Minerals, Vitamins and Biology in Gbiota Smoothies
The main aim of a Gbiota smoothie is to improve gut health, but they also contain the minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients essential for health. The plants in all Gbiota smoothies are selected to provide these essential minerals, vitamins and gut biology. However there are two vitamins which are not readily available from plants.
Vitamin D is best obtained by going for a walk in the sunshine. Vitamin B12 is generated by fungi — not plants — so add malt extract (it also improves taste; the plants act as sugar blockers).
Important Points About Gbiota Smoothies
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- People eating a typical western diet have a sugar-loving gut biota. Gbiota smoothies contain beneficial biology (pre-biotics) but this is not enough; the beneficial biology must be fed with the right food so it can out-breed the sugar-loving biology.
- Gut biology has a short life and is changing continuously. You have to wait about three weeks for the sugar-loving biology to die; one glass will not change your gut biota.
- The less sugary food you eat in this transition the better; after that, Gbiota smoothies act as sugar blockers.
- Your current gut biology may not handle the high vegetable content at first; start with small glasses and check your body is handling the change.
- Some plants used can contain gluten. If you are gluten sensitive, tell your blender so they can avoid high-gluten plants (e.g., barley grass). Start slowly and watch for any issues.
- Plant biology deteriorates as soon as the plant is harvested; we avoid carrying stock — it is “pick and eat.” Talk to your blender about pre-ordering.
- Plant biology deteriorates immediately after harvest — avoid stockpiling; use a pick-and-eat approach and pre-order with your blender.
Regular Gbiota Smoothie
The regular Gbiota smoothie aims to provide a broad spectrum of minerals and vitamins.
- Minerals are no problem — if minerals are added to the soil and there is active biology to make them available to the plants, they will end up in the plants and hence in us.
- Vitamins are more of an issue as different plants provide different vitamins; Gbiota smoothies are best made from a variety of plants depending on seasonal availability.
There is no single standard list of plants for vitamins as they are often seasonal, but many different plants supply each vitamin. For example, Vitamin A can be obtained from spinach, carrots, collards, cantaloupe, sweet potato and bell pepper. Many plants supply a range of vitamins, so Gbiota smoothies can be made from a manageable number of plants to cover all vitamins.
How We Grow and Blend
- We avoid toxic chemicals which may harm gut bacteria; that is what many chemicals are designed to do — kill bugs.
- We use “tipping”: grow multiple plants at high density in nutritious soil, let them pass shoots and baby-green stages until they develop strong roots, then harvest new tips and let them regrow.
- Plants grown in Gbiota soil are natural pre and pro biotics.
- We blend briefly with some fruit (e.g., bananas) to improve taste and keep fibres intact — minimal blending preserves the fibre that benefits the gut.
This is the basic Gbiota smoothie. The blend can be altered by adding extra plants with specific benefits.
Gbiota Sugar Blocker
Fats and sugars are basic energy sources and needed in the right quantities. The danger is sugar spikes — modern sugars are absorbed quickly. Natural sugars are slower. Plants like barley wheat are effective sugar blockers but contain gluten; talk to your blender.
Gbiota Immunity Smoothie
A combination of zinc and Vitamin C supports a healthy immune system. Plants like lentils increase zinc levels and many plants contain Vitamin C.
It will not stop you getting a virus or help if you are infected. A lack of zinc or Vitamin C lowers immunity and increases vulnerability. If you have a healthy immune system, the odds of dying from the virus are reduced. There is no information that increasing levels above normal healthy levels provides further improvement — we don’t know.
Gbiota Iron Smoothie
Low iron can be supported with plants like watercress.
Common Plants and Their Benefits
| Vitamin A | Spinach, Carrot, Collards, Cantaloupe, Sweet Potato, Bell Pepper |
| Vitamin B Thiamin | Acorn squash, Brown rice, Legumes, Sunflower, Yoghurt |
| Vitamin B2 Riboflavin | Almonds, Green vegetables, Mushrooms, Oats, Quinoa |
| Vitamin B3 Niacin | Peanuts, Rice |
| Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid | Broccoli, Peanuts, Sunflower, Soybeans, Yoghurt |
| Vitamin B6 | Banana, Chickpeas, Potatoes |
| Vitamin B7 Biotin | Spinach, Sweet potato |
| Vitamin B8 Folate | Avocado, Banana, Peanuts, Peas, Spinach, Wheat |
| Vitamin B12 | Yeast |
| Vitamin C | Bell pepper, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Guava, Kiwi fruit, Orange, Strawberries, Tomato |
| Vitamin D | Sunshine, Mushrooms |
| Vitamin E | Almonds, Annatto, Avocado, Barley, Broccoli, Flaxseeds, Hazelnuts, Kiwi fruit, Oats, Palm fruit, Peanuts, Pine nuts, Pumpkin, Rye, Spinach, Sunflower, Wheat |
| Vitamin K | Brussels sprouts, Collards, Grapes, Kale, Mustard greens, Spinach, Pine nuts, Turnip greens |
| Calcium | Broccoli, Chia, Chinese cabbage, Collard greens, Kale, Okra, Spinach, Soy, Turnip, Yoghurt |
| Chloride | Celery, Olives, Salt, Seaweed, Tomatoes |
| Choline | Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Potato, Kidney beans, Quinoa |
| Chromium | Banana, Basil, Black pepper, Broccoli, Garlic, Green beans, Potato, Wheat |
| Cobalt | Cabbage, Figs, Nuts, Green vegetables, Sea vegetables |
| Copper | Almonds, Mushrooms, Peanuts, Soybeans, Sunflower |
| Fluoride | Black tea, Carrots, Strawberries |
| Iodine | Lima beans, Prunes, Sea vegetables, Spinach, Yoghurt |
| Iron | Broccoli, Dark chocolate, White beans, Pistachio, Pumpkin, Tofu, Quinoa, Cashew nuts, Chickpeas |
| Magnesium | Almonds, Brown rice, Oats, Pecans, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Spinach, Sweet potato, Tofu, Wheat |
| Manganese | Almonds, Oats, Pecan, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Spinach, Sweet potato, Tofu, Wheat |
| Molybdenum | Kidney beans, Lentils, Lima beans, Mung beans, Oats, Peanuts, Peas, Tomatoes, Walnuts |
| Phosphorus | Most vegetables, Almonds, Lentils, Pumpkin, Wheat |
| Potassium | Asparagus, Avocado, Apricots, Almonds, Banana, Brown rice, Beet greens, Edamame, Lentils, Peaches, Prunes, Pomegranate, Pumpkin, Spinach, Squash, Yam |
| Selenium | Brazil nuts, Brown rice, Cheese, Oats, Spinach |
| Sodium | Salt (typically in excess) |
| Sulphur | Cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts), Nuts, Whole grains |
| Zinc | Cashews, Cheese, Dark chocolate, Kidney beans, Lentils, Oats, Pumpkin |
| Amino Acids | Beans, Cheese, Lentils |
| Antioxidants | Berries — Amla (Indian gooseberry), Bilberry, Blackberry, Chokeberry, Barberry, Dog rose berry, Cherry, Red whortleberry Fruits — Apricots, Grapes, Pomegranates, Olives, Plums, Prunes, Mangoes Herbs/Medicinal plants — Arjuna, Arnica, Cascara sagrada, Cinnamon, Triphala, Turmeric |
| MCT and LCT (medium and long chain triglycerides) | Butter, Coconut oil, Lard, Palm oil, Yoghurt |
| Polyphenols | Artichoke, Broccoli, Curry, Green tea, Yellow onions, Prunes, Potatoes, Strawberries |
| Omega-3 | Edamame, Flaxseed, Hempseed, Linseed, Soy, Tilapia, Walnuts |
| Omega-6 | Apricots, Almonds, Blackcurrants, Blueberries, Celery, Cloves, Chestnut, Corn oil, Dark chocolate, Elderberries, Flaxseed, Hazelnuts, Olives, Oregano, Peppermint, Pecans, Pomegranates, Rosemary, Sage, Soybean, Spearmint, Star anise, Sunflower, Thyme, Tofu, Walnuts |
| Prebiotics | Apples, Artichoke, Asparagus, Banana, Cocoa, Chicory, Dandelion, Flaxseed, Garlic, Jicama, Leeks, Oats, Onion, Seaweed, Soybeans, Wheat |
| Probiotics | All vegetables grown in biologically active soil, Apple cider, Buttermilk, Cheese, Dill pickles, Garlic, Kefir, Kvass, Olives, Natto, Tempeh |
| Resistant Starch and Fibre | Green bananas, Beans, Chickpeas, Peas, Lentils, Maize, Nuts, Oats, Potato starch, Red kidney beans |
