Samples of BO/Halitosis products donated to the Nashville Meetup

Prior to the Nashville Meetup, I had written to various manufacturers of body odor/halitosis products asking them for samples that we could pass out in the meetup. Some manufacturers offered to send them asking that we give them feedback on their product. MeBO Research is not endorsing any product in particular; we are actually interested in seeing whether they do help with BO/halitosis, and would like to receive feedback from anyone who has ever tried any of these products.

I would like to ask anyone who has ever tried any of these products to please give us feedback so that I can forward them to the manufacturers.

To be fair and to be helpful to others who may want to try these products, it would be helpful to note whether they have been tried when the odor was totally out of control, intermittent, or pretty much controlled. Many of us are aware of the fact that there may frequently be multiple factors producing our odor, including metabolic odors. However, these products target non-metabolic causes that may also be contributing to our odor. The effectiveness (or the lack thereof) of the intended effects of these products is the feedback we’re looking for.

Here’s a list of products:

1. Jarrow Formulas Enhanced Probiotic System, Jarro-Dophilus EPS: This manufacturer sent us so many samples, that the person from London took some of the samples to pass out to those attending the meetup in May in London in a sign of solidarity from the US.
2. Garden of Life Probiotic Smile: Probiotic Mints for Complete Oral Care and Beautiful Smile: Each box comes with 60 chewable probiotic mints.
3. Dr. Mist Body Hygiene Deodorant Spray: (I saw some meetup attendees using this right away during the meetup)
4. Orabrush Tongue Cleaner: A tongue cleaner that has a brush at the tip mailed to us from Dr. Robert Wagstaff.
5. Handouts given out during the meetup, see following links:

• TMAU - diagnostic testing at Sheffield Children's Hospital
• Handout on Halitosis, Genetics, Hyperhidrosis, Bromhidrosis, and Foot Odor websites, professional journals and organizations
• Handout on Service Dog Program

A folder with information and brochures was available for viewing on the Florida International University's Community Development Law Clinic that is offering MEBO Research legal services to register initially as a Company in the United States, and in August as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

My personal feedback on the sample products:

Jarrow Formulas Enahnced Probiotic System, Jarro-Dophilus EPS:

My son has been using this product for the past 2 years as part of his whole TMAU odor-management protocol with great success. For the first time in his life, his abdomen is no longer distended and tender, and during these two years, his odor has been gradually and now completely controlled. My other son and I use it periodically whenever our odor increases or when we've eaten the wrong foods, and it has always helped. I have tried other brands of probiotics and some have caused bloating and made me gassy, and I always end up coming back to this brand.

I must say that Jarrow gave us a very large amount of samples, and after all of us had a substantial amount to try to for some time, I gave our London attendee some samples to share with our British friends in their next meetup in May in a sign of solidarity. We'll see how they like this product.

Garden of Life Probiotic Smile:

For the first ever, me and my sons used this AND HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH IT! It's important to note that it will not do a thing for alveolar breath, so if we've broken our diet and the breath is bad, it won't work miracles. However, if our odor is somewhat controlled, and we eat a meal that may have a bit of a strong odor (full of spices, of sulfur based foods), then the probiotic mint helps. It's also a confidence builder because it really does have a minty fresh feel and taste to it.

The Orabrush tongue tongue cleaner was a very popular item in the meetup, and in the end, there was none left for me, but that's alright. I'm glad everyone got one, and I hope it helps them. Please give me feedback on this product if you've tried it so that I can pass it on to the manufacturer.

The same happened with Dr. Mist Body Hygiene Deodorant Spray...I never got one. So, feedback on this product would also be appreciated.

I am looking forward to getting feedback from everyone who has ever tried any of these products. You may email me with your comments at maria.delatorre@meboresearch.com . I will forward your comment with a pseudonym if you prefer anonymity.

As you can imagine, there were no products left over.

María


María de la Torre
Founder and Executive Director

A Public Charity
www.meboresearch.org
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maria.delatorre@meboresearch.org
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Nashville meetup: Nigel Manning's paper & handout

HANDOUTS DISTRIBUTED AT THE NASHVILLE 2010 MEETUP

1. ‘TMAU – diagnostic testing at Sheffield Children’s Hospital’ by Nigel Manning, Principal Scientist, Sheffield Children’s Hospital,Sheffield, England
2. Nashville Meetup Handout: Links and references to Body Odor/Halitosis related professional journals, organizations, papers, and blog posts
3. Pedigree of Service Dog at Nashville Meetup by Pawsibilities Unleashed, Pet Therapy of Kentucky, Inc.
   

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Due to the broad spectrum of substrates oxidized by FMO3, TMAU1 patients may suffer from adverse reactions with many drugs including codeine, tamoxifen, ketoconazole, nicotine, cimetidine, ranitidine and phenothiazine

As previously mentioned in a post in this blog, we have received a paper, which we discussed at length on Sunday at the Nashville Meetup, written by Nigel Manning, Principal Scientist, Sheffield Children’s Hospital,Sheffield, England entitled, ‘TMAU – diagnostic testing at Sheffield Children’s Hospital’. All TMAU urine tests in the UK, Ireland, and some from other parts of the world are done in his lab. Nigel wrote this paper specifically for our meetup, and I wanted very much to discuss it with everyone on Saturday so that we may all learn from it. However, since I was sick, Glenna was kind enough to go over it on Saturday, and we discussed it again on Sunday when I was able to participate as well. More about our discussion of this paper will be forthcoming on another post.

In this six-page paper, Nigel explains to us the formula he uses to arrive at either a Primary TMAU or a Secondary TMAU diagnosis. In the US, only the Primary TMAU diagnosis is used.

Nigel explains in his paper that the liver enzyme FMO3 not only oxidizes TMA, but in addition, oxidizes a wide range of substrates including many drugs. He explains,

Due to the broad spectrum of substrates oxidized by FMO3, TMAU1 patients may suffer from adverse reactions with many drugs including codeine, tamoxifen, ketoconazole, nicotine, cimetidine, ranitidine and phenothiazine. Hypertension may result from ingestion of red wine and cheese (and chocolate), which produce the neurotransmitter tyramine, another FMO3 dependent compound. Many people suffer from migraines associated with tyramine containing foods and perhaps FMO3 deficiency may explain some of these cases, but overall this demonstrates the adverse medical consequences of TMAU1 as well as the odour related psychosocial aspects.

Nigel also elaborates on the condition diagnosed as Secondary TMAU (TMAU2). He defines this diagnosis as being an acquired form of TMAU where TMA excretion is high even though FMO3 activity is normal.

Most TMAU2 patients produce too much intestinal TMA due to excessive bacterial growth of TMA-generating species. The TMA burden is so great that FMO3 oxidation produces large amounts of TMO but (in most cases – but not all) is still unable to oxidize enough TMA to prevent an excess…

…TMA itself is generated in the large intestine by bacterial degradation of compounds such as choline (high in liver, eggs and beans/peas), carnitine (meat) and TMO [TMA-oxide] from seafood (TMA from fish ‘spoilage’ has been attributed to several species of Vitrio and Shewanella bacteria)…

In this paper, Nigel provides us with three graphs,

1. TMA testing- urines analysed at Sheffield Children’s Hospital: of 1,150 urines tested from 716 individuals from 1997 tP 2009, of which 379 results indicated significant TMAU.
2. Free Trimethylamine v Free TMA / TOTAL [%] – end of 2009 n = 716: This graph is a summary of samples analysed from 1998 to 2009 – TMAU1 and TMAU2 differentiation by the ratio of Free TMA to Total TMA (TMA+TMA-oxide). Free TMA normal range 1-11.
3. A case of choline load to aid diagnosis in a case of TMAU (results indicated a treatable TMAU2)

In the Discussion section of his paper, Nigel discuses the treatment of both TMAU1 and TMAU2 and the types of odours associated with these conditions,

…the type of odour is often difficult to describe, but ranges from ‘chemical’ to faecal’. ‘Rotten fish’or ‘ammonia-like’ is not always mentioned, but TMAU seems to have become a focus for all malodours, possibly due to awareness of the disorder, the availability of a test and the possibility of a diagnosis.

A significant cohort of sulphurous or faecal odours have been reported by individuals who contact the laboratory. This may be another enterobacterial problem, but although Shewanella species are known to produce both hydrogen sulphide and TMA, we have yet to measure an increased TMA or TMO as a secondary marker for enterobacterial overgrowth in these cases.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, see Parts 1 & 2 of Nigel Manning's interview for this blog, along with other experts' interviews.f