Dietary Supplement Gi Support Women's Health Gluten Free Optimal gastrointestinal tract functioning is vital to the absorption of nutrients, elimination of waste, and proper immune function. Many health-care practitioners consider gut function and especially good gut ecology – maintaining a healthy balance of gut flora, the microorganisms that normally live in the digestive tract – to be a key component to overall health. Many situations can contribute to an imbalance in the microbial flora of the digestive tract, including an unhealthy diet, inadequate digestive enzymes, oral contraceptives, and the use of various prescription and OTC drugs. Increasing recognition is also being given in women's health to the relationship between gut flora and vaginal flora; i.e., a healthy balance of gut flora has corresponding benefit to the vaginal flora. Undecyn combines the flora-enhancing qualities of undecylenic acid with betaine HCl and the broad-spectrum activity of berberine. Fatty acids have been used for centuries to help maintain a healthy balance of the microorganisms that normally live in the gastrointestinal tract. In the last 50 years, fatty acids have demonstrated their effectiveness in supporting a healthy gut flora in a number of trials and studies. Calcium undecylenate (the calcium salt of the fatty acid undecylenic acid) has been shown to be four times more effective, milligram per milligram, than undecylenic acid and over 20 times more effective than the fatty acid caprylic acid, in supporting healthy vaginal and gastrointestinal flora. Fatty acids bound to minerals such as calcium, however, are more sensitive to the acid/alkaline balance in the gastrointestinal tract. Betaine hydrochloric acid (HCl) in a time-release form is added to Undecyn to help maintain its full potency throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Berberine is known to be beneficial for helping to maintain a healty balance of normal bacteria in the intestines. Berberine is a major alkaloid found in many plants including Berberis aristata (Indian barberry), Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal), Coptis chinensis (Coptis or golden thread), Berberis aquifolium (Oregon grape), and Berberis vulgaris (barberry). To make room for the berberine, the bentonite clay has been removed. With these changes, there will be a noticeable change in the color of the powder from pale tan to pale yellow, which is typical of products that contain berberine.