The Truth About BioGuard

Good Bye

2010-03-31T14:20:00.001-07:00

Well, not good bye forever. Just a short break from blogging here for a bit. Especially since it's not flu season and there won't be much to blog about. I might be here on and off if something worth blogging about comes up.

Until then....I Fare Thee Well.

Have I Covered Everything?

2010-03-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

What benefits will I feel from BioGuard?
After noticing the initial strawberry flavor, you won’t likely feel much difference, but your mouth will be filled with powerful immunities against the assaults from harmful bacteria which attack through your ear, nose and throat. Overall, you should have better health.

Why do I need an immune system boost?
A weakened immune system can leave you vulnerable to illness especially with the stress of your life and the environment in which you live, whether at work, school or during travel. When we are under stress, or there is an inordinate number of unfriendly bacteria circulating, sometimes your body loses the battle which may result in such things as throat irritation and perhaps more. Therefore, boosting your immune system by adding the reinforcement of BioGuard can produce added immune benefits. BioGuard offers an incredible weapon to protect your body with the active ingredient BLIS K12. With BioGuard, you are less likely to acquire bacterial infections that cause throat irritations, and best of all, with BioGuard, you are less likely to pass them along to your family members!

The End of Flu Season

2010-03-29T13:42:00.001-07:00

Well, the flu season is almost at an end. It's been great to not have much sickness in this household this winter. I really do think I owe it to BioGuard. We won't be taking as much of it over the next few months unless someone starts to show signs of sickness. We'll probably take it every other day instead of everyday until illness begins to show itself again.

Beginning in April I've decided to take a short break from this blog or maybe just blog less over the next few months. I'll try to put a few more posts up over the next couple days left of March. Please let me know if you have any questions at all!

Just a little tidbit of information. Some people have pointed out to me in the past that they'd rather use other probiotics that have lots of strains of bacteria rather than only the one that is found in BioGuard. The only problem with those probiotics is that your body has to have space for those probiotics to work. BioGuard makes it's own space. Another benefit of BioGuard over other probiotics is that BioGuard attacks germs where they enter the body...the mouth and nose.

BLIS K12™ Technology

2010-03-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

The Following information was taken from the BioGuard website.

BioGuard™ uses BLIS K12 technology. BLIS stands for “Bacteriocin – Like Inhibitory Substance,” which means BLIS K12 probiotic is able to respond to an immune system threat by ramping up the production of antibacterial proteins for immune defense. Therefore, BLIS K12 found in BioGuard can act on bacteria that cause some unhealthy conditions (immune imbalance, throat irritation, mouth odor, etc).

BioGuard was developed under the philosophy of bringing scientifically designed products to consumers and BLIS K12 helps provide that science. First, BioGuard ingredients are patented with a total of 13 patents worldwide. Second, BLIS K12 is well studied and published in journals such as the Journal of Applied Microbiology. There are more than 30 studies proving BioGuard’s effectiveness and safety.

Safety is always an important question to consider when looking for a product that works to protect the immune system of the whole family. BioGuard is safe, with no reported side effects. In fact, BioGuard ingredients were tested to be Bio-safety Level 1, which is the safest level in the USA.

Discovery: This specific probiotic with BLIS K12 found in BioGuard is only in about 2% of the population and it was first isolated from a child that had an incredible immune system including rare throat irritations.

With all of that being said....I am proud to say I haven't gotten sick once this winter. There were a few times when a sore throat would start to develop, but after taking extra BioGuard it vanished within a day. I think BioGuard is great and am glad to be in the know.

How does BioGuard affect the ear, nose and throat?

2010-03-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

When you become ill and you see a physician, the exam begins by looking at your ears, nose and throat. That is because the ear, nose and throat are the gateways to your body’s immune system. When you dissolve BioGuard Melt Tab in your mouth, the BLIS K12 immediately begins to work by destroying harmful bacteria and then replacing them with beneficial bacteria. Because BioGuard removes the bacteria that can irritate your throat, you body will not have to send an inflammatory response to fight these unwanted invaders. Therefore, BioGuard positively affects and protects the ear, nose and throat.

(Taken from the BioGuard website.)

The World's Only Probiotic for the Mouth and Throat

2010-03-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Did you know that BLIS K12™ is the world's only probiotic for the mouth and throat?

Scientific Studies show that BLIS K12™ (the main ingredient in BioGuard) is of benefit for winter ailments.

It provides natural probiotic support for oral and throat health.
Research shows that it promotes and maintains fresh breath and prevents halitosis.
And it will also boost your natural immune system!

This is the Last Month!

2010-03-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

March 26th is the final day that BioGuard will be on Costco's shelves...atleast until next flu season. The test-run was deemed successful!

Imagenetix will be pulling it off the shelves in just over three weeks and plans to have it back on the shelves whenever flu season rolls around. They're also trying to get it into Walmart and Walgreens. As soon as I know, you'll know.

Although Costco won't be carrying BioGuard on the shelves year-round, it will still be available on their website.

Let me know if there are any questions. In the meantime, stock up!

Just a Reminder about BLIS K12

2010-02-25T06:41:00.000-08:00

I came upon this information about BLIS K12, the main ingredient in BioGuard. I know I've said most of this before in prior posts but I think it's a good reminder. (My comments are in blue.) Key points are in red.

"BLIS K12™ is the world’s First and Only probiotic clinically demonstrated to benefit the mouth and throat. (The FIRST and ONLY...meaning all those other probiotics out there either have not been tested or just flat-out don't work on the mouth and throat!)

BLIS K12™ is an S. salivarius strain that was originally isolated from a healthy child who, when tracked for several years, did not develop sore throats.

This organism was then extensively safety-tested and has now been commercially used now for more than 5 years as BLIS K12™.

BLIS K12™ is unique when compared other S. salivarius strains in that it is able to naturally produce two potent anti-microbial proteins, which can act against bacteria implicated in Strep sore throats, halitosis (bad breath) and other potentially undesirable bacteria implicated in diseases in the oral cavity." (It's able to NATURALLY produce these anti-microbial proteins.What could be better???)

Taken from: http://www.blis.co.nz/?go=Corporate&c=Corporate-BLIS-K12

Still A-OK

2010-02-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

Well, we still have no sickness here. Except my husband is STILL trying to get over whatever he had. If he would just take his dang BioGuard!... Somehow my kids have miraculously not gotten whatever it was he had. And the two girls who had coughs got over them reather quickly. In the past whenever my kids have gotten coughs they seem to want to linger for at least a month. Not this time! It's been great!

Are You On Facebook?

2010-02-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

I've recently started a new Facebook group called "BioGuard Groupies". If you're a member of Facebook join our group by going to the BioGuard Groupies Wall and Click on "Join" at the top of the page.

Maybe I should have a contest for a free bottle of BioGuard to see how many people we can get to join? What say you???

BLIS K12

2010-02-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

I found the following information interesting: (key points in blue)

BLIS K12 SHOWN TO INCREASE INTERFERON (the body's protection mechanism)

INTRODUCTION
Users of the oral probiotic, Streptococcus salivarius K12..., reported that taking the bacterial lozenges at the onset of flu-like symptoms appeared to help prevent further development of the symptoms. Interferon gamma (IFN- ) is known to contribute to non-specific immunity against many intracellular bacteria and viruses. In previous studies it has been reported that IFN- can be detected in saliva samples during viral infections at concentrations up to 25 pg/ml (1). Research in our lab has shown that human and murine leukocyte preparations produced IFN- when exposed to S. salivarius K12 cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Dosage regime
Four adult subjects took twelve BLIS K12 Throat Guard lozenges (four lozenges every two hours)
Saliva collection and preparation
One ml of un stimulated saliva was collected from the subjects before taking the lozenges and 6, 8, 10, 14 and 24 hours later. Saliva samples were frozen until processed. Ten μl of complete protease inhibitor (Roche) was added per ml of saliva. The saliva samples were treated by adding 20 μl 2.5M NaCl and 20 μl 1.5 M sodium acetate to 200 μl of saliva. The samples were incubated on ice for 30 minutes. The saliva was then centrifuged for 5 min at 10,000 rpm, and the supernatant collected for testing.
Interferon gamma ELISA assay
Interferon gamma was detected in the saliva samples using an ELISA kit (BD Biosciences). One hundred μl of saliva sample supernatant was added to each well. The ELISA assay was conducted according to the manufacturer’s protocol.

RESULTS
Interferon was not detected in the saliva samples until after 8 h. Between 22- and 139 pg of interferon gamma was detected in the 24 h samples (Fig. 1).

During a viral infection the virus titre has been shown to increase during the first two days. An increase in the production of interferon during this time then leads to a decrease in the viral titre. The induction of interferon gamma by ingestion of S. salivarius K12 may help in preventing further development of the symptoms, by reducing the viral titre.

This information was taken from http://www.breezecare.com/probiotics/blisk12interferon.html.

Look at this Happy Boy!

2010-02-16T13:20:00.000-08:00

In case anyone is curious...

Lori was able to get her baby boy, Nathan, home a few weeks ago on that first plane that they had arranged. Yay! They are still working on getting their Jessica back from her birth-dad, though. It's a long sad story.

To keep updated on their story go to Lori's Blog.

It's been a long time

2010-02-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

Wow! Has it really been over 2 weeks since I posted here? Sorry to lag. The family has been mostly healthy. A couple of my daughters have had coughs, but nothing too serious and nothing along with the coughs.

My husband got sick with all kinds of stuff. I don't even remember what, but it all lasted a couple of weeks. Cough, sore throat, all kinds of stuff. And guess what? He wasn't taking his BioGuard! Everyone else was and didn't catch what nastiness he had!

So I'm hear to say once again, this BioGuard really is working for us!

Some useful info

2010-01-30T07:50:00.000-08:00

In case someone who checks out this blog doesn't read the comments, someone who frequents my blog has the following useful information to share.

"On the occasions when I feel something brewing I just take several tablets over a few hours and the something goes away!

You might be interested to know that Prof Tagg recommends taking the tablets at bedtime. Apparently we produce less saliva which means more of the K12 bacteria are able to set up home, and fewer are swallowed."

Thank Graeme! That information is very useful! I had always wondered if there was a better time of day to take the tablets. Bedtime would definitely make sense.

Slacking

2010-01-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

I've been slacking on giving my family BioGuard this last couple of weeks. And as a probable result, a majority of them have gotten the flu. It was pretty minor for most of them, but it was the flu none-the-less.

I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have gotten sick if I had been better about making sure they took their BioGuard everyday. Sorry guys!

UPDATE

2010-01-25T11:28:00.001-08:00

Here's an update regarding the orphans in Haiti (taken from Lori's blog):

We have a plane, we have a plane, we have a plane!!!!! Please stop and say a prayer of thanks.

A group that would prefer we don't mention their names has arranged a flight going into Haiti with humanitarian supplies. They have been given a slot to land on Thursday. They will unload their cargo. They will check off and load the kids. Then they are coming home to SALT LAKE CITY UTAH.

They have some doctors and nurses going down on the plane to return with the children to make sure everyone is getting everything they need as soon as possible. I told them, "They all look really healthy" and he said, 'Then they'll snuggle the children who are scared".

And then I cried a little bit more.

Chareyl is at the Embassy now. She will be there all day long picking up Humanitarian Paroles. I will notify you as I get confirmation that she has your child's paperwork in her hot little hand as the day progresses.

They're coming home, ladies and gentlemen! They're coming home!!

Still issues in the "Finding Jessica" department. All the other children have been rounded up. We've had so many miracles, I have to trust that the Lord knows what is best for my daughter and put this in His Hands. He has a plan for Miss Jess. I hope it's the same plan I have for her.

Funds are no longer needed for jet fuel but the orphange is still in desperate need of money to provide for the current orphans and new orphans (created by this catastrophe) and to rebuild the orphanage.

Thanks to everyone who has donated thus far! To continue to make donations I would suggest making it through the Red Cross or through Lori's blog if you'd like to donate directly to the orphanage "Hope for Little Angels of Haiti". This is a 501(c)3 charitable organization.

Help is Still Needed

2010-01-24T13:42:00.000-08:00

Brent & Nathan

(I hope you don't mind that I stole this picture from your blog, Lori!)

Lori's husband Brent is in Haiti right now. They've found their baby Nathan but are still searching for Jessica. About 70 of the orphans that are in the middle of an adoption with American families will hopefully be flown out of Haiti and to the United States this week. Help is desparately needed to pay to get those children and babies home to their new families. Can you help? $1, $5, $10. ANY amount helps. It all adds up. Please click on this link to Lori's blog to find out how to donate and to get updates about Haiti and the children. Please forward her blog or donation information to anyone you know.

Please help?

Help for Haiti

2010-01-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

If you'd like to help Haiti in some way, please consider making a donation to Hope for Little Angels of Haiti creche in Port-au-Prince. Someone I know has 2 adorable children there waiting to be adopted. As of right now she has no word on her children.

Go to this link, her blog, and click on "Donate" on the right-hand side. Imagine the difference if millions of people even donated $1 each!

BioGuard $4 off!

2010-01-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

BioGuard is $4 off right now at Costco and Costco.com. This deal is good through the end of January. If you don't have a Costco membership or any other way to get BioGuard, contact me and I'll get you a bottle at the sale price plus shipping if you need me to ship it to you.

Just a reminder that Costco DOES accept Flex Spending cards. They accept Visa FSA without a pin and any other FSA card WITH a pin. Costco.com will accept any FSA card without a pin. I get all my BioGuard on Costco's website and the shipping is pretty minimal.

How Does it Work?

2010-01-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

Someone recently e-mailed me asking how BioGuard works. The following info was taken from the BioGuard website. I've highlighted some key points (in orange).

BioGuard Science - How BioGuard Works
Probiotics are the good bacteria that you want in your body. Recently, there have been a number of probiotics that focus on the digestive tract, but there is no probiotic we know about that works like BioGuard especially since BioGuard works where germs enter your body – the nose and mouth. Below is a simple analogy beyond the scientific terms to help explain how BioGuard works.

There are billions of germs competing for space in your body. Your mouth is prime real estate for these germs and bacteria – including both beneficial bacteria and bad bacteria. Sometimes there is an abundance of bad bacteria that “moves in” resulting in you getting throat irritations or bad breath. Those are not the kind of neighbors you want living near you.

Enter the good neighbor BioGuard with the ingredient of clinically tested BLIS K12, which is known as a probiotic for the ear, nose and throat.

BioGuard arrives in your “mouth” neighborhood and provides balance and harmony by only using the resources kindly. There is power in numbers, so the more of the good bacteria from BioGuard occupying your mouth, the better the neighborhood will be. As long as the houses are occupied with good bacteria from BioGuard, you should have a stronger immune system.

What happens if there are no vacant homes for the good bacteria to reside? Unlike other probiotics, BioGuard, doesn’t have to wait for a place to become available. This is because BioGuard is an army of protective bacteria carrying their own antibacterial protein missiles that they fire only at the bad bacteria to wipe them out. Therefore, BioGuard makes it’s own space by getting rid of bad bacteria and then guarding the homes from any future invasions. With the bad bacteria eliminated, you will have a happier and healthier neighborhood in your mouth.

As we enter this winter season, with the threat of harmful germs that can make your feel miserable, don’t you want a product that will help protect and defend your and your family? BioGuard immediately begins to work by destroying harmful bacteria and replacing them with beneficial bacteria the second the strawberry flavored Melt-Tab is put in your mouth. BioGuard safely protects the whole family.

Testimonials

2010-01-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some BioGuard testimonials taken from Costco.com.

Wonderful Product!
Pros: tastes great!, kids take it no problem, affordable
Cons: only available through costco
"I've been taking this for 2 weeks and my kids have for 3 weeks now. There is so much sickness around us and so far we've been safe from it all. I attribute it to BioGuard. I think it's awesome. And the reason behind it working is genius!"

Great Purchase
"I have been suffering with chronic sinusitis. Since I started using BioGuard, its amazing, I have not had a sinus infection within the time I have used it."

"The product has great flavor and it works! I woke up in the morning after taking a tablet the night before and did not have the normal bad taste in my mouth. I love that I can even give it to my kids."

Please feel free to leave any comments you have whether good or bad. I value every one's opinions and would love to hear what people think!

Strep Throat

2009-12-31T06:31:00.001-08:00

Well, it turns out L and Z both had strep throat. I had them both put on antibiotics. Something I hate doing. So far no one else has gotten sick. So that's a relief. I'm not sure what's up with L getting sick so much this year. Everyone else, for the most part, hasn't really gotten sick. There's been a few times where I've started to get sick and taken extra BioGuard and have gotten well again. So I'll keep taking it and keep giving it to my kids as long as I feel it's working for us.

L---No more getting sick this year, girl!

I Can't Take This Anymore

2009-12-23T04:47:00.001-08:00

L is sick. AGAIN. I'm beginning to think what she had around Thanksgiving was not the flu, but strep. She had had a sore throat along with all her other symptoms, but by the time we went to the Dr. her sore throat was gone and so it wasn't taken into consideration with everything else. Well, now I believe she might have Rheumatic Fever. She has red itchy blotches all over her body that are warm to the touch. The Dr. had given her antibiotics, though. So I don't understand why she would have this now. It was a mild antibiotic, so maybe that's why?

To make matters worse, now Z has a sore throat and headache like L did. It's the end of the year, but my flex spending has run out and it's right before Christmas. I don't have the money or even the energy for sick kids. I think I had only 4 hours of sleep last night. Everytime I did start to drift off someone was there to make sure I didn't get any.

I just took H to the Dr. a couple of days ago. She had a rash all over her body that is apparently some kind of allergic reaction to who-knows-what. The Dr. said to just give her Benadryl and that hopefully it would clear up and that if it didn't by today to call for some steriods. Well, it hasn't cleared up. She was one of the ones keeping me up last night.

I can't keep doing this. I hate medications and prescriptions. I'm exhausted. I want to cry.

Updates

2009-12-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

H never got sick, the sore throat went away before it got worse.
E never got more than a slight cough at night.
The boys still aren't sick.
C and I still aren't sick. Although my throat was starting to feel a little raw 2 days ago so I upped my BioGuard intake and it's feeling fine today!
Woo Hoo!
Speaking of BioGuard. We're about out. Good thing we get paid tomorrow!
I'd rather put the money out for that than a Dr. And don't forget about the time you lose when you do get sick!

A Tidbit of Information

2009-12-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

When taking BioGuard there are no restrictions on food and drink. But do not use mouthwash that is anti-bacterial within 2 hrs before and 2 hrs after taking BioGuard to make sure you're not killing off the good bacteria.

My father-in-law is going to talk to the company (he works for them) about including this on the label instructions.

More Sick Kids?

2009-12-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

It would seem E is trying to get a cough.
H has a sore throat coming on.
The boys seem to be fine.
C and I haven't gotten sick yet.
Still taking BioGuard everyday.
E and H are taking 2 BioGuard a day right now until the coming sickness magically vanishes.
I hate having sick kids.
But so far we're ok.

L Gets Sick

2009-12-09T07:10:00.001-08:00

Well, L has managed to get sick again. She sick from Thanksgiving Day until the following Monday. That Monday she seemed to be getting better except for a lingering cough. But then she started fevering again in the middle of the night. I took her to the Dr., something I hate doing, but it's a good thing I did. She was recovering from the flu, but apparently being sick paved the way for an ear infection. We caught it right at the beginning with some anti-biotics. The Dr. told us to keep giving her the probiotics since the anti-biotics will attack everything, they won't just target the bad stuff. She was feeling better the next day and 100% the day after that. Yay!

It's been a week since the end of L's sickness and almost 2 weeks since it 1st came on and so far none of the other kids have gotten sick. Once again, Yay! for BioGuard!!

I am really starting to swear by this stuff. In the beginning I wasn't so sure because I hadn't used it for myself. All I had to go on was the studies done on this product and Probiotics themselves and the fact that it just made sense. Now that we've been using it and I see the results I really believe it works.

Please don't hesitate to leave your comments, ask me questions or even challenge me on the product. I welcome it all!

Still doing good

2009-11-19T09:30:00.001-08:00

It's been over a week since L was sick. No one else seems to have gotten what she had. My 3-year-old, E, had a yucky nose for a couple of days but it's gone now and didn't get anything else along with it.

A few friends and family members have emailed me saying they've been using BioGuard and that so far it's working great. Yay!

This stuff is awesome!

Don't forget...it's available at Costco's in Utah, Washington and Oregon along with Costco.com. If you don't have a Costco memership leave a comment and I'll get you some at the Costco price which is $4 off of the regular $19 through November 29th. There are 75 MeltTabs per bottle. A great deal!

The Man Behind It All

2009-11-13T13:13:00.001-08:00

Listen to the scientist who has spent the last 30 years of his life developing the string of bacteria found in BioGuard. What an amazing, smart man! How lucky we are to have such brilliant people out there that want to help people.

Click Here!
(There's a short commercial break in the middle of it, just skip over that part.)

A few bullets from the radio broadcast: (although I think the broadcast was very informational and not at all boring)

BioGuard is a healthy bacteria.
When introduced to the mouth BioGuard promotes the body's response to create additional good bacteria.
You can't overdose on BioGuard.
BioGuard gives your immune system a boost.
NO side effects except: can help with bad breath, oral thrush & periodontal disease. (Not all side effects are bad, I guess!)
When getting sick or going to be on a plane or other confined space with people, up the dose to 2-3 MeltTabs.

Sickness

2009-11-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

My 6 year old, L, was sick these last couple of days and she's finally back at school as of today. She had a slight cough and fever Sunday night. She seemed to be fine Monday morning , but as the day progressed a nasty cough developed as well as a sore throat and fever. Good thing I kept her home from school. Tuesday she was still a little sick, but also a little better. Yesterday, Wednesday, she seemed completely fine when she got up but I didn't want to take my chances of sending her to school when she might still be contagious so I kept her home. I probably should have sent her to school anyway because she ended up being completely fine and drove me nuts the entire day! Needless to say, she's completely well and back to school today. Yay!

So far none of the other kids have shown any signs of getting what she had. And L wasn't sick for very long. Hurray for BioGuard!

Exciting News!

2009-11-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

I went to Costco today to buy a new bottle of BioGuard and it's $4 off right now! I checked online and this deal is also on their website. So if you live in the states and are in Washington, Oregon and Utah you can get this at the stores. If not, go to Costco.com. This deal is good through November 29th.

I couldn't use my Flex Spending card at the store, but I can online so I think I'll be stocking up while it's this cheap! Costco takes Visa FSA cards as a credit or Mastercard FSA cards with a pin. Otherwise, you can use any card online. I just ordered 5 more bottles online, so if anyone needs a bottle and doesn't have a Costco membership, let me know and I'll get one to you.

Buy it, or at least try it while they're $4 off!!!

I'm still looking for everyone's opinions on BioGuard! So please leave a comment!

What do you think of BioGuard?

2009-11-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

So, I was thinking, and I'm curious to know what people think about BioGuard. Have you used the product? If so, for how long have you been using it? Do you like it? Do you think it works? If you haven't used it or bought it yet, how come?

I'm interested in everyone's opinions. Please leave a comment. This means YOU!

No Sickness Here

2009-11-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I figured since it's been a few days since I've posted here that I should today. Not a whole lot to tell, except No Sicknees Here. Which is good. With so many people in our immediate area...neighborhood, church and school/preschool...I'm surprised nobody in our household has contracted anything yet. Definitely happy about that, though. Sick kids are no fun. And sick mommy is definitely no fun since my job never ends...sick or not. So we'll just keep taking our BioGuard.

So far I'm a believer that BioGuard really works. When I first started looking into this product, I wasn't skeptical, but I wasn't postitive it would work either. That was before I studied it and realized why it HAD to work. It's an awesome, SMART product and am glad I'm in the know!

Here's looking forward to many more No-Sickness days!

BioGuard TV Commercial

2009-10-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

Live Cultures

2009-10-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine had a concern because "generally probiotics need to be refrigerated to be considered 'live active cultures' and they need to be encapsulated so they are not killed by the stomach acids in order to make it to the intestinal tract." I looked into this and it's true for digestive track probiotics. BioGuard is a Melt-Tab so the good bacteria goes to work immediately in the mouth and is not intended to be digested. There is no need to refrigerate. It is a live culture and does have a shelf life.

Taken from the BioGuard website: "Most probiotic formulas focus only on digestive benefits in the stomach. The common digestive probiotics only establish themselves in your stomach if there is unoccupied space for them to “live". BioGuard contains an advanced probiotic known as S. Salivarius BLIS K12 that destroys competing bad bacteria ensuring there is space for BioGuard to flourish."

"Streptococcus salivarius K12 is a probiotic intended for use in the oral cavity. Strain K12 has had a 5-year history of commercial application as a probiotic in New Zealand, with approximately 150,000 doses administered to date." (for more information, click here)

A professor from Otago University in New Zealand has spent years looking for probiotic bacteria that would work in the mouth. "What Professor Tagg found was that S.salivarius K12 was able to make two defence peptides (called BLIS - Bacteriocin Like Inhibitory Substance [the active ingredient in BioGuard]) that the probiotic fired at encroaching invading bacteria. The probiotic recognised the closeness of these invading bacteria by sensing the voltage change along the cell wall of the invading bacteria. The BLIS peptide was fired at the invader, and the peptide punctured a hole in the cell wall allowing vital nutrients to leak out of the invading bacteria, thus causing its death. Thus S.salivarius K12 was able to maintain the status quo in mouth health, by controlling many opportunistic bacteria.

"Although this probiotic is effective against many bacteria including Streptococcus Pyogenes it is not a magic pill. The probiotic needs to be placed in a healthy mouth with a suitable mouth environment in order to colonise the tongue surface. The probiotic BLIS K12, cannot survive in an acid environment, and therefore would not be able to colonise in a mouth high in acid, or lacking oxygen (as found in smokers and alcohol drinkers)." (to see more on this study...)

Thanks to my friend for bringing up this subject. I have learned a lot! If anyone has any other comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to comment!

The Truth About BioGuard?

2009-10-28T13:14:00.001-07:00

OK, so the name of this blog would probably lead some people to believe that I'm throwing BioGuard under the bus. I'm really not. It's a blog of my quest to see if BioGuard is really a good product. My wonderful father-in-law works for a company called Imagenetix. This company has produced an immune booster/probiotic that has recently come on the market. It's available in a few Costco's in Utah, Oregon and Washington as well as online at costco.com.

This blog will consists of facts about the product as well as my experience with using it for myself and my family and anything else I deem helpful in learning about this potentially awesome product.

I'm all about using a more natural way of healing the body. I will almost always try natural remedies before relying on pharmacuticals and over-the-counter drugs. This doesn't mean I never use un-natural ways of healing. If my child is hacking up a lung in the middle of the night, I will most definitely use an over-the-counter cough medicine. But when I can, I will try to use a more natural approach to things. To me, the most logical thing would be to not get sick in the first place. This can be hard since my husband works outside of the home, I have 5 children in public school, we go to the store and really, we do have a life. We see people and touch people and things all the time. There is NO way to avoid germs and sick germs at that. But it's still psosible to prevent a lot of these sicknesses and viruses.

If we have a strong immune system and are, for the most-part, healthy our bodies are able to fight off most of these viruses. Of course, eating very healthy and staying active are the obvious ways to stay well. Both are things I strive for, although don't live this way everyday like I know I should. I love junk food. I think most Americans do. It doesn't matter that we know how to eat healthy or that we should eat healthy, we all have our weaknesses and this is one of mine. For that reason I have been a big advocate for a product called Airborne.

For the last 2 years I have taken it and given it to my family about once every other week and sometimes more often. When it's flu season I give it to them a few times a week. We have, seriously, rarely gotten sick over the last two years. Even when one child has gotten sick, the illness, whether it be the flu, a cough, cold or sore throat, has usually not been passed onto the other kids and has been very short-lived. Because of this I have sworn by Airborne to all my friends and family. I KNOW this is the reason for my family not getting sick.

So now that I've told you how much I love and depend on Airborne, I'd like to introduce you to a new product I'll be using in place, yes-you heard me right-in PLACE, of Airborne--BioGuard. Our family hasn't taken Airborne for over a week now and the kids have been, instead, using BioGuard. It's a small white vitamin-looking thing. You chew it or let it dissolve in your mouth. It's sweet and is in no way (in my opinion) gross. All my kids gladly take it with their other vitamins every morning, no complaints here. I'm always very hesitant about trying something new, so while my kids started taking it about a week ago, I just started it yesterday. I think the only reason I have even started it is because yesterday I was starting to feel the on-coming of a sore throat. We can't have that...too much laundry, cleaning, cooking, homework and errands to be ran! So today is my second day taking it. My throat doesn't feel raw like it did yesterday, but I just started taking it, so it could just be a coincidence. Only time will tell.

Off on my BioGuard adventure!