Beau and I were fortunate enough to have a Ginkgo Biloba tree in the front yard
of our last house. This tree was the most beautiful tree in the neighborhood, especially at this time of year when the green leaves morphed into a bright golden yellow.
Ginkgo trees are so ancient that they are actually considered living fossils.
Would you guess that my favorite part of that house was the Ginkgo tree?
The neighbors loved to stroll by in awe of at that beautiful towering fossil, that is until it was time for the Ginkgo nuts to fall!
Most
people know Ginkgo trees for their leaves, mostly because Ginkgo is an age old remedy for brain health.
However, not many people know about the medicinal properties of the ginkgo nut. This fruit or nut is used to reduce internal damp conditions and helps the body to expel mucus from the bronchioles. It can reduce wheezing and coughing while treating
bronchitis or other types of pulmonary congestion, i.e. FLU prevention. It has also been shown to reduce urinary tract infections.
Only female gingko trees produce fruit and this fruit is ripe just in time to transition from late summer into fall. Earth (digestion) season into Metal (lung) season.
In Japanese, the name gin kyo means "silver apricot."
The fruit has a distinguishing pungent odor, Beau would call it the "poo poo" tree or "vomit" tree, maybe that will give you some clue to the odor but that wasn't enough to stop me from cooking and eating this amazing super food! Believe it or not, once the flesh is
removed, the nuts are absolutely delicious!
The substance that is responsible for the horrible odor in the fleshy coating of this ginkgo nut is known as butyric acid, also known as butanoic acid or BTA.
Beau wasn't far off with his name calling...
BTA is actually found in our colon. It is formed through the bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates like dietary fiber. Butyric acid supports the health and healing of cells in the small and large intestine. It’s also the favored source of fuel for the cells lining the interior of the
large intestine or colon.
Why is BTA important ?
- It has an excellent ability to reduce inflammation in the colon and prevent leaky gut syndrome (It has proven effective in reducing symptoms of Crohn's and
IBS)
- It acts as a prebiotic or food for beneficial bacteria - this corrects dysbiosis, an overgrowth of bad bacteria
- It helps reduce weight due to it's ability to regulate some hormone communication of leptin and insulin
- It nourishes the gut and intestinal immune system while reducing insulin resistance and the risk of diabetes, obesity and cancer
A new way to increase BTA without the lovely odor!
Butyric acid can be compounded by natural pharmacies in capsules. However, the stench is more than most can bear!
So you can imagine my excitement when I found a powder that would increase the body's BTA levels without the pungent odor of the fleshy skin of the ginkgo nut! This product is known
as Arabinex.
- Consists of
larch arabinogalactans‚ polysaccharides that are derived from Larix occidentalis‚ the Western larch tree.
- It is a mild tasting‚ highly soluble powder that mixes easily with water or food so it's an ideal supplement for pets.
- It possesses
important immune-enhancing properties and is an excellent source of fiber.
- It is a prebiotic‚ so it can increase beneficial bacteria in the colon to support intestinal health. I
- It increase short-chain fatty acids – mainly butyric acid – the
primary fuel for the colonocytes – the cells of the large intestine. Butyric acid is then produced in the colon by the fermentation of fiber‚ such as the fiber provided by arabinogalactans. High levels of butyrate in the colon help provide a healthy colonic environment.
