The gentle juice extraction and spray-dry method of capturing the nutrients in green plants was originally developed and patented by Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara in Japan and perfected over several decades of intensive research. Dr. Hagiwara initially concluded that, of all the many green foods he studied, barley grass was the most nutritionally well-balanced. He was then faced with the task of developing a method to capture this nutrition in a convenient-to-use powdered form that would be available for use by everyone. After years of intense research on this problem, he developed his patented juice extraction and spray-drying process. It is a complex process and requires the use of very expensive, pharmaceutical-grade extraction, spray-drying, and granulation machines. However, the result is a green powder that offers potent antioxidant protection and superior nutritional benefits. Dr. Hagiwara's barley grass powder, is sold as Green Magma®, and is also a major ingredient in other products manufactured by his company, Green Foods Corporation. Green Magma® contains a wealth of nutrients including the following antioxidants: beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, chlorophyll, catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), 2"-O-glycosylisovitexin (2"-O-GIV). 2"-O-GIV is a water- and fat-soluble antioxidant found in Green Magma that effectively inhibits lipid peroxidation as well as the formation of aldehydes and other toxic compounds in vitro produced by free radicals. Green Magma also contains many trace minerals like selenium that have antioxidant actions. Dr. Hagiwara has dedicated much effort and financial resources into scientific research on barley grass and whole food nutrition. Research by noted scientists at leading universities in the United States and Japan has revealed a number of health benefits of barley grass, particularly in relation to its antioxidant content. However, the most important indication of the benefits of barley grass comes from people who use it every day. They consistently report that regular use of Green Magma increases their energy levels, gives them better looking skin, hair and nails, and helps promote healthy digestion -- all indications of excellent nutrition and effective antioxidant protection. GREEN MAGMA® and our other products are the most nutritious whole food supplements on the market today. Green Magma is made with the powdered juice of organically-grown young barley grass that is processed in a unique manner so that it retains all the vital nutrients and active enzymes found in the juice. Magma Plus, Veggie Magma, Berry Barley Essence, Green Tea Barley Essence, Ageless Energy, and Vibrant Woman all contain organically-grown young barley grass juice powder along with additional nutrients. Analysis of barley grass juice by Dr. Hagiwara has shown that it contains just about all the nutrients our body needs for optimal health. These include carbohydrates, protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals other types of nutrients that scientists have shown to be critical for optimal health: enzymes, bioflavonoids, chlorophyll, and others. The ancient Chinese Sage of Medicine, Shin Huang-ti, noted: "It is diet which maintains true health and becomes the best drug." And the ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates, said over 2, 000 years ago: "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." Today, science has conclusively established the truth of these two elegant statements. Scientific research has provided a wealth of evidence of the many health benefits to be derived from consuming a diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits. These foods not only supply our cells with essential nutrients for metabolism and maintenance of healthy tissues, but they also provide us with nature's own medicines to help regain our health when illness occurs. Most nutritionists agree that we need to eat at least 5-9 servings of fresh vegetables every day to stay healthy. Those of us who live and work in more industrialized parts of the world find it extremely difficult to eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables each day. Taking Green Magma and our other products is a convenient, yet efficient way to ensure that our body receives the nutrients necessary for optimal health. Simply speaking, optimal nutrition means providing our bodies with the best possible food and liquids for maintaining cellular wellness and function. To accomplish this, our diet must be such that it promotes the following: 1. Nutrient Diversity and Abundance: Consuming a variety of nutrients is necessary for optimal health. Different nutrients act together SYNERGISTICALLY. For example, vitamin C and E fight free-radicals much more effectively when consumed from whole food sources rather than when taken separately as isolated supplements. We cannot duplicate nature by making combinations of isolated vitamins and minerals. Our nutritional supplements such as Green Magma and our other powdered extracts contain the natural complexity of whole foods. 2. Nutrient Digestion and Absorption: Digestion and absorption of nutrients are critical to good health. Without good digestion, nutrients will not get absorbed into out blood stream and delivered to our cells. Digestive enzymes and other nutrients in our products help to keep our digestive tract operating efficiently and help us absorb nutrients. 3. Antioxidant Protection Against Free Radicals: Antioxidants are our best defense against the damage to our cells caused by free radicals. Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules created in our cells during normal metabolism. They also come from pollutants in the environment. Free radicals are very damaging to our cells and they are responsible for much of the damage caused by many diseases. It is important to take in large amounts of nutrients found only in fresh vegetables to help fight free radicals every day. Our products containing barley grass juice provide a wealth of antioxidants including beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E succinate, superoxide dismutase, 2"-O-GIV, chlorophyll, and others. 4. Gentle Detoxification: Chlorophyll, and other substances prevent the build up of destructive toxins such as heavy metals and pollutants that we ingest every day. These toxins will gradually weaken our tissues and lead to disease unless removed from our bodies daily. Green Magma is an excellent detoxifier. 1. Provide a wide variety of nutrients to support cellular metabolism 2. Increase energy levels naturally. 3. Improve digestion and increases regularity. 4. Are naturally alkaline to help to neutralize excess acidity. 5. Enhance the immune system. 6. Naturally and gently help to detoxify our system. 7. Promote better looking skin, hair and nails. 8. Provide important nutrient support for fasting and cleansing. 9. Contain anti-inflammatory compounds like chlorophyll. 10. Help promote cardiovascular health. 11. Offer antioxidants protection against free radicals. 12. Daily use may help prolong our youthful vigor and delay the effects of aging. Here at GFC maltodextrin plays two very important roles, which are actually related to one another. First, maltodextrin acts as an exceptionally efficient carrier for the natural nutrients found in Green Foods' spray-dried barley juice powder. Second, maltodextrin naturally adheres to the nutrient molecules in the barley juice powder, thus providing a natural coating and protection against the nutrients reacting with one another and greatly reducing the serious harmful effects of oxidation. This protection stabilizes the nutrients in a totally natural manner and allows our products to have a long shelf life. Maltodextrin is widely used for these as well as other purposes in the natural foods and supplements industry and is recognized as safe by the FDA with no restrictions attached to its use. Maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate composed of a chain with 17 glucose molecules and is derived from vegetable sources by enzymatic activity. Since it is a complex carbohydrate and not a simple sugar, it does not cause rapid changes in blood sugar levels. It takes the body hours to completely break down the complex chain of glucose molecules in maltodextrin for absorption into the circulation. This slow, steady release of glucose into the circulation serves as a natural source of energy for the body. Maltodextrin is completely safe for people with blood sugar disorders, including those with diabetes and hypoglycemia. This has been demonstrated time and again by all those people with blood sugar concerns who consume Green Magma every day and experience no adverse effects. * Green Barley Essence: The Ideal Fast Food , Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara , Keats Publishing Co., New Canaan, CT 1985. * Green Leaves of Barley: Nature's Miracle Rejuvenator, Dr. Mary Ruth Swope and David A. Darbro, M.D., Swope Enterprises, Lone Star, TX 1996. * Wheat Grass: Nature's Finest Medicine, Steve Meyerowitz, Sproutman Publications, Great Barrington, MA 1998. Note: this book is really about cereal grasses and contains a large section summarizing recent scientific research on the healthful properties of barley grass juice * Enzyme Nutrition, Edward Howell, Avery Publishing Group, Wayne, NJ 1985. * The Complete Book of Enzyme Therapy, Dr. Anthony J. Cichoke, Avery Publishing Group, Garden City Park, 1999. * Prescription for Nutritional Healing, James F. Balch, M.D. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., Avery Publishing Group, Garden City Park, 1997