only contain 5% gingerols, MegaGuardTM contains 60 mg of high potency ginger root extract (20% gingerols) for maximum strength.

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