Phytosomes
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Traditional plant extracts are an invaluable source of healing nutrients. Unfortunately, many of these active ingredients are absorbed in our body with difficulty. As a result a higher consumption of extracts or active ingredients is needed to bring sufficient nutrients to their cellular destination in the body. Often this is impossible because the consumption of "large" amounts of extract (or a purified active ingredient) causes nasty side effects (eg gastrointestinal problems).
A patented formula for better absorption of active ingredients from plants
The most revolutionary way to fully enjoy a lower - but well tolerated - dose of active substances is the use of phytosomes. The production of phytosomes follows a patented method (Phytosome® U.S. Patent # 4,764,508) in which individual components of a plant extract are coupled to soy phosphatidylcholine (also called soya lecithin).
Phosphatidylcholine is a fat that is part of the phospholipids. It consists of a water-soluble head piece (choline) and two fat-soluble tails (fatty acids). An important detail here is that phosphatidylcholine is one of the main components of the cell membrane, the envelope of every cell in our body.
Terpenoids and flavonoids from plant extracts easily attach to the head piece of phosphatidylcholine while the fat-soluble tails enclose this link (active substance + choline). In this way small spheres which resemble cells are created. Hence the name: 'phyto' = 'plant ' and 'soma' = 'as a cell'. Compared with the unbound active substances, phytosomes are better absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, the fat-soluble tails protect the active substance against the destructive influence of digestive juices and gut bacteria.
The scientific evidence
The Phytosome® process was already applied to extracts of ginkgo biloba, grape seed, hawthorn, milk thistle and green tea. Several scientific studies* confirm the value of phytosomes compared to traditional plant extracts. The active substance reaches its destination faster. The expected results have also been confirmed.
The difference with liposomes?
Liposomes are the result of a mixing process of water-soluble substances (eg active ingredients from plants) with phosphatidylcholine. During this process hundreds to thousands of phosphatidylcholine particles surround the active substance without a coupling between the active substance and phosphatidylcholine.
In the case of phytosomes, each individual component forms a link between the extract and phosphatidylcholine (in a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2, depending on the active substance). Therefore, phytosomes are much better absorbed than liposomes: each included fat particle simultaneously drags an active substance with it, while for the inclusion of an active compound from a liposome many fat particles have to be absorbed. It is therefore not surprising that in skin care products phytosomes deliver a much better result than liposomes.
Nutrisan products with phytosome process: CurcuPhyt, GinkgoPhyt, HawthornPhyt, SilyPhyt and VinuPhyt.
