FAQ

 

  1. What is ISOMALTO OLIGOSACCHARIDE (IMO)?

    2. Isomalto-oligosaccharide or IMO is a mixture of short-chain carbohydrates which has a digestion-resistant property. IMO is found naturally in some foods, as well as manufactured commercially. The raw material used for manufacturing IMO is starch, which is enzymatically converted into a mixture of isomalto oligosaccharide.

    Oligosaccharides are not digested in the small intestine. Instead they are fermented by the Bifidobacterium species in the human colon, thus enhancing their proliferation and stimulate the growth of bacterial sub-population. In this respect, fermentable oligosaccharides may be considered as prebiotic.

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  2. What is Prebiotic?

    3. Prebiotic is a category of functional food, defined as non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the health of a person by selectively stimulating the growth or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon, and thus improving the balance of microflora and health of a person.

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  3. Prebiotic, Probiotic, Happy Oligo® …what is the difference among them?

    4. No. When you take a probiotic, you are simply consuming good bacteria and they may not survive the acidity of the stomach and will last for at most 3 days in the digestive tract. The amount of bacteria that actually reaches the small intestine and colon may be very little. Even if they survive, since they are of external sources, the immune system of the body may reject them as foreign.

    Prebiotic is more effective. Prebiotic encourages your body to make its own sources of friendly bacteria, as nature intended it to do. Happy OLIGO® is a prebiotic which can be fermented by the good bacteria and not digestible by the bad bacteria, thus it can selectively stimulate growth and skew the ratio towards the good bacteria.

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  4. Are there any side effects?

    5. No side effects. Happy OLIGO® is a health supplement and its main ingredient, Isomalto-oligosaccharide, is internationally recognised as a safe food ingredient. Happy OLIGO® is produced using organic raw materials and it does not contain any chemical substance.

    There may however be, a short period of time that your digestive tract adjusts to the product and you may get runny stool depending on your health condition. This feeling is a good sign the product is working and will soon pass as your system gets used to the product, as the ratio of good bacteria increases.

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  5. What is effective dosage?

    6. Normally, a healthy person would take at least 5~10 grams daily. For adults, effective dosage is 15~ 20g daily. If you are taking Happy OLIGO® for the first time, we recommend 15~30g daily for a period of 3 months. Children are suggested to take 5~15g daily.

    • One tablespoon is approximately 5~6g. Stir between 1 to 3 tablespoons in water and drink.
    • If you are taking 30g daily, you can try to take 15g twice a day or 10g three times a day.
    • Can also be mixed into milk, fruit juices, any desserts or soup.

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  6. Who especially need to take Happy Oligo®? Can diabetics take it too?
    • Especially suitable for babies, children, elderly people, and pregnant women.
    • Especially suitable for people with stomach and bowel problems.
    • For chemotherapy patients, it can help to improve metabolism and reduce the side-effects of treatment.
    • Happy OLIGO® has a low glycemic index (GI). Hence the product is suitable for those concerned about blood sugar levels. The recommended intake for diabetic patient is 15g twice a day in the beginning adjustment period. Subsequently, he can reduce to 15g once a day.

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  7. Can I add Happy Oligo® to hot soup or sauce?

    8. Happy OLIGO® is heat and acid resistant. It remains stable under acidity of pH 3 and temperature of up to 120°C for an extended period of time, which makes it an excellent candidate for addition into beverages and also suitable for hot and cold cooking.

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  8. Can Happy Oligo® be taken with other supplements that I take?

    9. Happy OLIGO® is an essential food product, and it combines well with all supplements.

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  9. Why is Happy Oligo® better than any other one in the market?

    10. Happy OLIGO® is unique because it is a organic prebiotic and has a golden ratio of ingredients to cater to the different types of good bacteria in your digestive tract.

    Bifidus is the largest group of bacteria in your digestive tract and there are between 7 to 9 types of Bifidus bacteria. Based on the percentage of these 9 types of Bifidus bacteria, Happy Oligo® is formulated with a mixture of Panose, Isomaltose, Isomaltotriose, and Isomaltotetraose according to a golden ratio as they each cater to a different type of Bifidus bacteria. This golden ratio is based on the distribution of these 9 types of Bifidus bacteria in the digestive tract. Therefore, utilization is optimised to give you the best proliferation factor.

    In addition, in the market, most Isomalto Oligosaccharide health supplements are digestible because they contain a larger component of highly digestible and absorbable by-products such as monosaccharide glucose and disaccharide maltose, which reduces the overall prebiotic value.

    Contrary, Happy Oligo® has a purity of 97.5% and an overall prebiotic effect of 95%~99% (97.5%±2.5%), which is the highest concentration possible, and it is also safe for normal consumption by diabetics.

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  10. I have a healthy diet with plenty of probiotic foods. So why would I need a digestive support formula?

    11. There are many environmental pollutants, such as meat of animals that were fed with growth hormones or antibiotics, chlorinated water, highly processed or refined food, and etc. which can easily disrupt your microflora balance. Stress is also another common factor contributing to a weakened immune resistance. When your body weakens, some of the harmful bacteria types that live within your body will seize this opportunity and begin inhabiting.

    A healthy person should ideally have at least 80% good bacteria. But majority of people have less than 25% good bacteria once they reach adulthood and less than 5% after 65 years old. A common effect of microflora imbalance is poor bowel movements, and long term poor bowel movements can have detrimental effects due to accumulated toxins.

    Maintaining a good microflora balance is the basis of good health and there is no other more natural way than cultivating your own native intestinal bacteria through feeding them with isomalto oligosaccharide. Happy OLIGO® can restore your microflora balance and it is suitable for people of all ages.

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  11. 11. Is Happy Oligo® a meal replacement?

    12. No, Happy OLIGO® is a natural supplement, not a meal replacement.

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  12. What are other health benefits of Happy Oligo® other than being a prebiotic?

    13. Fermentation of IMO by colonic bacteria may result in production of Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) that metabolize in liver and confer many physiological benefits to the host including: reduces risk of colon cancer, stabilizes blood glucose levels, suppresses cholesterol synthesis, lowers colonic pH thus increases absorption of dietary minerals and stimulates immune protection.

    Continuous regular intake of Happy OLIGO® can support immune system, improve intestinal health, strengthen bone health via better mineral absorption, help maintain cholesterol and triglyceride at a healthy level, and improve skin and hair conditions.

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