Nevertheless, fibres play a very important part in digestion, especially in the intestinal transit. The very fact that they increase the percentage of water in the chyme, for instance, stimulates the food transit in the intestines. Moreover, fibres increase the number of “good” bacteria, which facilitate digestion and activate the intestinal cells. Finally it is known nowadays that fibres play an important part in the prevention of intestinal cancer.

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Is a vegetarian diet the solution to health problems ?

Nowadays an increasing number of people limit their consumption of animal products. Although this is a fairly recent phenomenon, vegetarianism already exists for a very long time.
As for nutritional value, a vegetarian diet provides more complex carbohydrates and fibres (through wholemeal products) than the traditional western diet, which contains more high-calorie foodstuffs, (saturated) fats and cholesterol.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that vegetarians have a healthier lifestyle and are in better shape than people who eat meat. They suffer less from obesity, their cholesterol level is lower and they are less likely to develop high blood pressure. They are less sensitive to allergies and less susceptible to cancers.
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Does a vegetarian diet provide sufficient vitamin B12 ?

Vitamin B12 is stored in the liver and is essential for blood production. This vitamin is also important for the nervous system to function properly and for the structure of the genetic material.

Since vitamin B12 can only be found in sufficient amounts in animal products, vegetarians run the risk of lacking this vitamin and of showing clear symptoms of this lack after a few years. The risk is even greater for children, as a lack of vitamin B12 at an early age prevents them from building up the necessary reserves.

Meat and fish, but also milk and derived products, cheese and eggs are good sources of vitamin B12. Consequently lacto-vegetarians do not run any risk, which is not the case for vegans, who have every reason to include an extra source of vitamin B12 in their diet. This vitamin can be found in certain vegetable products as well, such as tempeh, parsley, seaweed and miso.
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Should children and infants drink non-dairy drinks ?

Non-dairy drinks are not nourishing drinks and cannot replace cow’s milk. They do not contain sufficient calcium and other nutrients vital for children’s growth and development.

For this reason we advise you to use these drinks as part of young children’s daily nutrition as from the moment their nutrition is sufficiently diverse in order to provide them with all necessary nutrients. On no account should cereal drinks be used as basic nutrition for infants. Also children aged between one and two years should only occasionally drink cereal drinks.
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What is the difference between Tamari and Shoyu ?

Both are fermented soy sauces. Tamari is made from soy and is gluten-free, while Shoyu is made from soy and wheat.
The strong taste of Tamari is better preserved after heating the product, and Shoyu is ideal for adding to a dish at the last moment or for flavouring dishes.

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What is the difference between fruity olive oil and mild olive oil ?

The oil obtained from young, green olives becomes the fruity olive oil, which has a strong taste. The oil obtained from riper olives yields an olive oil with a milder taste.
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Why do fats have such a bad reputation?
Usually fats, which are considered the pre-eminent source of calories, are erroneously labelled the ‘villains of our diet. Is this bad reputation really justified ? Fats also contain important nutritious components, namely the vitamins A, D, E and K.

But not all fats are alike. It all depends on the kind of fat. Like proteins consist of amino acids, fats are composed of fatty acids. Three categories of fatty acids can be distinguished : saturated fatty acids (in most cases animal fats, except for fish oils), mono-unsaturated fatty acids (mostly to be found in olive oil) en poly-unsaturated fatty acids. The last two categories are certainly preferable from a nutritional point of view.

Only poly-unsaturated fatty acids are indispensable in our diet, as our body is unable to produce them itself. They are called essential fatty acids.
The two most important kinds are linear and non-linear fatty acids. Linear fatty acids can be found in numerous vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil, maize oil, soy oil, sesame oil, safflower oil … These fatty acids are much more common than non-linear fatty acids, which can be found in fish and some vegetable oils such as soy oil and rapeseed oil.

Therefore the best way to ensure a balanced supply of fatty acids consists in diversifying the different kinds of oil and providing a balance between mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids. And it is even better to restrict the consumption of fats rich in saturated fatty acids to a minimum.
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What is rice maltodextrin ?
The Rice Drinks are produced on the basis of an enzymatic conversion of rice starch. This conversion of the rice starch takes place through the enzymes alpha- and beta-amylase.
The enzymes convert the rice starch and thereby release maltodextrins, which can be found in rice drink. (This conversion is in fact a decomposition caused by the enzymes, a natural hydrolysis of carbohydrates).
This natural process is similar to the digestion of amylum in the digestive system of the human body.
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Does sea weed and sea salt contain iodine?

The importance of the supply of iodine through nutrition
The thyroid gland plays a very important part in regulating the metabolism of the human body. Iodine is essential for the thyroid gland to function properly, and consequently it is of the utmost importance to include enough foods rich in iodine in our diet.
Like all marine foods, seaweeds are a good source of iodine.
(The average daily quantity of iodine needed by our body amounts to 0.150 mg).

A few data with regard to our products, after analysis in our laboratory.

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Do all Lima grains sprout ?

Lima grains are primarily destined for consumption. Their germinative capacity (i.e. the sprouting) is not guaranteed.

In order to be used for cooking, the hull, which is not suitable for consumption, is removed from the grain. The germ is still present in the grain after this treatment. So in theory the grain can still sprout. However, experience has shown that part of the germ may have been damaged after hulling and may have lost its sprouting capacity, without detriment to the nutritional value.

If you want to make the Lima grains sprout, you can do so, but you will not obtain the same results as you would with grains that are specially selected for that purpose.
Our range of products includes a selection of sprouting seeds. These seeds were specially selected and their sprouting capacity was checked and is guaranteed.
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Should cereal syrups be given to young children ?

Si'Doux (rice syrup) can be used as a sweetener for young children as from the age of 6 months.
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What is the function of proteins in the organism ?

Proteins are the "builders" of our body. It is the proteins that build our muscles, our organs, our nervous system and our blood, and repair them if necessary.

Proteins originating from nutrition are essential to children, as they contribute to their development. They have a recuperative effect on adults; they provide for the maintenance, as it were, of tissues and organs, playing a different, but no less important part.
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What is the difference between a protein and an amino acid?

Proteins are composed of various amino acids. Some twenty different amino acids exist, eight of which are so-called “essential” amino acids (lysine, methionine, isoleucine, ...), that cannot be produced by the human body : therefore nutrition is the only source of these amino acids.

Consequently it is important for vegetarians to combine the various protein sources in order to ensure a sufficient intake of the different amino acids and, therefore, an optimal protein production. This diversity in protein sources is necessary as certain good protein sources such as grains, nuts and oil-bearing crops contain little lysine, while others, such as legumes, contain little methionine.

Fortunately, vegetarian foodstuffs provide all necessary amino acids for a well-balanced diet if this rule is observed.
The 22 amino acids, 8 of which essential* amino acids

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Why should we eat less sugar (white granulated sugar or saccharose)?

There are many reasons to use sugar very cautiously. About fifteen years ago, suddenly this sweetener, which had been highly appreciated until then, was strongly criticised : it was said that sugar provided but little energy, that it was a fattener, that it weakened the tissue and caused tooth decay. Suddenly sugar was seen as the cause of all kinds of ailments. And indeed, the use of refined white sugar is certainly to be advised against!

So as to digest and take in sugar, our body uses various minerals and vitamins, which can no longer be found in refined white sugar. When eating sugar, we therefore force our body to draw on its reserves of calcium, magnesium and vitamins B, whereby we risk becoming deficient in these substances. However, these minerals and vitamins play a vital part in various other processes that take place in our body.

But that is not all. Like amylum, saccharose does not have to go through the long digestive process. This substance is taken in very quickly, since it needs only a minimal enzymatic digestion -- or none at all. Why is it then that refined white sugar is so detrimental?
The reason is that the quick intake causes a very sudden and considerable increase in the amount of glucose in the blood. The blood sugar level rises and the body produces a large quantity of insulin so that our cells take in the glucose. It will even produce much more insulin than necessary in order to take in the surplus of glucose, which leads to a new imbalance that reveals itself in a lower blood sugar level (this means a deficiency of blood sugar), the result being tiredness, dizziness and nausea.

This surplus of glucose ends up in our cells, which cannot take it in completely, neither by combustion, nor by storage in our reserves (glycogen). The glucose is therefore transformed into fat, which leads to obesity and cardiovascular disorders.

In short :

• refined sugars affect our calcium and vitamin B reserves
• simple glucosides cause the blood sugar level to rise, and to fall immediately afterwards
• simple glucosides lead to obesity
• simple glucosides stimulate the formation of fatty acids and as a consequence may lead to cardiovascular disorders

Clearly, preference should always be given to non-refined sugars, which still contain their original level of calcium and vitamin B. However, the ideal solution is to opt for “slow sugars”.

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