FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Q: Are BrainChild supplements allowed on the GFCF or Feingold Diets?
A: All of our supplements are completely free of gluten and casein. They are also approved for the most restrictive stage (Stage 1) of the Feingold Diet.
Q: Are BrainChild supplements allowed on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)
A: Because of interest in the SCD community in using our liquids, we personally met with Elaine Gottschall several years ago. She approved the following BrainChild supplements for use on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (these supplements are technically "SCD-approved", but not "SCD-legal", since they contain xanthan gum, an SCD-illegal ingredient): Spectrum Support Ultra-Sensitive Formula (vitamins and minerals) LiquiZinc (flavored and unflavored) LiquiMag (flavored and unflavored)
Q: Are BrainChild supplements kosher?
A: Although we believe that there is nothing in any of our supplements except Intestimend that would keep them from being kosher we have not applied for kosher status for them, so at this time, they are not considered kosher.
Q: Can people who are sensitive to lemons, limes or coconut take your supplements?
A: We use natural lemon and lime extract flavorings in the flavored versions of our supplements. If there is a sensitivity to lemons or limes, you will probably want to choose the unflavored versions. Our coconut glycerine contains no coconut protein, due to the distillation process used in making glycerine, so children with coconut sensitivities are generally able to tolerate our supplements with no problem.
Q: Do the sulfury ingredients in BrainChild supplements feed candida (yeast)?
A: We firmly believe that supporting sulfation is key to helping people with low glutathione and heavy metals issues. However, as these people often start out with severely compromised gut chemistry, the trick is to get nutrients in which will help, without aggravating an already bad situation. Getting raging candida under control should be one of the first goals of any biomedical program for these individuals.
Q: How much of the herbs are in BrainChild's Vitamin formulas?
A: The dosage of the herbs in our Spectrum Support formulas is very small. We're really just adding a very tiny amount of herbs to very, very gently help the nutrients do their job. For a more therapeutic dose of these amazing herbs, try our Herbathione tincture.
Q: I heard that all Vitamin E comes from soy. Can people who are allergic to soy take your supplements?
A: We use a very special European-made pharmaceutical grade natural vitamin E that is made of a combination of rice, corn and soy. We have spoken with several of the chemists who make this product, and they have informed us that when they analyze their finished product, it is chemically identical, regardless of which source it's made from. In other words, all of the corn-specific or soy-specific proteins have been removed in the process to the point where you can't tell which it was made from. Therefore, someone with a corn, rice or soy allergy will not have a reaction to this particular vitamin E.
All Vitamin E is not the same. There is wide variation between different natural vitamin E products, from Chinese ones, with inconsistant quality and controls on them, to Japanese, which are generally better in quality, to the cadillac european stuff like we buy. Many companies use synthetic vitamin E made from petrochemicals. This is an appealing material to some manufacturers, as it's cheaper, tastes nicer, shelves longer, but it also requires more preservatives, usually also synthetic. Synthetic vitamin E blocks cellular utilization of natural vitamin E. So we suggest absolutely avoiding synthetic Vitamin E in your supplementation!
Q: Is it OK to give Herbathione Tincture with a cold or chronic infection?
A: The only time not to take Herbathione is when you have a fever. Some of the herbs are "warming" to the body, which is great most of the time, but not helpful when fever is present.
Q: We're vegetarians. Are there any ingredients in BrainChild supplements that have animal sources?
A: Our Spectrum Support supplements are entirely vegetarian, with no animal sources. The only ingredients we use from animal sources are glucosamine (from shellfish) and chondroitin (from cows) in our Intestimend formula.
Q: What about Vitamin A and cod liver oil - can I and should I give this in addition to your supplements?
A: Our vitamin formulas contain carotenoids, such as beta carotene. In a healthy body, carotenoids are converted, as needed, into vitamin A. Various kinds of dysfunctions in the body, including heavy metal toxicity, can interfere with this process. Therefore, we suggest that people with heavy metal issues who use our vitamin supplements should probably also take some other form of pre-formed vitamin A, such as cod liver oil. We are pleased to offer Nordic Naturals' excellent cod liver oil in low-phenol peach flavor, which is a terrific choice for this purpose.
Q: What are phenols and how do I know whether my child has difficulties with them?
A: Almost everything edible has some phenolic compound in it. The things highest in problematic phenolic compounds are the petroleum-based additives - the artificial colorings, flavorings, and the three preservatives called BHT, BHA, TBHQ. These appear to be able to overload an enzyme called PST (phenol sulfotransferase) which is needed also in the brain because the brain chemicals called neurotransmitters are also phenolic. People with ADHD and autism have been shown in studies to be low in this enzyme. It appears, furthermore, that for at least some people these additives act more directly on the brain, like a drug. They are low molecular weight chemicals and can pass through membranes. They have been shown to be 99% "bound" to blood proteins. This is how some psychoactive drugs also work. More information about phenols and what to do for particularly phenol-sensitive people may be obtained from the Feingold Association.
If you are interested, you may want to try one informal method of determining sensitivity to phenols and salicylates: avoid all high-phenol foods for three days. This means no artificial flavors or colors, no foods containing BHT, HBA, TBHQ, and no red or dark colored fruits or citrus fruits. Pears are ok. The fourth day, eat a whole meal of high-phenol foods: grapes, apples, and food with preservatives and artificial colors and flavors, if possible. After you eat, watch for physical reactions. Some common ones include red ears or face, feeling hot or cold or feeling "drunk" or strange. If you notice any kind of physiological changes, you should probably consider avoiding phenols in your everyday diet, and look into the Feingold program.
Q: What is the vegetable glycerine in your supplements made of?
A: The process of making glycerine is virtually identical to the distilling process used for alcohol. The vegetable material used to make the glycerine is completely distilled away, to the point where glycerine made from one vegetable is chemically indistinguishable from glycerine made of another. We use pharmaceutical quality kosher glycerine made from palm and coconut. Children who are allergic to coconut should not have any reaction to this glycerine, as the coconut protein is entirely removed in the distillation process mentioned above.
Q: Why BrainChild Nutritionals make only liquid supplements?
A: To better answer this question, let's first take a look at how our digestive system functions. The food is first wetted by electrolyte-rich saliva in the mouth. Then adequate chewing and mastication converts food solids into saturated liquids. In the stomach, hydrochloric acids, pepsin, and mucous are secreted and the stomach contents approach a more liquid state. After sufficient time, movement, liquification, and digestive action in the stomach, the food contents now a liquid slurry called chyme, enter the duodenum, or first section of the small intestine. Here they are saturated with more mucous, pancreatic bicarbonate and enzymes, and bile to further liquefy and break down the nutrients from the food we eat into vitamins, minerals, peptides, carbohydrates, fats and fatty acids that our cells can utilize in their normal structure and function.
The liquid nutrients in BrainChild Nutritionals (BCN) supplements are extensively mechanically pre-digested to a very small particle size. This process facilitates optimal absorption of nutrients through the walls of the intestines, into the bloodstream, and ultimately into the cells, where their support of cellular energy production and detoxification is most crucially needed. They are also good-tasting when mixed into a favorite juice and easily administered, saving the "amateur apothecary" (who opens 8 capsules and crushes 3 tablets with a mortar and pestle to put together the needed nutrients) a great deal of time and money.
An independent clinical study of BCN Spectrum Support liquid supplements was conducted through the Southwest Autism Research Center and Arizona State University in 2000 and published in The Journal For Alternative and Complimentary Medicine. This study showed that all symptoms of either loose stools or infrequent bowel movements in the children on the spectrum in the study were completely resolved in less than one month. The study also reported that where sleep disruptions accompanied the stool anomalies, (possibly a parallel phenomenon of GI inflammation or dysfunction), those issues were also resolved within a parallel time frame. Studies have shown that liquid nutrients can be at least 3-5 times better absorbed and assimilated than capsules, tablets, or powders. Short of doctor-prescribed IV or injectable nutrient delivery, oral or sublingual liquids have proven to be the best means to normalizing nutrient status in the body. With this in mind, please note that extremely huge dosages of many essential nutrients are no longer required when using our sub-micron particle suspension formulas. (Please consult our dosage chart on the website or in our info packets for the best starting dosage based on a carefully designed mg per kg ratio) By accomplishing more with less, we are able to create better tasting formulas that utilize smaller particle sized and lower quantities of superior forms of nutrients within a far more effective, liquid delivery vehicle. Clearly, when nutrient status and overall health are compromised and getting results are the highest priority, liquid supplements are the best choice in oral administration.
