Trent Armitstead is the latest addition to Sabinsa Corporation's Utah office. A graduate of Brigham Young University, Trent has over five years of diversified and hands-on experience in positions of increasing responsibility in the nutritional contract manufacturing business. This has enabled him to develop many valuable technical skills in the areas of capsule and tablet manufacturing and provided him with the opportunity to work with numerous companies ranging from large mass market companies to small multilevel marketers.

Sabinsa's philosophy of bringing together science and traditional medicine is particularly appealing to Trent. He is excited about sharing his knowledge of manufacturing, ingredients and the industry with present and future customers of Sabinsa Corporation.

Undoubtedly, this is the time of the year to stock up on those all-natural digestive aids such as Ginger Extract and Triphala!

Ginger extract is derived from the plant Zingiber officinale. Folk medicine has long touted ginger as an effective aid to proper digestion. Contemporary usage has shown ginger to be effective in numerous situations, such as motion sickness, nausea and indigestion.

Triphala powder is an equal mixture of the dried fruits of three plants, namely Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica and Emblica officinalis. Triphala is an ancient formula which is valued in coordinating digestion, absorption, and metabolism. The ingredients of Triphala have been used separately or in combination in numerous Ayurvedic formulations to improve the efficacy of the above processes. Improved metabolism results in the efficient utilization of nutrients which may subsequently prevent overeating.

Sabinsa Corporation will shortly introduce to the marketplace a new product derived from Fenugreek seeds. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum, Family: Leguminosae) is native to North Africa and countries bordering the eastern Mediterranean and is widely cultivated in India. The seeds of Fenugreek are a condiment commonly used in Indian homes and are a rich source of fiber, particularly gel fiber. Gel fiber from Fenugreek resembles guar gum in chemical structure.

Pre-clinical and clinical studies have documented the anti-diabetic properties of the fiber-rich fraction of Fenugreek seeds. Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by high blood sugar levels. Diabetics also suffer from abnormal lipid profiles and are therefore prone to the development of coronary heart disease.

In Type I diabetics, the administration of the defatted fiber-rich seed significantly reduced fasting blood glucose levels and improved performance in the glucose tolerance test. Serum total cholesterol, LDL and VLDL cholesterol, as well as triglyceride levels, were significantly reduced, while the HDL levels remained unchanged. Similar effects were repeated in Type II diabetic patients2.

Pre-clinical studies indicate that the hypoglycemic effect of fenugreek is mediated through delayed gastric emptying and direct interference with glucose absorption3. The gel forming dietary fiber reduces serum cholesterol by decreasing the absorption of cholesterol and depleting cholesterol stores in the body by means of increased excretion of bile acids4.

Please contact Sabinsa Corporation for samples and further information.

References

1. Sharma, R.D. et al (1990). Eur J. Clin. Nutr. 44:301.
   
   
2. Sharma, R.D. et al (1990). Nutr. Res. 10:731.
   
   
3. Madar, Z. (1984). Nutr. Rep. Intl. 29:1267.
   
   
4. Gee, J.M. et al (1983). Br J. Nutr. 50:215.