Asafin ® – AN EXOTIC HERBAL PROKINETIC FOR GUT HEALTH

A human having an average life expectancy of 70 years consumes around 35 tons of food in his lifetime and processes these organic matter into waste. The efficiency in performing such processes determines his energy levels, longevity and healthy state of body and mind. A lack of good nutrition and incompatible food measures can result in derangement of the digestion, absorption and abnormal gut reactions. The knock-on effects disrupt the physiological activities including immunity, cognitive functions, hormonal balance and the ability of the body to detoxify. In short, improving digestion is the corner stone of good health.

A significant population around the globe has been reported to suffer from one or the other gastrointestinal disorders, which ultimately affects their quality of life. Some of such diseases are very acute in nature, lasting only for short time, while others are chronic, or long-lasting. The spectrum includes minor symptoms like bloating and life threatening diseases like cancer. Most often, these unnoticed minor symptoms like belching, bloating, acid burping etc contribute the risk factors for developing the dreadful diseases like gastric carcinoma, colorectal cancer etc. As per the data from World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO), one-third of the world's population has some form of digestive symptoms, the most common being bloating and constipation. Functional dyspepsia can also be an etiological factor in which the long term assault to the digestive system will eventually break into an uncontrolled cell growth.

Management of gastric disorders are often very complicated by the limited response, high cost, and side effects of synthetic medicaments. There are no safe drugs suitable for long term supplementation to maintain gut health is available. Thus, there has always been a great interest on natural agents. People are always looking forward for a safe remedy to tackle the gastric disturbances and healthy well-being from antiquity. Most of such herbal remedies are nothing but an integral part of our cuisines. Famous examples are ginger, pepper, fenugreek etc. Asafoetida also plays a major role in improving digestive health. It is also described in the ancient wisdom of Indian traditional system of medicine. The internal use of asafoetida was unrestricted from kids to pregnant ladies showed the safety of that miracle herb. In the Ayurvedic classic called Charaka samhitha, Hingu is mentioned as an agroushada (best single drug) for various ailments in the digestive system and as a deepaniya anulomaniya dravya (carminative and antiflatulent drug). It can correct the digestion by increasing the Agni (digestive fire), removes the excess intestinal gases and helps in proper expulsion of fecal matters. It is very often regarded as the “FOOD OF GOD”. Modern pharmacological studies have substantiated its beneficial pharmacological effects in brain, liver, heart and gut health. It is a popular food additive (flavor) in USA and Europe with GRAS and EFSA approval.

Herbal for gut health

Despite the immense medicinal properties, the unfavourable odour and taste of the oleo gum resin (due to the presence of sulphur compounds) make it unfit for daily consumption. Here comes the importance of Akay’s innovative (Patented)FENUMAT^TM technology – to bind, encapsulate, disperse and hence to convert asafoetida oleo-gum-resin into free flowing, directly compressible, taste-masked ‘natural’ beadlets registered as Asafin® for easy consumption and better absorption --Self-emulsifying, sustained-release natural beadlets for safe consumption. It has been clinically substantiated to reduce Dyspepsia symptoms at less than<250 mg/day. It is a probiotic friendly formulation and can be combined with gut protective probiotics for optimised performance.

Why Asafin ^® is unique?

100% natural water based process
Sustained and targeted delivery
Works with probiotics
Helps to reduce postprandial fullness & bloating
Digestive
Reduce early satiety
Works on Gut-Liver-Brain axis

A randomized double blinded placebo-controlled cross over study using 250 mg × 2 per day for 30 days in 43 subjects with functional dyspepsia showed significant reduction in overall discomforts with 66% subjects remained symptom free. (Evidence Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. doi.org/10.1155/2018/4813601)

References

Akbari, Abolfazl et al. (2022) “Overview of epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, and risk factors of gastric cancer in Asia-Pacific region.” Asia-Pacific journal of clinical oncology, 10.1111/ajco.13654.
Kim YS et al., (2020) J NeurogastroenterolMotil.; 26 (3): 322-334.
Peery et al., (2019); Gastroenterology 156 (1): 254-272.
Mala K. N et al., (2018) Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Article ID: 4813601.