Performed by:
Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., Laboratory Director Susan Cain, Laboratory Supervisor

Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine

Laboratory of Nutritional Analysis
February 12, 1986

PURPOSE OF STUDY

Public awareness of the need for intestinal cleansing is growing daily. The ever-increasing stress and toxicity we are exposed to in our environments, diets and lifestyles make internal cleansing a necessary part of a good health regimen. Despite the widespread interest in cleansing, there have not been valid scientific studies to demonstrate how cleansing can help our bodies. As the leader in the field of internal cleansing, Yerba Prima sponsored a study to validate objectively the beneficial results reported by users of their program and to contribute to the scientific literature in the area of intestinal health.

TEST METHODOLOGY

Three standard tests were used to study the impact of the Yerba Prima program on gastro-intestinal physiology. Tests were done before subjects began the program, in the middle of the program, and one week after subjects concluded the eleven week program.

Subjects chosen were all in good health and had normal diets and bowel habits. They were not health food shoppers or users of herbal products, nor were they interested in cleansing before beginning the study. Subjects were asked to be moderate in red meat and dairy food consumption during the study but otherwise not to make major changes in their diets. Questionnaires confirmed that subjects did not make any dietary changes that would affect study results.

Stool samples were taken for fecal bacterial counts to determine relative levels of pathogenic bacteria in the colon. Assays for Clostridium parafruiticum and Clostridium perfringens were used as markers.

A standard riboflavin load procedure was used to determine absorption of riboflavin, which is indicative of water soluble vitamin absorption in the small intestine.

Urine samples were taken to determine urinary indican values. Urinary indican is a measurement of the amount of putrefaction of dietary protein occurring in the intestinal tract. Those patients with high levels of urinary indican are those who are undergoing protein maldigestion/malabsorption phenomena.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

A consistent pattern emerged showing objective benefits obtained by the subjects in this study. The study documented the following changes after completion of the cleansing program:

1) a reduction in pathogenic bacteria in the colon in subjects with elevated pathogenic bacteria counts,
2) a significant increase in water soluble vitamin absorption, and
3) a significant decrease in the putrefaction of undigested protein, indicating better protein absorption by the digestive tract.

In addition to these objective measurements, subjects reported an improved feeling of well being, lower frequency of headaches and high energy levels. Several subjects who had been reticent to begin the cleansing program expressed a desire to use the program several times a year because they felt so much better.