Ingredients

Algae are, where life is. They produce ninety percent of the oxygen on our planet. Algae are one of earth`s oldest lifeforms and are distinguished by particularly valuable ingredients and a rich composition. And most notably, they are responsible for high-quality calcium in the vegan version of BERTRAND.

Lithothamnium belongs to the species of fossil red algae. The small algae is colored red and purple and only grows 1mm per year, making it grow very slow. Because of its ability to concentrate the nutrients found in the water of the sea within itself, lithothamnium-algae contain more than 32 rare trace elements (e.g. iodine, selenium, zinc, cobalt, copper and chrome), that support the mineralization of the human organism.
It is abundant with mineral supplements, vitamins, amino acids and especially with iron, which is necessary for the production of hemoglobin. Its high concentration of calcium helps in preventing loss of calcium and in preserving the structure of the bones. The outstanding biological availability makes lithothamnium a great alternative to former sources of calcium. Lithothamnium is composed of 34 percent organic and natural calcium, of which 96% are available to the body for processing . The natural and therefore highly biologically available elements of the lithothamnium-algae are absorbed continually and harmonically by the human organism.

How does it get into the product?

The lithothamnium-algae in BERTRAND is harvested on the French coast, dried and processed into a fine powder.
There is no additional chemical treatment after the harvest. No additives that could cause contamination are added to the product and every batch is individually examined in the laboratory for its content of toxic substances, so that you can benefit of this natural resource without having to worry about such things.

Proteins are energetic specialists and they are inevitable for the functions of our body. They occur in every cell and mostly make up more than 50% of their dry weight. Where those proteins come from and how many of them we need will be explained in this short article.

What is a protein?

A protein is a macromolecule, which means that it is a chain of many atoms, that, when folded together, equal one particle, that executes very specialized functions for our body. Some proteins serve as transporters, in order to, for example, forward oxygen from A to B, others can assist in defending from germs or at contracting muscles, or they serve as a catalyst to speed up processes. The special thing about them is, that their functions are always specific and purposeful.

Which amino-acids do I need?

For the healthy adult there are eight amino-acids at this point in time, which are classed as essential. That means, that the human body is not able to produce a sufficient amount of them via biosynthesis from other substances, but still depends on them. Those essential amino-acids are named isoleucine, leucine, lysin, methionine, phenylanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.¹ All of them are depicted in BERTRAND in their recommended amount.

Where do proteins come from?

The proteins exist in good biological availability in natural ingredients, mainly in oat, almonds, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, coconut and in powdered milk. We added a bio rice-protein, gained from brown rice, to our vegan version due to the lack of powdered milk, in order to fit all the requirements to the essential proteins.

What is the required amount for me?

At this point in time nutritional scientists recommend a daily amount of 0,61g for every kg of bodyweight (RDA), according to different institutes.² A human weighing 75kg needs 45,75g per day, according to this measurement. We added another 25% to our daily dose, in order to cover a higher level of activity with 60g of proteins.

¹ Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition, Report of a Joint WHO/FAO/UNU Expert Consultation (PDF; 4,2 MB), S. 245. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/WHO_TRS_935_eng.pdf
² Recommended Dietary Allowances: 10th Edition. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234922/#_ddd0000067_

Algae are not very common in the average diet. We explain in this article why they can be eaten more frequently and why they became part of BERTRAND.

Porphyra is a small and very rich red alga. Traditionally, it is cultivated in Japan and mainly used for sushi. On the market it exists as nori algae in Asian shops, in the form of pressed, roasted leaves and not in organic quality. In contrast to this nori algae, the algae in BERTRAND are from Certified Organic Farming and in raw food quality.
Nori contain a lot of pro-vitamin A, B12, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and natural iodine. In addition, the algae is 34% more rich in natural fiber, which is mostly lacking in today’s diet.

Sourcing and processing of our product

Our Porphyra comes from the Galician coast in northwestern Spain. They grow wild in the Atlantic Ocean unlike many algae offered on today’s markets. There it achieves maximum development and quality in the spring when its long straps are most tender, tastiest and most nutritious. Just then divers carefully harvest and process it. For BERTRAND, the algae are then dried and grounded to a fine powder.

Walnuts are real power food! They not only add an extra dose of taste, but also a lot of important minerals and nutrients that contribute to a balanced diet. In this article, we introduce you to the reasons why they reached BERTRAND.

The uniqueness compared to other nut varieties is due to the special composition of fats contained. The walnut is rich in essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. For example, it has the highest content of alpha-linolenic acid among all nuts. In addition, the ratio of healthy fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-6 fatty acid) is one to four and ideal. Moreover, walnuts are very well suited to reduce the LDL cholesterol.¹
Apart from the fatty acids walnuts have far more healthy ingredients to offer, like potassium, zinc, pantothenic acid and numerous vitamins.

How did they reach BERTRAND?

The walnuts used in BERTRAND originate entirely from certified organic farming. Split the green involucre, the nut core is ripe. The largely automatic walnut harvest takes place between August and November depending on strain and location. Great shaker machines are used with their giant jaws that grip the trunk and shake it, and a tree is harvested within seconds. The grinding of the walnut is taken over to a specialized nut processing organic farm in the Saarland, which can produce a particularly fine grain. Therefore, the typical crunch of BERTRAND does not come from the walnut, but our organic almond is responsible.

¹ Tapsell, L. C., Gillen, L. J., Patch, C. S., Batterham, M., Owen, A., Bare, M. & Kennedy, M. A. (2004). Including walnuts in a low-fat/modified-diet improves HDL cholesterol-to-total cholesterol ratios in patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 39078 2777-2783.
http://ro.uow.edu.au/hbspapers/1322/

Sea Buckthorn, or “Gold of the North Sea” as it is also known, is a real powerhouse. The deciduous shrub with its small orange berries is a wild fruit tree especially suited to growing in the sandy soils of North Germany. Its worth lies less in its appearance than in the contents of its fruit. Packed full of health giving vitamins!

In both our vegan and classical versions, BERTRAND is formulated to contain the goodness of a handful of sea buckthorn berries in every serve. Each berry contains a literal A to Z of vitamins (from vitamin A to Zinc) as well important oils and flavonoids.
In particular, sea buckthorn berries contain very high concentrations of vitamin C, up to seven times as much as in lemons. As well as this, sea buckthorn berries contain important carotenoids, such as β- and γ- carotene and also lycopene in concentrations even higher than in carrots. These vitamins help to prevent the breakdown of cells and help to protect against damaging UV light.

Sourcing and processing of our product

We source our sea buckthorn powder from a family business which has been organically producing sea buckthorn products for over 20 years. The berries are grown and ripened free from pollution and chemical fertilizers in the fields of Werder (Havel), one of Germany’s sunniest regions. The nutritious sea buckthorn berries are gently harvested and dried using a vacuum drying process where the berries are dried under low heat (around 31°C) in a vacuum tube. This process ensures that valuable and sensitive ingredients such as vitamins and minerals are preserved in the dried product.

Mushrooms enrich the menu and bring the body a variety of nutrients. The “meat of the forest” is also included in BERTRAND. Why a mushroom got on the list of ingredients and why its taste cannot be perceived at all, is described in this article.

Both in the classic as well as in the vegan version of BERTRAND the Agaricus bisporus, better known as bisporic mushroom or cultivated mushroom, is an important ingredient. It contains vitamins B2, B3, B5, B7 and B9, and vitamins E and K as well as potassium, iron and zinc. We were not even counting on these nutrients, which we gladly accept, but on the also included and rarely occurring vitamin D.

Vitamin D plays a major role in the regulation of the calcium level in the blood and the bone structure. A vitamin D deficiency, in the medium term, leads to osteomalacia in adults. The nutritional recommendation for vitamin D is currently given as 5 micrograms per day for an average adult. To depict this nutritional recommendation to BERTRAND, the Agaricus bisporus has been found, after a long search, to be an ideal source.

How does it get into our product?

The mushroom derives from controlled organic farming. Since mushrooms, during normal growth and harvesting in the native forest, only have a very low level of vitamin D, we get our mushroom powder from an organic certified company that has developed a process of bringing the levels of vitamin D to a level, which is comparable to dietary supplements. In order to do this, the mushroom is exposed to pulsed UV-B radiation, according to a set procedure, which results in a massive increase in the content of vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) during a short time span. The amount of powder that we need to reflect the nutritional recommendations in BERTRAND, is so low, that it is no longer distinguishable in taste in the finished product.

¹ Bioavailability of vitamin D2 from UV-B-irradiated button mushrooms
² Paul Stamets, fungi.com: Place Mushrooms in Sunlight to Get Your Vitamin D

Almonds are much more than a snack or a topping for Christmas cookies. Apart from their high-profile spectrum of vitamins and minerals, the regular consumption of almonds has an extremely positive effect on our health. You can read in this article how the almonds get into BERTRAND.

Almonds belong to the stone fruit family and are – as is often assumed in error – not nuts. The almond variety used in BERTRAND contains approximately 19 percent of high-quality protein, thereby contributing to meet the protein requirements. The almond also provides many unsaturated fatty acids, minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and copper as well as considerable amounts of vitamins B and E. The magnesium contributes to the body’s protein production and thus also to the formation of muscle. Because calcium is also contained in the correct proportions, both minerals can be perfectly absorbed and utilized by the body.

How does it get into our product?

Our almond comes from certified organic agriculture and has been grown in Spain and in Italy. After harvesting, the hard shell is cracked and the delicate almond skin removed by blanching. The almond is then cold-ground or chopped into 2-3 mm pieces. We use an almond mixture of 2/3 fine almond flour and 1/3 finely chopped almonds in BERTRAND. With this mixture we achieve the crunchy mouth sensation, which is appreciated by many customers. Both the flour and the granules are not de-oiled but full fat.

A golden yellow to light yellow color, a mild flavor, healthy, and versatile – these are the typical characteristics of canola oil. Read on to learn about BERTRAND’s new canola oil and how it comes in powder form.

How is it that canola oil is so healthy? A close look at the composition of our canola oil explains it. Canola oil consists of various fatty acids, which are further classified as saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid, measure up much better when it comes to health than the saturated ones because they have positive effects on blood cholesterol levels and protect against hardening of the arteries. Some unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, are particularly important for us because they are essential. This means that our bodies cannot produce them. Canola oil is not only high in unsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid, it also provides plenty of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. On top of this, canola oil is high in vitamin E. Our canola oil powder provides a healthy combination of beneficial fatty acids and vitamin E.

How did we achieve this in our product?
We use exclusively cold-pressed canola oil from European fields and from certified organic farms. The quality is 00. which means that the proportion of erucic acid is less than 0.1%.
Because BERTRAND is a powder and we don’t want to add any individual bottles of oil to our orders for various (environmental and practical) reasons, we use a canola oil powder. To achieve this the canola oil is mechanically bound to an organic maltodextrin made from corn, which causes the oil to be a free-flowing powder that easily dissolves as soon as it comes back into contact with water.