The SONA is an advanced, scientifically balanced formula of Nature’s most nutritionally complete and powerful ‘greenfoods’: organically grown Alfalfa Leaf powder, organically grown Green Barley Juice powder, and Spirulina Blue-Green Algae. These green ‘superfoods’ provide advanced antioxidant support in a live, whole food, rich in natural enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, essential fatty acids and other nutrients. Together they provide a nutritional balance that is greater than that of any one alone. Each ‘superfood’ complements the other, providing a superior source of nutrition.
Organic Alfalfa Leaf Powder - The "Father of All Foods", Alfalfa is one of the best known & most nutritious of foods. The root system of the alfalfa plant reaches out over 100 feet into the earth, allowing the plant to absorb high levels of minerals, especially calcium. Alfalfa is rich in chlorophyll, beta carotene, vitamins A, D, E, B6 and K, and in several enzymes which improve digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Alfalfa has antibiotic, antibacterial, antifungal antitumor, tonic, and blood purifying properties, and being diuretic, alfalfa helps relieve urinary and bowel problems. Alfalfa is especially abundant in vitamin K, and is often used to treat vitamin K disorders in man.
Organic Green Barley Juice Powder - Scientific research has shown that the juice from young barley leaves is rich in vitamins (especially beta carotene, B complex vitamins and vitamin C), minerals (including potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorous and magnesium), chlorophyll and mucopolysaccharides, which play a major role in the structural integrity of body tissue. Of the 3000 enzymes known and identified, barley grass contains up to l000 of them, including the potent anti-oxidants Super oxide dismutase (S.O.D.), catalase, peroxidase, cytochrome oxidase and dehydrogenase.
Spirulina Blue Green Algae - is the most famous of the blue-green algae for good reason. It is one of the most nutritious foods known, containing up to 65% highly digestible protein. It is one of the highest food source of vitamin B12, contains up to 10 times more beta carotene per gram than carrots, and along with kamut, alfalfa and barley juice, is one of the richest sources of chlorophyll. Spirulina is one of the few natural foods to contain the Omega 6 fatty Acid, Gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA), the precursor to series 1 prostaglandins. Spirulina is also the only food to contain phycocyanin, the natural blue pigment. Phycocyanin helps to protect against renal failure, stimulates the immune system, and protects against viruses. Spirulina is also a rich source of B complex vitamins, minerals, enzymes, RNA and DNA.
SONA Based Vitamin levels - The vitamin levels in the SONA are based on the recently developed Suggested Optimal Nutrient Allowances (SONAs) as proposed to the US Senate. Through the effort of a 15 year study it is now possible to extrapolate suggested optimum daily nutrient allowances or SONA’S. The SONA’S are levels of nutrients found in a study of 13,500 male and female subjects living in six different regions of the United States conducted by senior investigators, Drs. Emanuel Cheraskin and W. M. Ringsdorf at the University of Alabama Medical School. The results of their $2 million dollar study are contained in 49,000 bound pages found in 153 volumes, whose results have been published in over 100 papers during the 1970’s & 1980’s. They correlated intakes of essential nutrients with signs and symptoms of disease. The healthiest individuals - those with the least clinical signs and symptoms, consumed supplements, and ate a diet richer in essential nutrients relative to calories than those with more signs and symptoms of disease. Based on the logical assumption that those who are free of symptoms are healthier than those showing clinical signs and symptoms of disease, the ideal daily intake of each essential nutrient was taken to be that level consumed by people who were free from symptoms and signs of disease. Cheraskin and Ringsdorf found optimum intakes of essential nutrients to increase with age. For more information please see the article: Establishing a Suggested Optimal Nutrient Allowance (SONA).
The RDAs - intakes of minerals and vitamins which prevent deficiency symptoms in healthy, average adults - are inadequate for optimum health, especially during stress, growth, pregnancy, lactation, strenuous and athletic activity, healing from disease and injury, and advancing age. At present, the RDA’s represent the nutritional equivalent of the minimum wage. Just like the minimum wage, they offer little hope of significantly improving the quality of your life. For almost everyone, the SONA’S represent supplement levels of essential vitamins and minerals designed to maintain optimum health over a life-time. On June 19, 2002, the American Medical Association, after decades of anti-vitamin policy, has reversed its position and now recommends that Americans take at least one multivitamin pill each day. While only one multivitamin daily is not enough to maintain optimum health over one’s lifetime, it is better than no supplementation at all, and is a welcome beginning to a new appreciation of the role of nutrients in preventing disease. It is tragic that the Medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry have largely ignored the results of numerous published scientific studies, including the SONA study, on the role of nutrition in maintaining good health. The quality of life for millions could have been improved and countless lives saved if the AMA had adopted this new position 20 years earlier.
The Vitamins in the ‘SONA’
All the major vitamins that have been the subject of the investigations in the SONA programme are included in the formula. The minor vitamins biotin and pantothenic acid, for which no SONA’s have yet been established are also included at the new EC RDA levels, as these are also essential for optimal health. In the case of vitamin A, a combination of the vitamin and its precursor beta-carotene is used to insure an adequate level of antioxidant activity without including a level of vitamin A that might exceed accepted levels of safety.
The Minerals in the ‘SONA’
The essential minerals play a very important role in the body. They make it possible for muscles to contract, for the brain and the nervous system to work, and to combine with amino acids to produce co-enzymes that control the many living processes such as energy production and growth. In nature, the minerals are rarely found alone, but are bound as inorganic compounds in the earth, or in living organisms, with a variety of natural substances as organic complexes. In the SONA the minerals are combined with amino acids by a process known as chelation which mimic the form in which most minerals are found in food. Amino Acid Chelated Minerals can therefore be more rapidly and efficiently absorbed from the digestive tract into the bloodstream than inorganic forms of minerals.
Highly bioavailable, amino acid chelated minerals are prepared using advanced technical processes that require scrupulous monitoring of mineral/amino acid ratios, pH, and ingredient concentrations. Exact balancing of materials is necessary to avoid the formation of inorganic salts which can irritate the gastrointestinal tract. Amino acid chelation closely resembles how minerals are found in foods & what occurs in the human digestive tract. Amino acid chelates are absorbed rapidly and efficiently, making them the most bioavailable of mineral forms. Enerex chelated minerals are manufactured by a special technology that uses proteolytic enzymes to digest the rice protein and citric acid to ionise the minerals. Rice protein is used as a source of amino acids because it is less allergenic than other commonly used proteins such as wheat, yeast, corn and milk. For a more complete description of mineral chelates please view the article: Synergistically Balanced Amino Acid Chelated Minerals.
Calcium and magnesium in the SONA are provided in the ideal 1:1 ratio. Calcium and magnesium are vital components of bone and tooth metabolism. Both participate in energy production, muscle contraction, nerve function, maintenance of the acid-alkali balance of the body fluids, and nucleic acid metabolism. Several smaller doses of calcium and magnesium over the course of the day are absorbed more effectively than one large dose. For more information view: Calcium to Magnesium Ratio
Zinc is essential for many physiological processes, including cellular nucleic acid synthesis, sensory taste and smell, keratin metabolism, sexual and reproductive processes, wound healing, etc. Soil deficiency of zinc is widespread, often resulting in zinc deficiency in non supplemented diets. Zinc and copper compete for absorption in the digestive tract, and therefore are provided in a carefully balanced ratio. Normally, iron absorption from the gastrointestinal tract is a very inefficient process. Concomitant administration of vitamin C and certain components of the B-complex, especially folic acid and vitamin B12 greatly increase iron uptake. Vitamin B-complex factors stimulate gastric and duodenal secretions, increasing hydrochloric acid production which solubilizes iron for absorption. Vitamin C keeps iron in its reduced state and binds the mineral for easier absorption. Vitamin C is especially useful for raising iron absorption under conditions of iron deficiency The SONA includes copper because the incorporation of iron into the oxygen-carrying red blood cell pigment, haemoglobin, is copper-dependent. Molybdenum is also included because of its involvement both in the transport of iron, and in energy production.
Iron in the ‘SONA’
Ever since an article published in the JULY 26, 1999 Issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, titled Iron, Atherosclerosis, and Ischemic Heart Disease1, suggested that elevated iron levels might be a contributing factor in the development of atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease, there has been a trend among vitamin manufacturers to bring out iron free formulas, and by so doing, creating in the public mind, as well as in the mind of some health care practitioners, a fear that iron supplementation might be harmful. This is an unfortunate misinterpretation of the report. The report relates to a specific type of iron called heme iron, which is found in red meat. The report refers to a study by Snowdon et al2 that found a threefold difference in risk of fatal coronary disease between 45 to 64 year-old men who ate meat daily compared to those who did not eat meat. Meat consumption was positively associated with fatal ischemic heart disease in both men and women. This was the first study to clearly show a dose-response relationship between meat consumption and ischemic heart disease risk. The report also shows a lack of correlation between non-heme iron intake and coronary heart disease (CHD), and suggests that dietary non-heme iron does not contribute to an increased cardiovascular risk. Non-heme iron is the type of iron used in most dietary supplements including the SONA. The report also refers to a follow-up study of 44,933 men (with no previous history of CHD) aged 40 to 75 years by Ascherio et al3, which showed, after adjustments for established risk factors, that there was no significant association between total iron intake and risk of CHD. CONCLUSIONS: These results do not support the hypothesis that dietary iron in general increases coronary risk in men; they are consistent, however, with an increased risk of myocardial infarction among men with higher intakes of heme iron (meat eaters), which is itself positively associated with iron stores.
The report did not take into account other well-known risk factors in the development of CHD such as smoking, drinking, high fat diet, elevated levels of cholesterol and homocysteine, stress, lack of exercise, heredity and long-term sub-optimal intake of nutrients including vitamin E and C. It could be a fatal mistake to suggest, as the report suggests, that abolishing iron fortification of foods and avoiding nutritional supplements that contain iron will reduce the incidence of CHD. This approach can create a false sense of security, especially amongst middle-age men, if they think that they can avoid CHD without addressing all of the other risk factors.
The obvious, but omitted, conclusion of the report would be to recommend a reduction in the dietary intake of heme iron by reducing or eliminating the consumption of red meat. This simple solution would also reduce the other risk factors such as saturated fat and cholesterol, to say nothing of reducing the risk of mad cow disease. This is of course, a political recommendation as well as a scientific one. Any suggestion that consumption of red meat would have a bearing on the development of CHD, or any other health condition, would bring the wrath of the powerful agriculture lobby, which includes the beef and dairy industries.
A study published in October 2002, confirms the lack of correlation between ferritin concentrations and transferrin levels in patients with coronary artery disease. In patients referred for coronary angiography, serum ferritin levels were not associated with an increased extent of coronary atherosclerosis4.
The report also discussed the special iron needs of those involved in physical training such as athletes. Physical training reduces iron stores by creating a negative iron balance as shown in athletes. This gives rise to a condition known as sports anemia, a common condition in many athletes, both male and female. Building muscle mass such as in bodybuilding and weightlifting leads to an increased need of iron for myoglobin. The report suggests that it is the lower iron levels in athletes that is responsible for their lower risk of CHD, but avoids other positive benefits of exercise on the incidence of CHD such as improved aerobic capacity, lower body fat and cholesterol, stronger heart etc. Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world. Groups likely to suffer from iron deficiency include pregnant and lactating women, menstruating women, vegetarians, children during early and adolescent periods of rapid growth, and those who experience symptoms of fatigue. In fact, the majority of the population suffers from some form of sub-clinical iron deficiency.
Iron absorption from red meat (heme iron) is about 15%, whereas absorption from plant sources (non-heme iron) is only about 4%. Iron absorption is governed by the body’s need: an iron-anemic person may absorb 50-60% of iron present in food. Inorganic iron such as ferrous sulfate is often used in low quality dietary supplements and in fortification of cereals. Inorganic iron is poorly absorbed and can cause constipation and gastric distress - it should be avoided.
In summary, to meet the optimum dietary needs of the majority of the population, organic (non-heme iron) supplementation along with optimum levels of all the other minerals, vitamins and enzymes is essential to maintain good health throughout one’s lifetime. The SONA perfectly meets the optimum nutritional needs of the majority of the population.
- B. de Valk, MD, J. J. M. Marx, MD, PhD. Iron, Atherosclerosis, and Ischemic Heart Disease. Archives of Internal Medicine Vol. 159 No 14 July 26, 1999.
- Snowden DA, Phillips RL, Fraser GE. Meat consumption and fatal ischemic heart disease. Prev Med 1984 Sept. 13(5): 490-500.
- Ascherio A, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Giovannucci EL, Stampfer MJ. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Dietary iron intake and risk of coronary disease among men. Circulation 1994 Mar. 89(3): 969-74
- Auer J, Rammer M, Berent R, Weber T, Lassing E, Eber B. Body iron stores and cornary atherosclerosis assesed by cornary angiography. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2002 Oct: 12(5):285-90
In summary, to meet the optimum dietary needs of the majority of the population, organic (non-heme iron) supplementation along with optimum levels of all the other minerals, vitamins and enzymes is essential to maintain good health throughout one’s lifetime. The SONA perfectly meets the optimum nutritional needs of the majority of the population.
Silica in the ‘SONA’
The SONA contains bamboo extract, the richest known source of natural silica containing over 70% organic silica. This is more than 30 times the level as found in the widely used Horsetail plant (Equisetum) that contains about 2-3% silica. The bamboo extract is prepared from Tabashir bamboo stem from India (Bambusa vulgaris).
Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element on earth after oxygen. It is a sister element of carbon. Silicon’s role as an essential nutrient in human nutrition was not established until 1972, but silicon is now known to play a part in the integrity of the skin, ligaments, tendons and bone. The body constantly metabolizes silicic acid. Silica is eliminated through such natural processes as urination, hair loss and nail trimming. This natural secretion of silica can be from ten to forty mg daily. The average adult body contains about twenty grams of silica, and it is necessary for the body’s silica stores to be maintained at this level to promote good health. As we age, less silica is assimilated, therefore daily supplementation with the SONA will help maintain this necessary equilibrium and to minimize the effects of premature aging. Silicon is thought to improve the cardiovascular system, as it is essential to the structural integrity, elasticity and permeability of the arteries. Silica may be useful in reducing blood fats & cholesterol. Artherosclerosis can occur as a result of silicon deficiency whereas silicon is abundant (up to 14 times more) in the arteries of people who are free of heart disease.
Silicon improves the condition of the hair, nails, teeth, gums and skin and has been used to alleviate eczema and psoriasis. Silica plays an essential role in mineral absorption and may help in re-calcifying de-calcified bones & de-calcify soft tissue deposits of calcium. Silicon enhances the function of iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium and boron, and is essential for normal bone development which may help prevent osteoporosis. Silicon helps maintain the correct calcium-magnesium balance.
Silicon may be useful in strengthening the musculo-skeletal system, preventing injuries and helping bones to heal in athletes & others. Silicon supplementation may retard the aging process. At birth, the body contains a maximum level of silica that declines with age. As the body’s natural level of silica declines, it exhibits the signs attributable to aging such as bone loss, dry and wrinkled skin, weakened teeth and gums and hair loss.
Silicon converts aluminum from both water and other dietary sources into insoluble hydroxy-aluminosilicates that cannot enter the bloodstream or brain. This has important consequences for preventing the development of Alzheimer’s dementia by assisting the body in eliminating aluminum. Aluminum is thought to a causative factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Silicon stimulates chondroblasts to deposit chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid into the cartilage matrix. This has important implications in managing arthritis pain as silicon will improve the function and effectiveness of glucosamine sulfate which is the precursor of both chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid. Silicon may help protect against and heal gastric ulcers and arthritis (connective tissue healing).
Functions of Silicon
- Functions as a cross-linking agent, providing strength and resilience to collagen & elastin connnective tissues:
- Essential for bone & cartilage collagen synthesis present as silicic acid in mucopolysaccharides, the structural components of connective tissues:
- Essential for bone calcification:
- Stimulates growth:
- Required for the proper functioning of the enzyme prolyhydroxylase that functions in the formation of collagen in bone, cartilage and other connective tissues.
The inclusion of silica, makes the SONA the most complete nutrition supplement available.
The ‘SONA’ Contains Optimum Levels of all the Essential Trace Minerals.
Selenium (Se) and other antioxidant nutrients are powerful anti-ageing factors that protect cells from oxidative and free radical damage that hastens cell death. By preventing and detoxifying free radicals and peroxides, Se protects cells from the relentless destructive effects of these substances. Se is particularly important as a component of glutathione peroxidase, a protective antioxidant enzyme broadly distributed throughout the body. This enzyme plays a key role in protecting cell membrane lipids from random oxidation. Se is also important in nucleic acid metabolism, immune system physiology and reproductive processes. Research on the bio-geographical distribution of Se conclusively indicates that higher incidence’s of cancers occur where soil Se levels, and thus food Se levels, are low.
Vanadium (Vn) plays an essential role in growth, iron & lipid metabolism, reproduction & bone development and may replace phosphorous in tooth enamel thereby retarding tooth decay. Vn stimulates oxidation of glucose to energy in fat cells by mimicking the action of insulin, and stimulates glycogen formation in the liver & diaphragm.
Molybdenum (Mo) is a co-factor in the enzyme xanthine oxidase. Mo is involved in mobilizing iron from liver storage to oxidize aldehydes. Mo helps to remove nitrogen waste from the body through the formation of uric acid (purine metabolism). Uric acid is a powerful anti-oxidant. Mo appears to play a role in the control of ageing. Mo is involved in fat metabolism & energy production through the Mo activated enzyme (aldehyde oxidase). Mo may play a role in preventing tooth decay by promoting the retention of floride.
Chromium (Cr) is a component of glucose tolerance factor. Cr is involved in glucose metabolism that is necessary for energy production. Cr binds insulin to cells potentiating its action in allowing cells to take in glucose. Cr indirectly affects blood fat levels and stabilizes blood sugar levels. Cr is involved in protein synthesis and increases lean muscle mass. Cr stimulates liver enzymes involved in synthesis of cholesteral & fatty acids, and lowers cholesterol & increases beneficial HDL.
The Enzymes in the ‘SONA’
Minerals and vitamins are the partners of enzymes - co-enzymes - necessary for enzymes to carry out their specific and vitally important functions. Minerals carry electric signals, the messages of life. Vitamins activate enzymes. Each must have the other - like a biochemical marriage. Without minerals and vitamins, enzymes could not carry out their work, and we could not live. With the help of minerals as well as vitamin co-enzymes, digestive enzymes regulate how foods (macronutrients) become micronutrients that living tissues can use. Minerals and vitamin-activated enzymes also determine which substances are drawn through membranes into cells to take part in the cells’ molecular "dance of life". If vitamins and minerals are lacking, enzymes don’t function, and the processes on which life depends must slow down or stop. The SONA Contains Several Digestive Enzymes:
- Protease for digesting proteins into amino acids that the body can absorb and use to build its own structural and enzymatic proteins;
- Amylase for breaking down starches into simple sugar molecules that serve as fuel for cells;
- Lipase for turning fats into fatty acids and glycerol for energy-providing fuel or for the body’s construction of cell membranes;
- Cellulase for breaking down cellulose into simple sugars that serve as fuel. These digestive enzymes improve conversion of foods into smaller molecules that the body can easily absorb, and thereby aid in the assimilation of the valuable nutrients found in this formulation.
The body’s supply of enzymes, vitamins (co-enzymes) and minerals depends largely on the diet. Health can be compromised if there is insufficient supply of any of these nutrients. To help meet the nutrient requirements for optimum health, The SONA fortified green food concentrate, with optimum amounts (SONAs) of all essential vitamins, the complete range of amino acid chelated macro and trace minerals, plus enzymes, provides the most advanced dietary supplement in the world.
The Making of the ‘SONA’
After careful consideration of all the factors, the SONA is presented in tablet form rather than in gelatine capsules. Tablets can be made more stable and are not affected by high temperatures and humidity, which can cause gelatine capsules to soften and leak. Also, gelatine capsules have a higher moisture content that can adversely affect the stability of the formula.
Some methods of manufacturing tablets can cause the temperature of the ingredients to rise to a level that can destroy the enzymes and some of the vitamins. Nutrients in the Green Superfoods are particularly at risk from heat damage. All the advanced research that has gone into producing the ‘SONA’ would be wasted if the sensitive ingredients were destroyed during the manufacturing process. To insure that the nutrients in the ‘SONA’ are presented in the best possible way and with maximum protection for the heat sensitive ingredients, the tablets for the ‘SONA’ are made using a unique, state-of-the-art process known as high-density Chilsonation.
An advanced device – a Chilsonator – represents the first step in the processing of many raw materials. The Chilsonator houses grooved, counter-rotating rollers pressed tightly against one another by hydraulic pressure. Raw materials are placed into the hopper of the Chilsonator and are fed by a system of horizontal and vertical screws into these rollers. As the materials pass through the grooves in the rollers, the materials are compacted under high pressure and emerge from the Chilsonator as dense pellets. The pellets are milled into a granular powder using a Fitz Mill, then passed through a series of vibrating screens to produce a free flowing granulation.
The chilsonation process results in a finished powder that is 3 to 4 times more dense than the starting material. The Chilsonator allows the production of smaller tablets without a reduction in potency, resulting in a tablet that is easer to swallow and therefore more desirable to consumers. The Chilsonator alters the flow characteristics of raw materials, making them easier to use in making tablets, resulting in better dispersion of the tableted nutrients in the body. This is extremely important, because uniform dispersion of nutrients enhances nutrient bioavailability. The ability to alter flow characteristics makes the Chilsonator ideal for use in dry granulation of raw materials. Wet granulation, the traditional industry standard for preparing materials for tablets and capsules, requires the use of alcohol solvents and high temperature drying to achieve the necessary material characteristics. Chilsonation completely eliminates the need for this destructive process.
Without further protection, some of the nutrients could be damaged by exposure to the atmosphere. This can reduce their activity and allow oxidation, that may cause some of the ingredients to be chemically altered to produce undesirable breakdown products such as free radicals. After Chilsonation, the tablets are coated with a protective layer. This coating, known as VegiCote, is made from a special vegetable cellulose complex and purified water. No organic solvents are used at all. Thus, the coating is hypoallergenic and free from chemicals or sugar that can cause allergies in sensitive people. In addition to its protective action, the VegiCote process gives the tablets an added advantage in that the smooth finish makes them easier to swallow than conventional tablets. Finally, the ‘SONA’ tablets are packaged in PETE bottles. PETE provides a superior moisture and oxygen barrier compared to the more common HDPE plastic that most vitamin manufactures use. To add a further degree of protection every bottle of the ‘SONA’ contains a small package of silica gel desiccant. The silica gel desiccant absorbs any moisture that may enter the bottle during manufacturing and prevents deterioration of the tablets.
Taking the ‘SONA’
With the SONA, the nutrients are incorporated into three tablets. To ensure optimal absorption and a beneficial effect over the whole day, it is recommended that one tablet be taken three times a day with meals. Taking one SONA with each meal provides sufficient of the essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes to give the meal the balance of those nutrients that is recommended by nutritionists world wide. It is also recommended to include a dietary supplement of Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids (EFA’S) as these are often deficient in the average diet as well. Enerex’s OMEGA 3-6 capsules provide the ultimate in EFA supplementation. Taking one SONA tablet and one OMEGA 3-6 capsule with each meal can insure that every meal is a 'balanced meal'.
As with most Enerex tablets, advanced technology eliminates the use of heat and solvents in the manufacturing process.. The unique VegeCote coating locks in freshness and potency and makes the tablets easy to swallow.
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This product contains no animal substance, artificial preservatives, colours or flavours, added starch, sugar, lactose, milk, salt, yeast, wheat or gluten.
Enerex products are housed in recyclable BPA-free PETE plastic containers to
provide the best protection against oxidation, moisture, sunlight, and
chemical migration from container to product. In all of these areas, PETE is
virtually equal to that of glass but without the larger environmental
footprint left by glass packaging. PETE plastic is far superior to that of
HDPE plastic in all regards; HDPE plastic is used for the majority of
products on the market. Unlike more costly PETE bottles, HDPE plastic
facilitates the immediate degradation of the product inside as it is not a
barrier to oxygen or moisture; studies also show high concentrations of
chemical migration from HDPE bottles to product relative to that of PETE and
glass bottles.
