Gut & Liver

How your digestion works: from the mouth to the large intestine

To understand how you can consciously support your gut in everyday life, it helps to take a look at the digestive tract. Your digestive system is a finely tuned chain of stages, each with its own role:

• Mouth: Chewing breaks food down, and saliva contains the first digestive enzymes that split carbohydrates.
• Esophagus: Transports the food bolus toward the stomach.
• Stomach: Gastric juice made of hydrochloric acid and enzymes breaks down proteins and kills pathogens.
• Small intestine: The main site of nutrient absorption. This is where carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are broken down into their building blocks and absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal villi.
• Large intestine: Removes water, thickens stool, and ferments indigestible components through your gut flora.
• Rectum: Collection and controlled emptying.

The entire process takes between 24 and 72 hours, depending on the food and your individual metabolism. At the junction between the small intestine and the large intestine is the cecum with its appendix, which was once considered functionless. Today we know that it serves as a reservoir for gut bacteria and is part of your immune system.

💡 INFO Your gut is often called the "second brain" because it has over 100 million nerve cells and communicates directly with your brain via the gut-brain axis.

→ Read more: Digestion - our body works around the clock

Your gut flora: the microbiome in your gut

Your gut flora, also called the microbiome, is a community of trillions of microorganisms that colonize your gut. These tiny inhabitants are not parasites, but fascinating partners: certain bacteria in the gut are involved in digestion and can contribute to the body's own production of vitamin K and B vitamins, with vitamin K helping to maintain normal bones.

A healthy gut is characterized by a diverse gut flora: the more different bacterial strains are present, the more resilient the system is. But this balance is sensitive. What can throw your gut flora out of balance?

• Antibiotics: work not only against harmful bacteria, but also against beneficial bacteria.
• Chronic stress: affects the composition of your gut flora via the gut-brain axis.
• Unbalanced diet: lots of sugar, little fiber, lots of highly processed foods.
• Alcohol and smoking: both reduce the diversity of gut bacteria.
• Lack of sleep: affects numerous metabolic processes.

Fermented foods such as plain yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, and kombucha contain live bacterial cultures and are a natural part of a balanced diet. Live yogurt cultures improve the digestion of the lactose contained in yogurt in people who have difficulty digesting lactose: an approved health claim that applies specifically to yogurt with live cultures.

CULTURES COMPLEX: Live bacterial cultures from Vitalplant

Selected live bacterial strains in acid-resistant capsules so they reach the gut. A supplement as part of a balanced diet.

✓ Multiple bacterial strains: selected cultures from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families

✓ Acid-resistant capsule shell

✓ No unnecessary additives: free from fillers, colorants, and preservatives

✓ Laboratory-tested quality: produced in our manufactory in Memmingen

✓ Note: There are currently no approved health claims under the HCVO for the bacterial strains contained

→ Discover Cultures Complex now

→ Read more: Our gut - protective shield and metabolic organ

Our Gut Elixir: 22 fermented organic ingredients as a liquid concentrate

Our Gut Elixir is a truly unique product in the Vitalplant range: a liquid, fermented concentrate made from 22 carefully selected organic ingredients, from Jerusalem artichoke and beetroot to cranberry, turmeric, and spirulina, all the way to dandelion, artichoke, and blueberry. All ingredients come from certified organic farming.

What makes it special is the fermentation with seven different lactic acid bacterial strains (including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus), during which the plant ingredients are broken down. Jerusalem artichoke naturally contains inulin, a soluble fiber found in many plants.

GUT ELIXIR: Our fermented organic concentrate

Liquid concentrate made from 22 fermented organic ingredients — a unique product in the Vitalplant range for your mindful routine.

✓ 22 organic ingredients from certified organic farming

✓ Fermented with 7 different lactic acid bacterial strains

✓ With Jerusalem artichoke (inulin), beetroot, cranberry, turmeric, spirulina, dandelion, artichoke, and more

✓ Recommended daily dose: 15 ml, in the morning on an empty stomach or before a meal

✓ Can be taken pure or diluted

→ Discover Gut Elixir now

When your digestion gets out of sync

Changes in digestion are among the most common issues people discuss with their doctor or pharmacist. Almost everyone experiences phases of constipation, diarrhea, or an uncomfortable feeling in the abdomen at some point in life. Both terms, constipation and diarrhea, describe changes in normal intestinal transit.

Constipation: when the bowel becomes sluggish

Constipation is when bowel movements occur less than three times a week and are associated with straining or hard stools. Common lifestyle factors include:

• Too little fiber in the diet
• Too little fluid (less than 1.5 to 2 liters daily)
• Lack of exercise
• Stress and travel (different daily rhythm)
• Certain medications and hormonal changes

A fiber-rich diet with wholegrain products, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as flaxseed and psyllium husks supports your bowel activity. Adequate fluids and regular exercise are the second and third pillars.

Diarrhea: when everything moves too quickly

Diarrhea is the opposite: the food bolus passes through your gut too quickly, so not enough water can be removed from the intestinal contents. Causes range from infections and food intolerances to stress. Altered gut flora, for example after taking antibiotics, can also affect stool consistency.

Important: In the case of acute diarrhea, it is important to compensate for fluid loss. If symptoms recur, constipation persists, blood appears in the stool, or constipation alternates with diarrhea, medical evaluation is the first step. Functional disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome or other conditions may be behind this and must be treated individually. Food supplements replace neither diagnostics nor medical treatment.

Bitter substances and traditional digestive herbs

Bitter substances have become scarce in our modern diet. For centuries, bitter herbs and vegetables were a staple of European cuisine; today they are bred out of many foods. In traditional European herbal medicine, bitter herbs have a long tradition of use as part of a balanced diet.

Our BITTER SUBSTANCES COMPLEX with eight traditional bitter herbs

Plant complex with eight classic herbs from European herbal medicine. For your mindful routine before or after meals.

✓ Turmeric (80 mg): a traditional plant substance from the Ayurvedic tradition

✓ Dandelion (80 mg): a traditional European bitter herb

✓ Artichoke (50 mg): contains the bitter substance cynarin and is traditionally used

✓ Yarrow, mugwort, horehound (33-50 mg each): classic European bitter herbs

✓ Hops (33 mg) and centaury (20 mg): traditional plants with a particularly bitter aroma

✓ 90 capsules · no unnecessary additives · vegan

✓ Note: There are currently no approved health claims under the HCVO for the plant extracts contained

→ Discover Bitter Substances Complex now

In addition, we also offer Artichoke as a single extract, for anyone who wants to focus specifically on this traditional plant of Mediterranean cuisine. Artichoke has been used for centuries as part of a balanced diet.

→ Read more: The artichoke - a heavyweight of healthy fiber

Fiber: the underestimated helper in your gut routine

Fiber is the indigestible part of food that your body's own enzymes cannot break down. What may initially sound useless is actually an important factor in a healthy diet. Some fibers even have approved health claims, each applying specifically to that fiber in the stated amount:

• Rye fiber contributes to normal bowel function
• Barley grain fiber contributes to an increase in stool bulk
• Wheat bran fiber contributes to accelerating intestinal transit
• Inulin from chicory contributes to normal bowel function by increasing stool frequency (with a daily intake of at least 12 g)

The German Nutrition Society recommends at least 30 g of fiber per day, but most people in Germany do not come close to reaching this amount. A fiber-rich diet with wholegrain products, legumes, fresh fruit and vegetables, flaxseed, and psyllium husks is the easiest way to support your gut every day.

Tips for a fiber-rich diet in everyday life

• Increase your fiber intake slowly so your gut can adapt
• Gradually replace white flour products with wholegrain alternatives
• Include a handful of nuts, flaxseed, or psyllium husks every day
• Drink enough water with every fiber-rich meal, because fiber needs fluids
• Include fermented foods such as plain yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and kimchi in your routine

Fats and digestion: the role of high-quality fatty acids

Fats sometimes have a bad reputation in nutrition, unfairly so. Fats are essential: they provide energy, protect your organs, transport fat-soluble vitamins, and are a building block of every cell membrane. What matters is the quality of the fats.

Omega-3 fatty acids from algae oil, flaxseed oil, and oily fish are a valuable part of a balanced diet. The approved health claims for omega-3:

• EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function (with a daily intake of at least 250 mg EPA and DHA)
• DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function (with at least 250 mg DHA daily)
• DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal vision (with at least 250 mg DHA daily)

The digestion of fats is a complex process: in the small intestine, fats are emulsified by bile acids and broken down into smaller building blocks by the enzyme lipase.

Our Omega 3 Vegan provides high-dose DHA and EPA fatty acids from algae oil, the plant-based alternative to fish oil.

Micronutrients for a mindful gut routine

The gut is a complex organ, and supporting it depends on many small building blocks. The following micronutrients play a role, each in its own functional area.

The mucous membranes line the entire digestive tract. Several nutrients contribute to their maintenance: vitamin B2 (riboflavin), niacin, and biotin, three classic B vitamins that contribute to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes. All three are found in our Vitamin B Complex Forte, which also contains vitamin A, which is likewise recognized for this contribution to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes.

Zinc goes in a different direction: it contributes to normal acid-base metabolism, which is relevant for the body's internal balance. Available pure and high-dose as Zinc 25.

A significant proportion of immune cells is located in intestinal tissue, which is why the three trace elements iron, copper, and selenium also make useful companions for your gut routine. All three contribute to the normal function of the immune system and are contained in several products in our Digestion & Gut product range.

Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) contributes to normal heart function from a daily dose of 250 mg. It is not a targeted gut nutrient, but for many it is part of their daily foundation. You can find EPA and DHA, for example, in our Omega 3 Vegan, which we make based on algae oil.

💡 INFO Fermented dairy products such as plain yogurt and kefir are among the oldest probiotic foods in human history. The live cultures contained in yogurt improve the digestion of the lactose in the product in people who have problems digesting lactose. Anyone who cannot tolerate dairy products can find traditional, dairy-free options in fermented plant-based alternatives such as kombucha, kimchi, and our Gut Elixir.

Other plant substances and teas for your gut routine

Hericium (lion's mane): a traditional medicinal mushroom

Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a traditional medicinal mushroom that has been used for centuries in Chinese cuisine and herbal tradition. Our Hericium provides a highly concentrated 10:1 extract with 30% polysaccharides, including beta-glucans. There are currently no approved health claims for Hericium or its ingredients.

Turmeric: the golden root from Ayurveda

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been used in Ayurvedic tradition for centuries. Our Turmeric provides highly concentrated curcumin from a standardized extract. There are currently no approved health claims for turmeric or curcumin. We present the plant as a traditional medicinal plant.

Organic Stomach Tea: the daily feel-good ritual

Sometimes your gut doesn't need a capsule, but a cup of calm. Our Organic Stomach Tea is an organic herbal tea blend made from traditional herbs, ideal as a daily ritual after eating or in the evening.

→ Read more: Lion's mane (Hericium): the medicinal mushroom for the brain and nervous system

Which Vitalplant product fits your routine?

Here we would like to give you a little guidance for a mindful gut routine. For individual advice, it is best to consult your doctor or pharmacist, especially if symptoms persist or if you are taking medication.

Would you like to specifically supplement your gut flora with live cultures?

Our Cultures Complex provides selected live bacterial strains in acid-resistant capsules, popular after antibiotics or as part of a mindful routine.

Are you looking for a holistic concentrate made from fermented plant substances?

The Gut Elixir with 22 fermented organic ingredients and 7 lactic acid bacterial strains is our most comprehensive gut product.

Would you like to incorporate traditional bitter herbs into your routine?

The Bitter Substances Complex with eight traditional plants from European herbal medicine.

Are you specifically focusing on artichoke as a traditional plant?

Our Artichoke as a single extract, a traditional Mediterranean plant.

Are you looking for a daily ritual for your routine?

The Organic Stomach Tea is the gentle option: warm, soothing, with traditional herbs.

Would you also like to support your mucous membranes specifically with micronutrients?

Our Vitamin B Complex Forte contains riboflavin (B2), niacin, and biotin, all of which contribute to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes. Supplemented with Omega 3 Vegan with DHA and EPA.

Vitalplant quality: what sets our gut products apart

As a family-run manufactory from Memmingen, we stand for transparent quality standards:

✓ 22 fermented organic ingredients in Gut Elixir: a unique product in the range

✓ 8 traditional digestive herbs in Bitter Substances Complex

✓ Live bacterial cultures: acid-resistant encapsulated in Cultures Complex

✓ 100% organic quality: Gut Elixir and Stomach Tea from certified organic farming

✓ No unnecessary additives: no magnesium stearate, no colorants or fillers

✓ Laboratory-tested quality: every batch independently checked for purity and heavy metals

Food supplements for digestion & gut from Vitalplant

Discover our selection of laboratory-tested products for digestion and gut health, developed in our family-run manufactory in Memmingen. With vitamin B2, which contributes to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes, and zinc, which contributes to normal acid-base metabolism.

Your benefits at Vitalplant:

✓ 22 fermented organic ingredients in Gut Elixir

✓ 8 traditional digestive herbs in Bitter Substances Complex

✓ Live bacterial cultures in Cultures Complex

✓ No unnecessary additives

✓ Family-run manufactory

✓ Free shipping from 60 €

→ Discover digestion-and-gut products now

Important note: Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. The stated recommended daily intake amounts must not be exceeded. In the case of persistent digestive complaints, blood in the stool, unintended weight loss, or other health-related questions (especially if irritable bowel syndrome, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, or food intolerances are suspected), please consult a doctor. Information in accordance with HCVO (EC) No. 1924/2006 and EU Regulation No. 432/2012. Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and people with medical conditions or taking medication should seek medical advice before use; this applies in particular to plant extracts such as turmeric, artichoke, and bitter herbs.