- Immune Plus Report

No Matter What Illness You Develop In the Final Analysis,

Whether You Live or Die

Depends Upon How Strong Your Own Immune System Is!

Whether its Cancer, Aids, hepatitis,

An Infected Finger, the Flu or a

Hundred other forms of illness,

Ultimately the Strength of Your own

Immune System will determine your Fate!

For thousands of years people had to rely upon the strength of their immune system to protect them. There were no “miracle drugs” to save them if they fell ill. Although they did not know exactly what it was, people did know there was something inside some people that protected them, no matter what plague killed everyone else in town.

Then came the advent of modern medicine with the discovery of antibiotic drugs. These drugs saved millions of lives. Yet, in spite of the miracles they performed, it was not the drug alone which performed the miracle. It was the antibiotic and the persons own immune system. We must never lose sight of that.

You see, without the power of the immune system, no drug can perform a miracle. You may recall hearing about the little boy who was born without an immune system. He had to be kept in a plastic bubble all of his life to protect him from the ordinary bacteria we all overcome everyday of our life. By the time he reached 12 years of age he had become frustrated with his life of isolation. He wanted to “experience life,” and who could blame him, after all, isn’t that what life is all about?

His family and his doctors decided that with all of the miraculous antibiotic drugs that were available, by keeping him away from people other than healthy family members, he would be able to live a somewhat normal life. They were wrong! Soon he fell ill, very ill! In spite of all the miracle drugs they gave him, his body was soon ravaged by bacteria the rest of us fight off every day of our life. He quickly died a very terrible death. It taught the medical profession an awesome lesson, no drug is as powerful or protective as our own immune system.

SUPERGERMS RESISTANT TO ANTIBIOTICS HAVE BEEN CREATED!

For the past half a century most doctors and patients have relied on using antibiotic drugs to treat virtually every illness that came up. They simply did not stop to realize that the germs they were using these drugs against were highly adaptive survivors. These germs had been around for billions of years. They were the toughest survivors on earth! So if to prove it to us, in less than 50 years, most of them have now become resistant to our antibiotics. Some are so totally immune to certain antibiotics they have even converted the antibiotics to a source of food. They actually become stronger and multiply faster, and the patient infected with them actually grows worse if given this antibiotic!

Note: Reference numbers are keyed to cited medical and scientific references listed at the back of this report.

For Example: The resistance to antibiotic therapy by the bacteria Staphylococcus auereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become so severe that many hospital wings have had to be closed after patients died from developing these infections while hospitalized. (2)

Recently the World Health Organization has issued a report warning that the heavy reliance on antibiotics has promoted such a rapid development of drug resistant microorganisms, that the world is about to move into a post antibiotic era in which NO antibiotic will be effective. (3) What this means to you and I, and our families and loved ones, is that unless we have a strong immune system, the next infection we get may very well be fatal.

THE FLU VIRUS KILLS MORE PEOPLE EACH YEAR, THAN ANY OTHER FORM OF INFECTION:

Each year millions of people all around the world come down with the flu. Next to the common cold it is the most common contagious illness experienced by people everywhere. Because the flu is so common, few people take it as the serious life threatening illness that it really is. You see, not only do millions of people get the flu each year, but, depending upon the severity of the flu strain for that year, the number who die will number a million or more. Most of these people will be children, older people , and others whose immune system is weak and compromised. Always keep in mind that while getting the flu with major bronchial and chest congestion is a serious and potentially life threatening situation, over a half a dozen double blind medical studies have shown that drug therapy does not improve the outcome. (4) Once again, it is the integrity of your own immune system that determines if you will live or die.

ALL VIRUSES, FROM FLU TO AIDS, ARE TOTALLY IMMUNE TO ANTIBIOTIC DRUGS:

AND KILL MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL THE WARS, ACCIDENTS, MURDERS AND SUICIDES PUT TOGETHER:

Scientists tell us that with the world’s expanding population, development of remote areas, and intensive world travel, new strains of viruses are being introduced to major population groups in an ever growing number and at an ever increasing rate of frequency. With every passing month, the chances of your coming in contact with one of these deadly new strains increases. Whether or not you survive a viral infection, will depend solely upon the strength of your immune system. In fact, with the rapid development of drug resistant bacteria, whether or not you survive any infection becomes more and more a matter of whether or not you have a strong immune system.

EVEN CANCER: WHETHER YOU GET IT, OR SURVIVE IT,

IS MORE A MATTER OF THE STRENGTH OF

YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM THAN ANY OTHER FACTOR:

Most people are unaware that cancer is nothing but a group of our own body cells which have begun to grow wildly out of control without serving any useful purpose. There are many things which have been found that can trigger this abnormal growth. Because there are so many trigger mechanisms we have all had cancer cells growing in our body many times throughout our life, even when we are quite young. However, when we have a healthy immune system it is able to identify and destroy these cells before they can grow into a problem. Even when the full army of medical producers of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are used against an advanced stage of cancer, whether or not the patient ultimately survives is more dependent upon the strength of their immune system than it is the result of the intervention itself. (5)

FORTUNATELY MODERN SCIENCE HAS UNCOVERED A VIRTUAL ARMY OF NUTRITIONAL SUBSTANCES WHICH CAN GREATLY STRENGTHEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND HELP YOU GAIN PROTECTION FROM AN INCREASINGLY HOSTILE WORLD OF UNSEEN MICROOGANISMS.

The first level of immune protection is your skin and mucous membranes:

In order for a microorganism to create an infection in your body, it must first get inside your body. The skin that covers your body, and the mucous membranes that line your eyes, nose, mouth, pharynx, bronchial tubes, lungs, esophagus and intestines are the first line of protection that keeps these infective organisms out. In addition to supplying a physical barrier that blocks the entry of these microorganisms, the skin and mucous membranes actually provide their protection, they need certain nutrients in order to do their job. We are now going to consider those which are the most important in allowing this first line of defense in the immune system to operate at an optimum level.

Vitamin A:

As early as 1926, Dr. Alexander Flemming, discoverer of penicillin, found that the mucous membranes produced lysozyme in their mucous. This is a special enzyme which he found had the power to split open these microorganisms and destroy them.

Later it was found in 1959 through the research of Dr. R. Ferrari and his associates that the ability of the mucous membranes to produce this enzyme was dependent upon an adequate supply of Vitamin A. In addition they also found that lysolyme was not only effective against bacteria, it also killed viruses as well. (6)

The great British Surgeon General, Sir Robert McCarrison discovered in 1936 that the mucous membranes of the lungs, bronchial tubes, trachea and pharynx were covered with tiny hair like projections called cilia. He also found that they waved toward the mouth, beating in unison at a rate of 250 times per minute. He observed that as they beat at this raid rate they were able to physically transport bacteria and other infective organisms out of the lungs up to the mouth where they could be swallowed, and then destroyed by the digestive juices of the stomach. The ability of the cilia to perform this function was found to decline as the level of Vitamin A in the mucous membranes declined. (7)

The skin which covers the outside of our body is built up of many layers of cells to provide a thick barrier of protection. The thickness of this protective barrier depends upon the lowest layer of cells being able to reproduce new cells as fast as the outer layer of cells die and are sloughed off. In 1962 research directed by Dr. John Wolf found that as the level of vitamin A declines in the skin, the growth rate of new skin cells rapidly. Dr. Wolf found that as the level of vitamin A declines in the skin, the skin became thinner and was much more easily penetrated by infectious microorganisms. (8)

In a remarkable demonstration of how vitamin A deficiency results in an increase in the number of dead skin cells and a reduction in their replacement, in 1964, Drs. Herman Hunter and Ross Pinkus conducted an interesting test. They took a group of 10 patients known to have lower immunity, and placed a large strip of cellophane tape on their back. When they removed the tape dead skin cells adhered to it. Next they used a microscope to count the number of dead cells per square centimeter. They placed these individuals on a supplement of vitamin A for a period of 30 days, after which they repeated the cellophane tape test. In just 30 days the increased vitamin A intake cut the number of dead cells being removed in half. This indicated there was a 100% increase in the life span of healthy skin cells, which in turn improved the subjects immunity. The researchers commented, “This was achieved by the skin cells remaining younger longer.” (9) Since most of us would like to look younger longer, it is easy to see that an adequate intake of vitamin A is critical to achieving this. Especially as the weather turns colder, as the following research will show.

Nearly everyone has observed that as the weather becomes colder, there is an increased tendency to become ill from all types of infections. This effect reduces the dependability of men and women in the Armed Forces as well as the civilian population, and of course during war time this can seriously hamper military effectiveness. To determine why this occurs and what they can do to prevent it, in 1967 the U.S. Army sponsored a research project to look into it. The researchers found that when the air turned cold it became more and more difficult for the body to mobilize vitamin A to the skin and mucous membranes. The lack of vitamin A in these tissues weakened this first line of defense in the immune system, and this allowed infectious organisms to enter the body.

As a result of this discovery, the army researchers wondered if giving vitamin A supplements would raise the vitamin A level of the body and increase immunity when the soldiers were exposed to extreme cold. To find out, they took healthy young rats on a good diet and exposed them to 5 degree F. temperature. Within 24 hours all the rats were dead. They then gave a second group of rats a supplement of 10 micrograms of vitamin A. This helped a little, because for each 5 rats that died 1 lived. So they kept increasing the amount of vitamin A supplement until they had a 100% survival rate. They found it took 100 micrograms per day for all the rats to survive and grow when exposed to 5 degree F. temperature. (10)

This was more than 10 times the normal amount of vitamin A! Which makes it easy to see why so many people fall ill during the winter, since almost no one thinks to increase their vitamin A intake just because the weather turns cold. No doubt one of the reasons the Eskimo people survive the extremely low temperatures of their environment in such good health is their dietary consumption of fish liver which is so very rich in vitamin A. It is also this high in vitamin A content in the body of fish and other marine animals of the far North, which allows them to survive the frigid waters in which they live.

Betacarotene:

Very closely related to vitamin A is an orange-yellow pigment material found in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. As you might guess from its name, it was first found in carrots. It is actually two molecules of vitamin A. Beta-carotene actually does many wonderful things for our immune system without the necessity of being metabolized by a healthy liver into two molecules of vitamin A.

In 1984 Dr. H.F. Stitch and research associates did a study with regard to the health of the mucous membranes as it related to the individuals intake of beta-carotene. They found that when mucous membranes were constantly exposed to irritants, and the intake of beta-carotene was low at the same time, the abnormalities in the cells of the mucous membranes occurred, with cancer being a frequent development.

They examined the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat of natives of the Philippines who chewed beetle nut. These people are prone to developing mouth and throat cancer. Dr. Stitch’s researchers found many abnormalities and pre-cancerous cells in the mucous membrane of those who had not yet developed cancer. These same people were then given supplements of beta-carotene for 60 days. When the cells of the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat were examined following the beta-carotene supplements, no pre-cancerous cells were observed, and virtually all abnormalities within the cells had disappeared. (35)

The above study is only one of many which have shown that beta-carotene plays a major role in maintaining the health of the mucous membranes, and is therefore an important nutrient in keeping our first line of immune defense in top order.

Zinc:

As anyone who has cared for a baby through the diaper stage has found out, the use of zinc containing ointment is essential to keep the baby’s tender bottom from being harmed from the waste material in the diaper. In 1973 Dr. Fernandez-Madrid and co-researchers discovered that zinc is an essential co-factor in a metalo-enzyme which binds the elastin fibers of the skin together. (11) These researchers found that when this zinc activated enzyme process takes place as it should, a tight web is formed within the skin that keeps out harmful substances and microorganisms can gain entry into the body.

The great Canadian stress researcher Dr. Hans Selys discovered in 1946 that when animals and humans are placed under stress, their requirement for virtually all nutrients goes up. He found this was due to increased utilization of all nutrients in order to meet the demands of stress. Animal experiments have shown that when they are placed in environments similar to that of the fast paced modern urban life, they quickly develop stress induced nutritional deficiencies. (12)

At the Princeton Brain Bio Center, Dr. Carl C. Pfeiffer found that stress greatly uses up body stores of zinc, and that unless replaced, this deficiency increases the number and types of health problems associated with the skin, and infectious illnesses of all types. Illnesses which improved dramatically once they were given zinc supplements. (13)

Vitamin C:

As we have just seen in the preceding paragraphs, in order for the skin to keep out disease causing microorganisms, it must have a strong network of elastin fibers which make up a portion of the connective tissue matrix of the skin. However, the greater part of the connective tissue matrix which makes up the skin consists of collagen fibers. These fibers are manufactured from a few amino acids using an enzyme which depends upon vitamin C for its ability to function. In other words, without vitamin C, this enzyme cannot manufacture collagen fibers. When you realize that according to the Merk Service Bulletin: Vitamin C - “Collagen makes up between 30 and 40% of the body’s protein, which requires vitamin C for its manufacture”, you can begin to understand just how important this vitamin is. That is because collagen is the major connective material that holds all of the tissues of the body together. When there is not enough collagen fibers in the skin, it is weak and fragile, and easily penetrated by infective microorganisms. (14)

To demonstrate the direct relationship of skin strength to the collagen fibers in the skin Dr. G. H. Borne did a study in which he fed each of 5 groups of guinea pigs a different amount of vitamin C. He then made a surgical incision 1/4 inch deep into the back of animals which had been anesthetized.

Then he allowed the wounds to heal, after which the animals were euthanized and the surgical scar tissue was removed. This skin tissue was then placed into a device that stretched it until it broke, while at the same time measuring the amount of weight it took to break it.

Dr. Bourne discovered that the strength of the skin was in direct proportion to the amount of vitamin C fed to the animals. For example, those who were given no vitamin C, had their skin snap at a weight of 25.3 grams, those who had been given a daily dose of 1/2 milligram of vitamin C had their skin snap at 118.5 grams and those who had received 2 milligrams of vitamin C per day did not have their skin snap until the weight reached 338.6 grams. (15)

You can easily see the dramatic difference a lower intake of vitamin C will have on the strength of your skin and its ability to keep out invading micro-organisms. If you examine the skin of the elderly, who are often very deficient in both vitamin A and vitamin C, you will quickly see that their skin is very thin and weak. The slightest scratch will tear it open. It is little wonder that the elderly are constantly subject to infectious illnesses. The skin and mucous membranes, their very first line of defense is weak and ineffective due to a lack of an illness. This is the chief reason the elderly are constantly becoming ill, it is NOT simply due to their age, as so many people would try to make you believe.

After years of studying the important role of vitamin C to the formation of adequate connective tissue and the prevention of disease, Dr. William J. McCormick wrote in the Archives of Pediatrics, “The degree of malignancy of an illness is determined inversely by the degree of connective tissue resistance. And this, in turn, is dependent on the adequacy of vitamin C intake.” (16)

Note: The vitamin C used in Immune Plus is a specially formulated complex mixture of vitamin C known as Vita-C-Min. In it, the vitamin C is biochemically married to 9 different minerals in a balance that is in ratio to the need of the human body for those minerals. This allows the vitamin C to lose its highly acidic state and take on a more neutral acid/alkaline balance, with a pH of 7.4. This is the same pH as human blood. This allows the vitamin C in the Immune Plus formula to work within the human body without upsetting its delicate acid/alkaline balance. It also does not upset the stomach or intestinal tract. It delivers much needed minerals and at the same time is able to be absorbed into the blood at a higher rate than any other form of vitamin C. In addition the Vita-C-Min also contains 5 forms of bioflavonoids to allow it to be converted by the tissues into the highest possible number of vitamin C metabolites, which are the true vitamin C workhorses of the body.

Colostrum:

In concluding our brief examination of the key nutrients essential to the skin and mucous membranes, which is the first line of the immune system’s defense of our body, we want to take a look at what is perhaps Nature’s single greatest immune boosting substance. It is known as colostrum. While most people have had colostrum at the earliest stage in their life, few know what it is when they hear or see the word. Colostrum is a fluid produced by the mother’s breast of any mammal prior to the emergence of the milk. This is generally in the first 24 to 36 hours after giving birth. It turns out that this non-milk fluid is an immune system cocktail of all the different immune factors the mother’s immune system has produced in providing her protection throughout her life. This is Nature’s way of temporarily passing on the mother’s immunity until her offspring can develop its own immune system.

No where is this more important than when a cow gives birth to a calf which must immediately deal with the huge amount of infective microorganisms found in a barnyard. In fact, if a calf is unable to gain colostrum, it will be so unprotected that it will quickly develop what humans call unremitting diarrhea. A condition known as “scours” that literally scours out the inside of the calf. So many electrolytes will be lost, that unless the calf can get colostrum right away, it will die within 24 hours. Since dairy cows are bred to produce more milk than their calf can consume, they also produce more colostrum than their calf will require. This excess colostrum is harvested and made into a pure immune system supplement for human use.

As most of us know from stories about organ transplants, the cells from one person’s body are not compatible with those of another person. Nor are the cells from one animal species compatible with those of another. However, there is one exception to this rule. That is the immune factors found in colostrum. They are not only compatible from one person to another, they are even compatible from one animal species to another. Thus humans are able to gain a substantial amount of additional support for their own immunity from cow colostrum.

At the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Dr. R.H. Waldman and associates conducted research on the value of colostrum as a supplement for humans. He pointed out that one of the great benefits of it was that after being swallowed it was immediately active within the digestive system right on the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. Which is very beneficial because as he states. “Most infectious diseases enter the body through, or remain localized on, mucosal surfaces.” (17)

The scientific literature concerning bovine colostrum has shown that it contains the full spectrum of immunoglobulins, and that is extremely rich in IgG, the immunoglobulin most important for humans in their war on infectious diseases. In addition, other studies have shown that a very wide range of specific antibodies exist within colostrum against exist within colostrum against specific disease causing organisms, both viral and bacterial. In fact, Dr. Sabin, who developed the first polio vaccine, initially isolated the antibodies to poliomyelitis in bovine colostrum. Dr. David Tyrrell found that both the antibodies and immunoglobulins from bovine colostrum when administered orally gave effective intestinal support to the human immune system. (18)

We have now seen that bovine colostrum can provide a lot of support and protection to the mucous membranes of the human digestive system when it is given orally. A route by which the great majority of infectious organisms enter our body. However, as important as this is, there is even more to colostrums protection of the skin than just the passive immune protection the immunoglobulins and antibodies provide to the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. Dr. Kovichi Noda found that colostrum also contains a very important biochemical known as Transforming Growth Factor (TGF) which his team isolated at Yokohama City University, School of Medicine. (19) This verified the discovery one year earlier by Dr. M.B. Sporn’s research team that TGF from bovine colostrum promotes the rapid repair of tissues which have been injured or damaged by accident or disease. (20)

Colostrum has also been found to contain something very important specifically for the skin. It is called Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), and it contains both the EGF-A and EGF-B versions. Research by Dr. F.J. Ballard and his research associates found in 1982 that these two factors were extremely important in promoting the growth and repair of the skin, that it is now making it possible to produce rapid, and virtually blemish free recovery from skin transplants for burn patients and those undergoing extensive plastic surgery.

We have just looked at four key nutritional substances which are vital to the health of the skin and mucous membranes in providing top level immune system protection for your body. All four of these nutrients at clinically effective doses are included in the Immune Plus formula. In addition to helping your body at its first line of defense, this formula offers a lot more! It also contains nutrition for improving immune system functioning at other levels as well. We are going to take a look at the next level right now.

THE SECOND LINE OF IMMUNE PROTECTION-

WHITE BLOOD CELLS AND THEIR ALLIES:

Once microorganisms, whether yeast cells, bacteria or virus get past the first line of immune defense, which means they have slipped through the skin or mucous membranes and are invading the body tissues, it is up to our second line of defense, an amazingly complex and effective attack launched by the white blood cells and a host of immune factors which they can employ, to destroy these invaders. Scientists have found that just how effective this process is, depends upon on how well it is supplied with the nutritional elements which serve as the raw materials from which this entire system will be created. We will now take a look at the most important nutritional factors that allow this to happen.

Vitamin C:

Although we have already looked at vitamin C, this was as it relates to the health of the skin and mucous membranes, now we want to examine its vital role with regard to how it provides immune protection through the white blood cells.

The white blood cells, also known as leukocytes and lymphocytes, remain primarily in the blood vessels, although there are some important exceptions. Thus the nutrients in the blood serum surrounding the white blood cells becomes the source of their nutrition. Obviously, as the level of nutrition in the blood serum rises and falls, so does the level of nutrition within the white blood cells. Since the vitamin C content of the blood serum is dependent upon the daily intake of vitamin C, how well the white blood cells are supplied with this vitamin will therefore depend upon how much is consumed by an individual each day.

In science, it is a well established fact that if you place a dead cell in a liquid solution, due to the law of osmosis, the amount of nutrients will soon become the same, both inside and outside the cell. However, in living cells, this is virtually never the case, since the living cell frequently has needs for various nutrients far greater than what is found in the serum surrounding them. In 1978, Drs. W.R. Thomas and R.G. Holt studied the concentration of vitamin C within the leukocytes compared to the amount of vitamin C in the blood serum surrounding them. They found the leukocytes contained from 10 to 14 times more vitamin C than the serum in which they were living. (22) In medical science this is known as the cell establishing an uphill gradient. In order for there to be more vitamin C inside the cell than the serum surrounding it, the cell had to spend a great deal of its precious energy to pump that vitamin C into the cell in an “uphill” concentration. Obviously the white blood cells would only go to all that work if the vitamin C were extremely important to their function as the protectors of the body.

This discovery naturally causes us to ask, “Why do the white blood cells need all this vitamin C, and what are they doing with it?” We begin to discover the answer when we examine one of the extremely important defense functions of the white blood cells, which is known as phagocytosis. This is a Latin derived medical term that means “to kill cells by eating them”. When invading bacteria, yeast or virus enter the cells and tissues, a certain group of white blood cells known as phagocytes, seek out and destroy them by eating them. Clear back in 1934 Drs. E. Cottingham and C.A. Mills discovered that the ability of these phagocytes to seek out and eat these foreign invaders was in direct proportion to the amount of vitamin C that was in the blood serum. (23)

Nearly 3 decades later, in 1971, Dr. L.R. DeChatlet and his research team working at the Bowman-Gray School of Medicine, were studying a disease where the white blood cells, though adequate in amount, were unable to attack invading bacteria.

The condition, known as chronic granulatoma caused the patient to become very ill and in virtually every case to die from even the most minor bacterial infection. What they found was that the white blood cells of these patient refused to fight the enemy bacteria, even when surrounded by them. However, as soon as vitamin C was added to the serum surrounding these non-functioning white blood cells, they began to devour the invading bacteria. The researchers found that the vitamin C was required in order for the white blood cells to create and release a wide variety of chemicals by which they destroyed the various bacteria, yeast and virus to which they were exposed. (24)

Today we know that the white blood cells are capable of producing a huge number of biochemical substances by which they destroy foreign invaders. Many of these are very effective against viruses. This is extremely important to us, since there are no drugs which are capable of killing viruses and still leave the patient alive. Many medical doctors have found they can use vitamin C to conquer virtually any infectious disease. Dr. Robert Cathcart and Dr. Fred Klenner have both repeatedly reported in medical conferences and journals, their success in using vitamin C to treat every kind of illness, including polio, viral and bacterial hepatitis, viral and bacterial pneumonia, measles, chicken pox, mumps, viral encephalitis, infections mononucleosis and on and on the list goes. What these doctors and others have shown is that the success or failure of our immune defense is directly dependent upon the amount of vitamin C that is taken in relationship to the strength of the invader. The more powerful the bacteria or virus, the greater the amount of vitamin C that will be required to produce enough killing chemicals to get the job done. (25)

There are two classic studies which have shown the effectiveness of vitamin C on all forms of illness. The first was performed by Dr. G. Ritzel in Basal, Switzerland in 1961. In the double blind study 279 boys at a ski training institution, half were given 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C per day, while the other half received a placebo. At the end of the study, an independent group of researchers analyzed the results which revealed those who had received the vitamin C had 61% fewer days of illness, and 64% fewer symptoms than those who took the placebo. (36)

The second study was performed by the Canadian Army. They divided 112 soldiers undergoing operational training into two groups of 56 soldiers. One group received 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C per day and the other group a placebo. The study lasted for the four weeks of the operational training, and during that time the soldiers getting the vitamin C, had 68% fewer sick days than the group receiving the placebo. (37)

Although research at the famous Pasteur Institute, has shown that vitamin C is more effective as a direct antibiotic agent than such powerful chemicals as ferrous sulfate and hydrogen peroxide, (26) it is important to keep in mind that it is as a raw material for the white blood cells to manufacture killing chemicals that vitamin C plays its most important role in our immune defense. What all of this research on the immune system has shown us, is that as important as having white blood cells is, they are totally ineffective without enough vitamin C to produce the chemicals of destruction by which they kill invading organisms.

Bioflavonoids - OPC:

When Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi first extracted vitamin C from citrus fruit he found that it was very effective at preventing the tiny capillaries of the blood circulatory system from breaking. Whatever we bruise, following a bump, fall, or blow, it is because the capillaries broke. This allowed the blood cells to leave the circulatory system in large numbers, and once outside that system, they begin to breakdown, creating the discoloration we call a bruise.The capillaries of some people are much more fragile than those of others.

A friend of Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi told him that he had a serious problem with easy bruising. Knowing that his vitamin C extract would strengthen the capillaries the good doctor gave some vitamin C to his friend. However after taking it for quite sometime, his friend complained that it did not work. At first Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi was mystified by this failure. Then he remembered that the vitamin C which he had used that prevented the capillaries from breaking was a crude vitamin C extract from citrus fruit, but the vitamin C he had given his was a pure version of vitamin C he had manufactured in the laboratory. When he gave his friend the crude extract his friends tendency toward bruising disappeared.

This awareness of the difference in the tow different versions of the vitamin C, and the difference in the results they produced, made Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi realize there was something more than just vitamin C in his original crude vitamin C extract from the citrus fruit. With additional research Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi was able to identify that compound, and it has come to be known as a bioflavonoid. (27) Only what Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi had discovered was not just a single new compound, but an entire whole new class of compounds.

Today the individual members of this class of compounds is officially listed as over 30,000, with more being added through research each year. It is important to realize that each of these individual bioflavonoids does something different from other bioflavonoids. They are referred to by such a wide variety of names that only a careful research of the names of the compound can tell a scientist whether it is a member of the bioflavonoid family or not. In the white portion of the rind of citrus we find one of the richest sources of two very important bioflavonoids, rutin and hesperidin. Although Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi’s original experience with these bioflavonoids seemed to show they strengthened the capillaries. However, they created that appearance because they were given in combination with vitamin C. Later it was discovered that what they were doing was increasing the ability of vitamin C to strengthen the capillaries by hundreds of times what vitamin C could do in this respect all by itself. (28) It ahs now become a common practice among nutritionists and nutrition oriented physicians to give equal amounts of vitamin C and a mixture of such bioflavonoids as rutin, hesperidin and quercitin in order to halt easy bruising in individuals with capillary fragility.

Of course this leads us to ask two very important questions. First, how do these bioflavonoids increase the ability of vitamin C to increases the ability of vitamin C to do a certain job so greatly? Second, if rutin, hesperidin and quercitin can do this so well, are there other bioflavonoid compounds which might do it even better, or allow vitamin C to increase its ability to do other things even more effectively than it can on its own? The answer to these two questions is one of the most exciting discoveries in modern nutrition.

It turns out that vitamin C does do a lot of things in the human body as the pure vitamin itself, which is ascorbic acid. However, in reality, most of its work I in the form of a “metabolite” of vitamin C. A metabolite is a slightly different form of the nutrient that is produced by the body as a result of chemical reactions within the body which modify the vitamin into a slightly different molecule.

Dr. Jeffery Bland reported that the bioflavonoids act as catalysts to speed up the conversion of vitamin C to its active metabolites. (29) According to research by Drs. S. Tsao and Linus Pauling published in 1985, the key to vitamin C’s ability to do such a huge variety of things is because it is converted into over 24 different metabolites (even more have been discovered since then.) Each of these metabolites of vitamin C does something different and better than others. The exciting discovery of Dr. Tsao and Pauling is that the different bioflavonoids play a pivotal role in converting vitamin C into different metabolites. (30)

For example, research studies have shown the bioflavonoids hesperidin, rutin and to an even greater extent quercitin, help convert vitamin C into the metabolite form of vitamin C that is effective at strengthening fragile capillaries and preventing them from breaking. On the other hand, this particular metabolite of vitamin C does little to help the immune system fight off the common cold. Thus the addition of hesperidin, rutin or quercitin to vitamin C will help strengthen fragile capillaries but they will do little to help vitamin C in a battle against a cold.

Of the more than 30,000 bioflavonoid compounds discovered in nature so far, the one discovered by French scientist, Dr. Jack Masqueler and known as oligo-proantho-cyanidin (OPC), appears to be the very most important of all for three very important reasons:

First: OPC is one of the most effective anti-oxidant and free radical extinguishers yet discovered. Twenty times more potent in this regard than vitamin C and fifty times more effective than vitamin E. (31) This is of critical importance to our immunity because many of the disease causing microorganisms either cause damage because they themselves are tissue damaging free radicals, or their secretions are.

Second: OPC has the ability to be quickly absorbed from the gut into the blood stream, and then to penetrate all the tissues of the body including the brain. (32) Thus, making vitamin C much more potent in all the tissues of the body.

Third: Once in the tissues, OPC has the power to greatly increase the conversion of vitamin C into a wide number of metabolites which are used by the immune system. (33)

Over 100 medical and scientific research projects performed world wide, have shown that oligo-proantho-cyanidin (OPC) greatly facilitates recovery from a very wide range of human health problems. (34) Perhaps the most important way OPC does this, is by facilitating better use of vitamin C. The single most significant way vitamin C is rendered ineffective in the body is through oxidation. However, as a bioflavonoid, OPC has a natural affinity for vitamin C, and through its role as one of the most powerful antioxidants known, it is able to protect vitamin C from becoming rendered ineffective through oxidation. This greatly multiplies the ability of vitamin C to perform its vast array of functions in the human body. The second major benefit occurs as a direct result of OPC’s ability to facilitate a greater and more effective use of vitamin C by increasing its availability in metabolite form.

Vitamin A:

In the early 1950’s scientists working in the field of immunology became interested in the role of vitamin A in the body’s ability to produce sufficient white blood cells and adequate levels of antibodies to defend against infective microorganisms. Dr. A.E. Axelrod conducted a number of studies in which he was able to clearly demonstrate that as vitamin A levels dropped in the blood, the ability of the body to produce white blood cells declined along with the drop in the level of vitamin A. (38)

It is a well estabilished fact that white blood cells produce the antibodies that provide them with their most essential tool in protecting us. Dr. P.P Ludovici wondered if the vitamin A that is so essential for the production of white blood cells, was also essential for the production of the antibodies they produced. Along with his research associates, he conducted a research study in the laboratory which revealed that vitamin A was essential in order for the white blood cells to be able to manufacture antibodies. (39)

In a study involving 1,100 people conducted over a 5 year period, Dr. H.R. Getz was able to verify the above findings in the blood and health of these people. He kept track of the relationship of their blood level of vitamin A, white blood cell count, antibodies, and immunity. What Dr. Getz discovered was that those in the lower 25% of blood levels of vitamin A over the 5 year period, had fewer white blood cells, and produced fewer antibodies to infectious organisms, than those in the upper 25% of vitamin A level.

The result of that inability to produce an adequate level of white blood cells and higher levels of antibodies by those low in vitamin A resulted in those people being unable to launch a rapid and effective defense against invading organisms. In fact, those in the lower 25% of blood levels of vitamin A had from 100% to 300% more illness during this 5 year period of this study, than did those with the higher blood levels of vitamin A. (40)

From these studies we can clearly see that if we want to have an effective immune system, with sufficient white blood cells capable of producing adequate levels of antibodies to provide us with protection with invading infectious organisms, it is essential that we keep our blood level of vitamin A at an optimum level.

Betacarotene:

Even the cartoon character Bugs Bunny knows that carrots are orange, but like a lot of people, he probably does not know that the material in the carrot that makes it orange is one of the most important immune enhancing nutrients known. First identified in carrots, this family of immune enhancing substances is called carotenes. The members of this family are given first names that match the letters in the Greek alphabet. The one we are concerned with here is the second one in the family which is known as beta carotene. We have already seen that it is important in protecting the skin, now we are going to see how it enhances the ability of the white blood cells to perform their function.

Since Betacarotene is actually two molecules of vitamin A joined together, scientists first thought it must be that Betacarotene was split into two molecules of vitamin A once it was in the body (which it occasionally is), and it was the vitamin A that was actually providing the benefits to our immunity. However, as Dr. A. Bendich pointed out in a major research article in 1991, as scientific investigative procedures have improved over the years, scientists have found that it is Betacarotene itself that provides the majority of the benefits. 41)

As early as 1931 Dr. S.W. Clawson did a study which compared the blood levels of Betacarotene in grade school children to the number of days they were absent from school due to illness. He made an amazing discovery. Those children who had the highest blood level of Betacarotene were never absent from school due to illness. Those children who had the highest number of days absent from school due to illness were the children with the lowest blood level of Betacarotene. (42)

A study by Dr. M. Alexander and research associates found in 1985 that the daily administration of supplements of 180 mg. of Betacarotene would elevate the white blood cells known as the helper/inducer cells (OKT4+cells) by approximately 30% in only 7 days. (43) Since these are the white blood cells that direct and assist the other white blood cells, a significant number of them are imperative to be able to launch a swift and effective attack against invading microorganisms. From these results it is easy to see why the study by Dr. Clawson 54 years earlier revealed that children with high blood levels of Betacarotene never became ill.

In 1989 a study was conducted by Dr. P.B. Brevard with 126 healthy college students who were either given a placebo, a supplement of Betacarotene or a diet rich in Betacarotene. At the conclusion of the study, only those students given the Betacarotene rich diet or supplements had an improvement in the blood level and profile, of their white blood cells. (44)

In a study dealing with oral cancer, Dr. S. Toma and research associates found in 1992 that Betacarotene supplements would increase the blood level of all types of white blood T cells (OKT3+cells) after just 14 days of 180 mg. of Betacarotene supplements. (45) Since the level of T cells is critical in defending the body against cancer, viral infections and AIDS, in the light of this research, the importance of adequate blood levels of Betacarotene becomes very clear.

In view of the importance of Betacarotene to the immune system, and especially to high levels of T cells, the very cells incapacitated by HIV, the virus which leads to AIDS, it is only natural to wonder what role this nutrient might play in the prevention and reversal of this illness. A study by Dr. R. Ulrich and research team found that AIDS patients have low blood levels of Betacarotene even in the early stages of the disease. (46) One cannot help wonder to what extent the low blood levels of Betacarotene may have contributed to the individual being susceptible to the disease in the first place.

An indication that this may have been the case is shown by a double blind study of 21 HIV infected patients, done in 1993 by Dr. G.O. Coodley and associates.

In this study it was demonstrated that when these patients were given daily doses of 180 mg. of Betacarotene there was a significant increase in their level of T helper cells, which had a beneficial effect upon their ability to resist the progress of the disease. (47)
If raising the intake of Betacarotene after the disease was already present would elevate the T helper cells and slow the progress of the disease, no doubt had the level of Betacarotene been high in the first place, the risk of developing an HIV infection would have been reduced.

It was discovered by Dr. Pethig of Wales in the United Kingdom, the beta-carotene is able to produce its many stunning benefits by virtue of the fact that it carries an electrical charge. Furthermore, only the dry form of beta-carotene from living plants such as the Dunnela sea weed, carry this electrical charge. The oil based versions and the synthetic version lacks this electrical charge and both are therefore incapable of providing the benefits of beta-carotene as described in the medical and scientific literature. (56) While most of us will never have to battle an HIV infection, the discovery of the importance of beta-carotene in maintaining a sufficient number of healthy white blood cells, and especially the T cells, which has been revealed by HIV research, teaches us the great importance of this nutrient in maintaining our immune system in a high state of readiness against everything from cancer and AIDS, to the common cold and flu.

Zinc:

Although zinc has long been known to be important to create healthy skin, it has only recently been discovered that it is equally vital to a strong immune system. It was not until 1974 hat Dr. B.D. Korant and fellow researchers discovered that the growth of the rhinovirus which causes colds can be halted in a test tube simply by adding zinc ions. (48)

Then in 1984, 1992 and again in 1996 medical researchers found that patients developing a cold could reduce its duration by as much as 56%, simply by sucking on lozenges which contained zinc gluconate. (49)

In 1976, researchers at the Trace Metals Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Robert S. Pecarek discovered that a zinc deficiency dramatically reduced the T cell’s ability to kill viruses. When the zinc deficiency was eliminated, the ability of the T cells to suppress virus replication was restored to normal. (50)

In 1995 Dr. E. Mocchegiani and associates decided to see if these findings would apply to AIDS patients. Twenty nine patients with stage III and IV HIV infection were given 45 mg. of zinc per day for thirty days. They experienced a stabilization in their body weight as well as a substantial increase in their T helper cell count. Remarkably, over the next 24 months there was a 56% reduction in opportunistic infections for the stage IV patients and a whopping 96% reduction for the stage III patients. When you realize that the life destroying power of the HIV infection is the result of the body being unable to overcome opportunistic infections, these results are nothing less than sensational. The unfortunate 28 HIV patients which served as a control group and received a placebo all experienced a steady decline in their T cell count, a loss of body weight and a continual increase in health destroying opportunistic infections. (51)

Magnesium Chloride:

The major electrolytes, sodium, potassium and magnesium are metals found in the blood in the form of chloride salts. Although magnesium is one of the most important of these electrolytes it is unfortunately the one most deficient in modern diets. If we go back to Paris, France over 80 years ago, to the year 1915, we will find the French scientist-biologist and surgeon, Dr. Pierre Delbet researching the relationship of the blood electrolyte, magnesium chloride, to the immune system.

Although the results of his studies were extraordinary, unfortunately they have been long neglected, much to the detriment of our health. Dr. Delbet found that when he placed 16,000 white blood cells into a test tube along with 19,000 bacteria, he could increase the killing power of the white blood cells by 75% within 20 minutes simply by adding a few CC of a very simple solution consisting of 12 parts of magnesium chloride salt mixed with 1000 parts of distilled water. Dr. Delbet felt his experiment demonstrated the power of the simple salt of magnesium chloride t greatly enhance the killing power of white blood cells. (52)

Skeptics were not satisfied with this demonstration, arguing that it was the presence of the magnesium chloride solution itself that had increased the death rate of the bacteria and that it had not actually been the white blood cells at all.

These patients were given daily doses of 180 mg. of Betacarotene there was a significant increase in their level of T helper cells, which had a beneficial effect upon their ability to resist the progress of the disease. (47)

If raising the intake of Betacarotene after the disease was already present would elevate the T helper cells and slow the progress of the disease, no doubt had the level of Betacarotene been high in the first place, the risk of developing an HIV infection would have been reduced.

While most of us will never have to battle an HIV infection, the discovery of the importance of beta-carotene in maintaining a sufficient number of healthy white blood cells, and especially the T cells, which has been revealed by HIV research, teaches us the great importance of this nutrient in maintaining our immune system in a high state of readiness against everything from cancer and AIDS, to the common cold and flu.

Zinc:

Magnesium Chloride:

In response to this, Dr. Delbet removed 500 white blood cells from a dog and demonstrated that when placed in a test tube they would kill 245 bacteria. Then he injected the dog with a few CC of the magnesium chloride solution previously mentioned. He waited 35 minutes and withdrew another 500 white blood cells from the dog. This time the white blood cells were able to kill 681 bacteria, a 280% increase in their killing power. (53)

Because magnesium chloride is no more expensive than ordinary table salt, which is sodium chloride, there was no way to turn it into a profitable drug. Of course, without a drug company to benefits of magnesium chloride were soon all but forgotten by the French medical profession. Well, that is by all but one physician, Dr. Neveu who was practicing medicine in Paris when the polio epidemic of the late 40’s and early 50’s hit. Physicians were helpless as children were either killed or left paralyzed by the vicious virus. It was out of desperation that Dr. Neveu searched the medical literature of the past for some clue as to what might strengthen the immune system and allow these children to recover without harm. It was then he discovered the work of Dr. Delbet published by the French Academy of Science nearly 40 years earlier.

Dr. Neveu made up a solution of the magnesium chloride according to the formula given by Delbet and began administering it orally by the tablespoon to his polio patients. In all, he treated 15 polio patients with this solution in the early 1950’s in Paris, France. All of whom completely recovered without any affliction. The findings of Dr. Neveu were published by the Librarie le Francois, in Paris in 1958. (54)

The now world famous German medical doctor, Hans A. Nieper tells in his ground breaking book, “Revolution In Technology, Medicine, and Society” how in 1952 after learning from a medical colleague of the amazing work of Dr. Pierre Delbet with regard to the prevention and treatment of cancer with magnesium, he immediately drove to Paris. There he combed the entire book store area in search of Dr. Delbet’s 1944 book “Cancer Prevention Policies”. Failing to find the book in Paris, he went on to Geneva, where at last he found it.

The book had a profound impact on Dr. Nieper. In fact, what he learned about the importance of magnesium eventually led him to develop the widely prescribed nutritional supplements, magnesium aspartate and magnesium orotate for cancer and cardiac therapy. Dr. Nieper explains that while Dr. Delbet’s discovery about the power of magnesium to protect against heart attacks and cancer was radically new from 1915 to 1944, today it is a well established fact that magnesium, even in the drinking water, will lower the risk of cancer and cardiac infarction. He then goes on to state that science now verifies “… magnesium improves the internal production of defensive substances, such as antibodies and compliment, and considerable improves the operational activity of white granulocytic blood cells (already proven by Dr. Delbet)…” (55)

However, once again, even though the use of magnesium chloride has been substantiated by this famous modern medical doctor, because magnesium chloride lacks any basis for profit. Delbet’s discovery of its amazing immune enhancing ability has not been promoted. Fortunately this does not prevent us from taking full advantage of this remarkable electrolyte in the Immune Plus formula.

Proteolytic Enzymes - Bromelain, Papin, Trypsin and Chymotrypsin:

Although the medical profession in the United States has made little use of it, from the early 1930’s on, a great deal of medical and scientific research, both in the United States and Europe, ahs shown that white blood cells gain a major amount of their power to destroy foreign invaders of the body by using all the enzymes normally used in the digestion of food. The white blood cells use these enzymes to literally destroy bacteria, virus and yeast by digesting them.

White Blood Cells Use Digestive Enzymes: It was in Germany in 1931 that Dr. Willslater made the discovery that white blood cells were able to secret the starch digestive enzyme amylase. In fact, he found they were able to create 8 different types of amylase, giving them a wide ranging ability to digest a large array of glycogens which are commonly found in bacteria, yeast and the coat of a variety of viruses. (57)

By the year 1933, Dr. Willslater found the white blood cells produced not just amylase, but the full spectrum of digestive enzymes for their own use. He also found they matched the full range of those produced by the pancreas, both in biochemical makeup and function. (58)

By 1935 several other German researchers reported in a scientific journal that their own research verified that of Dr. Willslater. That indeed, the white blood cells did produce the same range of digestive enzymes as those of the pancreas and that they worked in the same way to digest the starches (glycogens), fats (lipids) and proteins of invading microorganisms. They also reported the white blood cells also used these same enzymes to destroy tumor and cancer cells when they were encountered in the body. (59)

This meant that when white blood cells were armed with the full compliment of enzymes, they could destroy by digestion, the lipids, glycogens and proteins of bacteria, virus and yeast, and even cancer cells, thus rendering them totally incapable of causing harm to the human body.

The Consequences of Declining Enzymes in the Blood: Once it was discovered that white blood cells produced digestive enzymes as part of their tools to eliminate foreign invaders, scientists began to wonder if these same enzymes could be found in the blood in which the white blood cells existed, and if so, did the level of these enzymes vary between the young and old, the ill and the healthy?

One study, performed by Dr. Meyer at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, examined the level of amylase in a group of healthy people between the ages of 21 and 31, and those of a group of unhealthy people between the ages of 69 and 100. he found those in the younger group had 30 times more amylase than those in the older group. (60) Obviously this gave the white blood cells of younger people a much greater ability to fight off infections. Which is one of the primary reasons why so many older people die from flu epidemics than do younger people.

Several studies have compared the level of digestive enzymes between those who are ill, verses those who are healthy. In all cases, it has been found that those with illnesses have much lower levels of digestive enzymes in their blood. A study by Dr. Volodin examined the blood, urine and intestinal level of all the digestive enzymes in those with diabetes and those who did not have the condition. In every single case, he found the diabetics were substantially lower in digestive enzymes, whether in the blood, urine or intestines, when compared to healthy people. (61)

Dr. Ottenstein, a German dermatologist, examined the blood level of patients with such skin disorders as psoriasis, dermatitis, and pruritis, and found all of them to have much lower blood levels of the digestive enzyme amylase than did healthy people without any skin disease. (62)

A Japanese study examined the blood levels of digestive enzymes in tuberculin patients and found they were very low when compared to healthy individuals. (63)

The Rise and Fall of Enzymes Predicts the Course of Illness: An American study involving 40 patients with liver diseases that included hepatitis, cirrhosis and cholecystitis was reported in the American Journal of Digestive Diseases. This study found that all 40 liver disease patients had significantly lower blood levels of the digestive enzymes as compared to healthy people. Furthermore the study found that by tracking the change in the level of these digestive enzymes in the blood, they could determine the direction the liver disease was about to take. As the digestive enzymes rose in the blood the patients condition improved, conversely, as the level of enzymes declined in the blood the course of the illness worsened. (64)

Orally Ingested Enzymes Raise Blood Level of Enzymes: As physicians and researchers began to realize that the course of illness could be favorably influenced by a higher level of digestive enzymes in the blood, it was only natural they would want to know if people could simply swallow supplements of these enzymes and have them pass from the gut into the blood in an active form. Because this was a technically difficult thing to demonstrate, for many years researchers and physicians simply relied on the fact that patients improved after being given large amounts of enzymes. However, there was always that nagging question about whether or not the enzymes might be stimulating some beneficial action in the gut that was responsible for the patients improvement. Eventually, sophisticated techniques were developed that answered the question.

With the arrival of radioactive isotopes which could be used to tag the enzymes prior to ingestion, it was possible to follow the course of the enzyme in the body. Using the iodine isotope J-131, Dr. J.M. Miller and Dr. G.J. Martin in 1956-57 tagged the protein digestive enzymes Trypsin and Chymotrypsin, after which they were able to document a significant rise in these very same enzymes in the blood. Thus they were the first to establish that indeed, intact administered digestive enzymes did become absorbed from the gut into the blood. (65)

Bromelain is a highly beneficial protein digesting enzyme obtained from the stem of the green pineapple. In 1962, Dr. A.M. Seligman was able to combine Bromelain with nitrophenol to form a stable compound which could be easily identified if it were found in the blood. After feeding the Bromelain to laboratory animals, he found it was so well absorbed, that within 2 hours, 86% of it had passed into the blood unchanged. (66) Also in 1962, another technique was used with the Bromelain enzyme by Dr. R. Smyth. He treated the enzyme in such a way as to give it a strong florescent color. Using electrophoretic methods, the tissues of animals which ingested the Bromelain were examined. None of the florescent Bromelain was found in the gut tissues as an intact enzyme. (67)

From these studies it was clearly established that orally administered protein digestive enzymes could be given to individuals to raise their blood level of these same enzymes. This higher blood level of digestive enzymes could then be used by that individuals body to elevate the immune defenses.

Bromelain, Papain, Trypsin and Chymotrypsin: In 1960, after two decades of research into the clinical benefits of enzymes, Dr. I. Innerfield published his authorative book, “Enzymes In Clinical Medicine”. In this book he verifies the numerous research studies which have demonstrated the valuable ability of Bromelain the proteolytic (protein digesting) enzyme obtained from the pineapple, papain obtained from papaya, and Trypsin and Chymotrypsin from the pancreas, to support the white blood cells of the human immune system. (68)

After four decades of work in the field of research and the clinical use of proteolytic enzymes, Drs. Max Wolf and Karl Ransberger published their authoritative book, Enzyme Therapy. (69) In this book they support the earlier findings of Dr. Innerfield with hundreds of medical and scientific studies. The two basic conclusions of these authorative works concerning these proteolytic enzymes are as follows:

1) They activate plasminogin, which in turn releases plasmin, and that dissolves the fibrin which forms the clots that cause heart attacks.

2) They increase the ability of white blood cells to dissolve the proteins which make up the structure of bacteria, virus and yeast cells, thus causing them to die.

Nieper Discovers Bromelain to be a Miracle Working Enzyme: Dr. Hans Nieper of Germany has studied Bromelain extensively and has developed a great deal of knowledge and ability in its use to relieve a variety of human health problems. He has discovered that in addition to its ability to dissolve the fibrin that makes up blood clots as mentioned in item 1 above, Nieper has found that it also digests the inflammatory, fatty acid produced, Thromboxane and Prostaglandin E2. It is these two substances which initiate the original damage to arterial walls, which in turn causes the formation of arterial plaques. The Bromelain will also digest away existing plaques, and clear the arteries of their obstruction. In this role, Dr. Nieper calls Bromelain a “pipe cleaner” (70)

He has also discovered that Bromelain has a remarkable ability to help the white blood cells of the immune system destroy cancer cells. It has long been known that white blood cells, especially those known as the NK or natural killer cells, have the ability to destroy cancer cells. Yet we also know that for millions of people the cancer cells in their body grow undetected by the immune system until their body in overtaken by the cancer. It is now known that the reason for this, is that cancer cells hide from the white blood cells by digesting themselves. They do this by creating a mucous like coat that covers them.

This coat has characteristics which resemble a normal body chemical known as HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin). Therefore the white blood cells are programmed to ignore this chemical, and as a result they overlook the cancer cells hiding underneath their disguise. However, Bromelain is not programmed to ignore this clever disguise and it dissolves this mucous covering from off the surface of the cancer cell, allowing the white blood cells to spot and destroy the cancer cell. (71)

Dr. Nieper discovered that the pancreatic proteolytic enzymes, Trypsin and Chymotrypsin, which also have immune supporting ability, can not be given orally unless given with Bromelain. This is because these pancreatic enzymes have an electrical charge which keeps them trapped in the intestines. However, when combined with Bromelain , which has an entirely different electrical potential, the electrical charge of the pancreatic enzymes is modified so that a large portion of it will pass into the blood stream with the Bromelain.

Together the Bromelain and pancreatic proteolytic enzymes, Trypsin and Chymotrypsin, form an effective team that strips off the outer coat of mucous from the cancer cells. This action greatly enhances the ability of the immune systems’ Natural Killer cells to destroy the cancer cells. (72)

Bromelain, Papain, Trypsin and Chymotrypsin Combined: In this formula, all of Natures’ most powerful proteolytic enzymes, all with the ability to pass into the blood stream and support the white blood cells in their battle to destroy foreign invaders, as well as to lay bare cancer cells for their destruction by the Natural Killer cells are included in this formula.

Colostrum:

As we’ve already mentioned, colostrum is the first fluid that comes from a female mammals breast during the first 24 to 48 hours after giving birth to its offspring. This is not milk. It is a special immune serum the breast tissues have extracted from the mother’s blood. It has a high concentration of all the different factors the mother’s immune system has created for her protection during her lifetime.

We have already seen how colostrum provides Epithelial and Tissue Growth Factors for the repair and protection of the skin, the first line of immune defense. We have also already seen that colostrum contains the full range of immunoglobulins and antibodies to provide passive immune protection to the mucous membranes where most of the infective microorganisms enter our body.

As exciting and important as all that is, there is even more to the support provided to our immune system by colostrum. We are now going to reveal just how colostrum also provides support to the second line of defense in our immune system by increasing the immune factors in our blood.

Antibodies are shaped like the letter “Y”. The two upper portions are called the “arms” of the antibody, and located on their tips are special docking sites which have been tailored to fit specific disease causing microorganisms. When the docking sites of the antibodies become attached to an enemy, the antibody sticks out like a flag that signals the white blood cells to attack the invader.

Where the arms come together and join the “body” of the antibody, is called the “hinge” joint of the antibody. In 1977, Dr. H.A. Harper revealed that at the hinge joint, digestive enzymes can separate the arms from the body, and then all three parts of the antibody can be transported into the blood where they can be reunited and provide antibody protection in the blood against specific disease causing microorganisms. (73) Since bovine colostrum contains a huge array of antibodies that provide protection against a wide range of diseases, the use of this colostrum can provide a great boost to our immune system.

A great many of the infective microorganisms which get into our blood are then able to enter the tissues by binding to iron molecules on the cells of the body. During the 1990’s one of the most exciting discoveries in the area of immune protection is the finding that a special class of substances known as lactoferrins, have the ability to bind to those iron molecules on cells and block out the ineffective microorganisms so they cannot enter the body’s cells and tissues. In other cases, some infective microorganisms have iron within their own structures to which the lactoferrins are able to bind, and this also prevents the microorganism from invading the body tissues. In 1978, Dr. G. Spick at the Clinical Research Center, in Harrow England discovered that bovine colostrum was an amazingly rich source for lactoferrins, and that when colostrum was consumed, it raised blood levels of lactoferrins, providing additional immune protection. (74)

Other infective microorganisms are designed to bind to oligo and polysaccharides (small and large sized animal starch molecules) on the surface of the cells and tissues of the body. Once again colostrum comes to the rescue. In 1983, Dr. L.A. Hanson discovered there were a large number of these oligo and polysaccharides in colostrum which would bind to the docking sites of these infective bacteria, thus preventing them from entering the cells and tissues of the body. (75)

Also in 1983, a very important discovery was made at the Institute of Immunology in Wroclaw, Poland. Dr. K. Starosick and research associates discovered a polypeptide chain of 9 amino acids which has been identified as a Proline Rich Protein with the name PRP-3b. (76) Meanwhile at the University of Alabama that same year. Dr. Sylvia Crago and team also discovered this very same PRP-3b substance in colostrum. (77) The reason this discovery is so important is that PRP-3b was found to be a very powerful regulator of the immune system. It has the ability to calm an overactive immune system such as in allergies, asthma, and arthritis, as well as to stimulate an immune system that is too slow to react to real threats from bacteria and viruses.

Thus we see that colostrum has much to contribute to the success of our immune system, both in the skin, our first line of defense, as well as in the blood, our second line of defense, should the invader get through the skin and into the body.

Astragalus Membranaceus:

Over 85% of all modern medicinal preparations in use today had their origin in some herb which was found to produce a beneficial effect upon the health of humans. In most cases the original herb is even superior to the patented drugs based on them, because the herbs have few if any side effects whereas the drugs frequently have many serious side effects. Three herbs have been found to exert a powerful beneficial effect upon the human immune system that even the best of modern drugs cannot match.

At the prestigious M.D. Anderson hospital and Tumor Institute in Houston, Texas a research team headed by Dr. D.T. Chu investigated the effect of extracts from the herb Astragalus Membranaceus on the drug suppressed white blood cells of cancer patients. In 1988 they found that when white blood cells known as T Lymphocytes, were taken from cancer patients and then exposed to various extracts from this herb, there was a significant improvement in these white blood cells ability to defend against foreign cells.

The doctors reported that even in cases where the white blood cells had been damaged by drugs given to the cancer patients, their white blood cells’ immune competency was improved. They also compared the white blood cells from cancer patients with white blood cells of people without cancer. When given the Astragalus extracts, the cancer patients white blood cells outperformed those of “normal” people. (78)

Astragalus has been found to contain a compound known as “swainsonine” which has the ability to greatly reduce the ability of cancer cells in mice to migrate to new sites. In other words, it greatly reduces the chances for cancer to metastasize into new locations. Since it is this ability to metastasize to new locations which makes cancer so difficult to overcome, anything which can restrict this process is extremely valuable. At Howard University Cancer Center, in 1988, Dr. M.J. Humphries and research associates investigate exactly how Astragalus accomplished this.

As I have mentioned previously, the body has white blood cells known as Natural Killer cells, identified as NK cells, whose primary job is to attack and destroy viruses and cancer cells. What Dr. Humphries and team discovered is that Astragalus extracts accomplished two things with regard to these NK cells. First, it stimulated the spleen to create and release far more of these cells than it normally would, an increase of about 32%. Second, it increased the activity of the NK cells at cancer sites by as much as 2 to 3 times, a 200 to 300% increase. (79)

There is a family of viruses known as the Coxsackie viruses which cause serious diseases all over the world. In China, one particular member of this family, the Coxsackie B virus causes a great many cases of a serious heart disease known as myocarditis. A condition that attacks and destroys the heart muscle tissue. Unfortunately there is no known drug which is effective for this condition.

In 1987, Dr. Y.Z. Yang and associates began a series of studies with heart muscle cells in test tubes which had been infected by the Coxsackie B virus. They discovered that Astragalus extract was highly beneficial at restoring function t these infected heart cells. (80) By 1990 other members of the team under the leadership of Dr. Yuan Wei-long were able to demonstrate exactly how these infected heart cells were benefited when given Astragalus extract. They found that it greatly reduced the amount of damage to the cell’s structure, and the cells were able to contract more frequently and regularly. (81)

These were what is known as in-vitro, or test tube experiments. Encouraged by this success the researchers went on to perform in-vivos studies, which means these studies were done with infected live animals. In this particular case it was done with mice, an animal species that also develops heart disease from the same family of Coxsackie B viruses, as well as much smaller, and much less severe lesions of the heart muscle when compared to mice which did not get the Astragalus extract. The difference was extremely impressive.

The mice who received the Astragalus had only 3% damage done to their heart muscle, whereas the untreated mice had 20% of their heart muscle damaged. Another way of saying this, is that Astragalus extract gave the treated mice an 85% reduction in the amount of damage suffered versus that of the untreated mice. (82)

As a result of this overwhelming success in the animals, it was decided to give the Astragalus extract to humans with already established Coxsackie B myocarditis. Sixteen patients were selected and the level of their Natural Killer cell activity was measured. Ten of the patients received the Astragalus extract, 8 grams per day for a period of 3 to 4 months, while six patients received a standard nutritional treatment, but no Astragalus.

At the start of the therapy, both groups had a Natural Killer Cell activity level of 15.6%. A the end of the therapy period, those who did not receive the Astragalus still had the same level of NK cell activity. However, those who received the Astragalus had their NK cell activity triple to 44.9%. Their clinical condition improved remarkable which included increased ability for physical activity and a reduction in arrhythmia. Their health improved even to the point of having a marked reduction in the common cold. On the other hand, those without the Astragalus had no clinical improvement in their condition. (83)

All of the above studies provide impressive evidence that Astragalus is an herb that can provide profound benefits for the immune system. Especially valuable since it has the ability to enhance the numbers and activity level of the T cells known as the Natural Killer cells. It is these cells which are so vitally important in our body’s fight against viruses and cancer cells.

Perhaps one of the most impressive results in the Chinese study with regard to the Coxsackie B virus was the research with mice which showed that the more rapidly the Astragalus could be given after the virus attacked, the more effective the Astragalus was at preventing and reversing damage. Yet, in the case of the work done with humans, these patients had already had the condition for weeks, months and in some cases for years, prior to being given the Astragalus. Still, in all cases, the Astragalus was highly beneficial and effective. One can only imagine how much more beneficial it would have been were it possible to give this valuable herb in the early stages of the infection. Which is why it is included in the immune supporting formula.

Hydrastis Candensis (Goldenseal): This is an herb that has been in common use among herbalists for close to two centuries. The many incredible claims made for this herb’s ability to restore health has resulted in a great deal of scientific interest. Since 1950, over 30 scientific investigations have been made into its ability. Although many of the claims for this herb proved to be unfounded, three of these claims have shown themselves to be every bit as valid as the herbalists of old had said they were.

It has been found that Hydrastis contains a family of biochemical compounds known as “isoquinoline alkaloids”. In this family there is one known as “berberine” that is responsible for most of the benefits of this remarkable herb. Scientific investigations have shown that it is an excellent broad spectrum natural antibiotic agent. In fact, by 1952 it was firmly established by Dr. C.C. Johnson and colleagues, that over 20 of the major infective bacteria which afflict mankind are able to be brought under control by this herb due to its berberine content. (84)

Since we now live in a world where we have become accustomed to thinking of the wonderful power of modern antibiotic drugs, it is all the more amazing to learn that many of the scientific studies of Hydrastis over the past 50 years have shown its antibiotic powers are frequently greater than the modern antibiotic prescription drugs. Just as significant and impressive is that while most of these infective microorganisms have become highly resistant to the modern antibiotic drugs, they have not become resistant to the berberine of Hydrastis.

Many of the most deadly of the microorganisms which afflict the human race, and which each year, cause millions of deaths world wide, are those which attack the intestinal tract. Among these are the mutated strains of the common E. coli bacteria, as well as the more exotic bacteria so prevalent in Third World countries. Such microorganisms as, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella paratyphi B, Klebsiella, and Vibro cholera (85) as well as the parasite Giardia lamblia. (86) All of these cause unremitting diarrhea that leads to death from dehydration and loss of electrolytes. Yet each of these deadly microbes have been shown to be effectively brought under control through the antibiotic powers berberine content of Hydrastis.

Frequently found in the contaminated water supplies of Third World nations, and a major cause of much illness and death is the amoebae, Entamoeba histolytica. Fortunately, scientific studies by Drs. T.V. Subbaiah and A.H. Amin in 1967, demonstrated that the berberine of Hydrastis can very effectively bring this very dangerous condition under-control. (87)

In addition to its outright anti-microbial qualities, Drs. R.B. Sack and J.L.

Froehlich found in 1982, that berberine also has an inhibitory effect upon excess secretions of the large intestine which are caused by the toxins of infective microorganisms. This section is not on the intestine which are caused by the toxins of infective microorganisms. This action is not on the intestines themselves, but on the ability of the berberines to neutralize the stimulating effect of the microorganism’s toxins on the walls of the intestines. This provides a secondary corrective action against diarrhea caused by infectious microorganisms. (88)

Further benefits upon the immune system were shown in 1984 by a research team led by Dr. Y. Kumazawa. It was shown that berberine increased the production of the stationary white blood cells located in organs and tissues and known as macrophages (a title which means they eat large amounts of microbes.) Berberine also increased the macrophages level of activity in destroying invading organisms. (89)

There is a truly serious and often fatal side effect of bacterial infections in the intestinal tract, even from a simple overpopulation of the E. coli bacteria and Streptococcus faecalis normally found there, which can lead to toxic blood levels of a substance known as tyrosamine. Here is what happens, when we eat foods, especially meat, which contains an important and much needed amino acid called tyrosine (many of our hormones are made from this amino acid) it comes in contact with an enzyme from these bacteria. The problem is, this enzyme, called tyrosine carboxylase, converts the beneficial tyrosine into a toxic substance known as tyrosamine.

A healthy liver can hold back and neutralize a lot of tyrosamine, however, liver damage or disease, such as cirrhosis or hepatitis occurs, then large amounts of tyrosamine, can pour into the blood. Once high levels of toxic tyrosamine builds up in the blood, both the brain and heart are poisoned, leading rapidly to malfunction and death.

Needless to say, the discovery in 1982 by Dr. A. Watanabe and team that berberine from Hydrastis can. 1. Halt the activity of the toxin producing enzyme in the intestines, 2. Improve the liver’s ability, even with a diseased liver, to neutralize the tyrosamine, and 3. Lower the blood level of this toxic substance to a safe level, was good news indeed. (90)

Finally I want to mention that dangerously high fevers can sometimes occur as a result of infectious microorganisms. Substances known as antipyretics are employed to lower these high fevers. The most common and well known of these is ordinary aspirin. In 1978 it was found by Dr. M. Sabir and associates that berberine from Hydrastis was 3 times more effective as an anti-pyretic agent as was aspirin. (91)

There are a great many other health benefits science has found that berberine from Hydrastis provides the human body, but, these are beyond our discussion of its benefits for the immune system. However, what we have seen, is that scientific studies have established that berberine from Hydrastis provides the following immune enhancing benefits:

1. Provides effective antibiotic protection against over 20 major infectious microorganisms.

2. Halts deadly diarrhea caused by infectious intestinal bacteria and parasites.

3. Halts the diarrhea and infections caused by amoebae.

4. Neutralizes the toxins of infectious intestinal microorganisms.

5. Increases the production and activity of macrophage white blood cells.

6. Prevents the formation of tyrosamine, the very toxic product of harmful intestinal bacteria.

7. Reduces fevers caused by infections three times more effectively than does aspirin.

Echinacea Angustifolia (Purple Cone Flower):

The herb Echinacea, known as the purple cone flower, grows in the wild throughout most of the naturally wooded areas of North America, and Northern Europe. Its value as a health promoting herb was discovered hundreds, perhaps thousands of years ago, by healers of Northern Europe and the medicine men of the American Indians.

When the early settlers of North America arrived, they found the Native Americans using a variety of herbs for medicinal and health giving purposes. However, the one which was the most widely used among the different Indian Nations, because it was so effective in such a broad range of illnesses was Echinacea. (92)

Naturally, such a widely used folk medicine quickly drew attention of the medical community and throughout the 1800’s it was the basis for many medicines.

By 1897 it was beginning to be studied by scientific analysis, and it was in that year that the great scientist John Uri Lloyd isolated a “colorless alkaloid” compound from Echinacea. A compound which nearly a century later, in 1984, was identified Dr. E. Roder and research associates as tussilagine and isotussilagine. (93)

According to a 1989 statement by Drs. R. Bauer and H. Wagner in Economics of Medicinal Plant Research, over 350 scientific studies have been performed on this herb revealing the following seven classes of health promoting biochemical's in Echinacea:

1) flavanoids, 2) essential oils, 3) polyacetylenes, 4) alkylamides, 5) caffeic acid derivatives, 6) polysaccharides, and 7) miscellaneous biochemical's. (94)

The most active class of substances in Echinacea are the various polysaccharide fractions. Several studies have shown that even a simple extract of juice from the fresh plant has remarkable anti-inflammatory properties. In 1952, Dr. K. Busing, (95) and in 1953, Drs. F.E. Koch and H. Uebel, (96) made a major discovery with regard to how this was achieved. They established that this anti-inflammatory process was not merely the result of suppressing the inflammatory response once it had occurred, but the result of actually preventing the irritation and inflammation from ever occurring in the first place.

As you know, the body is made up of minute units called cells. These cells are joined together to make up the tissues of the body. A glue like material which has been given the name “ground substance” is what binds these cells together. A key factor in maintaining the integrity of this ground substance glue, is a biochemical called hyaluronic acid.

In order for bacteria to spread throughout the tissues, they must be able to dissolve the ground substance which holds together the tissue matrix. Therefore they have developed the ability to create an enzyme nick-named the “spreading factor”.

Technically this enzyme goes by the name hyaluronidase and it is used by the bacteria (and in snake venom) to dissolve the hyaluronic acid which gives the ground substance its integrity. When viruses take over a cell, they use the machinery of the cell to manufacture hyaluronidase. Once they have used this enzyme to turn the sturdy gelatinous ground substance into a watery mixture, the bacteria, virus and snake venom are able to spread rapidly from one cell to another, causing maximum damage and inflammation.

What Drs. Busing, Koch and Uebel discovered, was that a polysaccharide fraction of Echinacea was a very powerful inhibitor of the enzyme hyaluronidase. By preventing this enzyme from working, the ability of bacteria and virus to spread rapidly, is greatly reduced. This gives the white blood cells a better opportunity to destroy them before they can spread and multiply. Obviously this greatly reduces the amount of inflammation in an extremely beneficial way.

Drs. Koch and Uebel also found this same polysaccharide fraction was able to stimulate certain cells in the area under attack, which are known as fibroblast cells. The fibroblast cells manufacture the ground substance. Through this local increase of ground substance, there can be a rapid increase in local tissue integrity, and a quick repair of any damage which might have been done.

A further method of preventing inflammation was discovered in 1971 through the efforts of the Italian research team Drs. I. Bonadeo and M. Lavazza. They found that one of the fractions of Echinacea has a mild cortisone-like effect. It calms already inflamed tissues, and stimulates the cortex of the adrenal glands to increase the production of their hormones in order to further suppress inflammation. (97)

Although a large number of clinical studies has shown Echinacea extract greatly improves an individual’s ability to fight infections, other studies have shown that when Echinacea extracts are applied directly to a wide variety of bacteria, yeast, or virus, its direct antibiotic effect is rather weak. This has prompted medical researchers to find out why Echinacea is so effective against infectious organisms when it is in the human body, and yet so weak in the test tube.

In 1985, a research team in Germany, led by Dr. V. Wagner, found that certain fractions of the Echinacea polysaccharides were able to bind to receptor sites on the surface of white blood cells and stimulate them to a greater level of activity. The researchers found it effectively promoted activation of T cells, causing an increase in their production of interferon and other immune enhancing chemicals.

These are white blood cells which surround bacteria, virus, and yeast and literally digest them to death. Macrophages are large cells which are permanently stationed in the tissues to do this job.

The neutrophils can be thought of as “search and destroy” squads which are smaller and far more numerous, roaming through the blood and lymph vessels looking for the enemy. Finally it must be noted that Echinacea polysaccharide fractions were found to increase the activity level of Natural Killer cells, the body’s number one destroyer of cancer cells. (97)

Now that we know how Echinacea works, lets take a look at the clinical results of some of the scientific studies which have been done. Of course the flu and common cold are conditions for which modern medicine has no effective treatment. Yet in 1992, when Dr. B. Braunig and research team gave 180 such patients, either a worthless placebo or 900 mg. of Echinacea per day, those receiving the Echinacea had a significant reduction in their symptoms, length of the flu or cold, cut from 8 down to 4 days, and increased in length of time before the onset of another cold or flu, raised it from 28 days to 40 days. (98)

As an undesirable side effect of modern antibiotic therapy there has been a near epidemic outbreak of vaginal Candida yeast infections. In 1986, Drs. E.G. Coeugniet and R. Kuhnast took 203 patients with reoccurring vaginal yeast infections and gave them either a common topical medical drug treatment alone, or in combination with an orally administered dose of Echinacea extract.

The results were amazing. Those receiving the drug therapy alone had a 60.5% rate of recurrence within six months. Those also receiving the oral dose of Echinacea only had a 16.7% rate of recurrence. (99)

One of the many grave dangers to receiving radiation in an attempt to destroy cancer cells in the body, is that it also virtually wipes out the immune system and lowers the white blood count to dangerously low levels. In 1969, Dr. P. Pohl did a study with a group of cancer patients receiving radiation therapy in which he gave half of the subjects a worthless placebo, and the other half an extract from Echinacea.

After 45 days those receiving the placebo had their white blood count drop from 6,000 down to 2,500, a 60% decline. Of those who received the Echinacea, a full 85% experienced no drop in white blood cells after 45 days, and the other 15% had less than half the drop of those on the placebo. (100)

What we can clearly see from these modern scientific studies, is that the reputation Echinacea had among the American Indians as being a highly beneficial herb for the immune system was richly deserved.

Only Standardized Herbal Extracts are Used:

One of the great advantages of modern scientific research into how herbs work, is to know which specific ingredient within each herb is responsible for generating the most favorable result, and then exactly how much of that ingredient is required in order to be beneficial. Then, when an herb is to be used, it should be an herb where the active ingredients have been brought to a high and standardized level. In this way, the use of the herb at the suggested dose will have enough activity to provide the desired results. In the Immune Plus formula, each of the three herbs used, Astragalus, Hydrastis, and Echinacea are all standardized high potency herbs in quantities found to provide the results shown in scientific studies.

The Immune System’s Third Line of Defense:

The thymus gland is a small gland located in front ot the throat, just behind the breast bone, and it is known as the “master gland” of the immune system. A reputation that is much deserved.

The immune system is a very complex system of white blood cells, immunoglobulins, antibodies, and a wide variety of chemicals. All of these various parts must work in a well orchestrated manner in order to provide maximum protection to our body against harmful disease causing microorganisms as well as cancer cells from within our body.

It must provide all of this protection without causing any serious harm to our body. When the lay person first hears this statement they are quiet surprised by it. However, when the immune system launches a war on foreign invaders, it is every bit a war as much as any war fought by soldiers on a battle field outside the body. In such a war, very powerful and dangerous weapons are used. Just as in any war, unless such powerful weapons are carefully controlled, a lot of damage can be inflicted on unintended targets.

On the other hand, unless the immune systems army is on constant alert, the enemy can sneak in and gain a powerful foothold before the immune system has time to go to work. In such cases, the enemy may gain such a big lead that the immune army can never catch up. This leads not only to serious illness, but to the death of the body as well.

It is the white blood cells which have graduated from the immune systems armed forces academy, the thymus gland, these are the generals in charge of the immune system. Basically thee are three main types of generals in charge. One type is known as the suppressor cells, these are the generals which keep things from getting out of hand. The other type is known as the helper cells, these are the generals which keep the army on alert so that the enemy does not sneak up and destroy the body before the immune army is ready. Finally, there are the T Cells, these are the commanding generals which coordinate the immune army into a smooth running unit that protects us day and night, year in and year out.

The thymus gland controls the various cells of the immune system by secreting a variety of hormones, such as thymosin, thymopoeitin, and serum thymic factor. In the early years of life, the thymus gland is large and plump, and very active at producing these hormones. However, by the time we reach adulthood most of the cells which to be programmed by the thymus gland, have already been programmed.

With this load removed, the gland begins to subside in size and activity. However, if we are going to have optimum health throughput life, the thymus gland must still be able to produce its hormones.

Unfortunately, there are many different ways in which the thymus gland can be adversely effected, causing it to shrivel and greatly reduce its production of hormones. In cases of severe illness, physical or emotional stress, Dr. Hans Selye has shown the gland to be so adversely effected, that it literally hemorrhages and shrivels up like a prune. Without adequate nutrition to offset this stress, or repair of the damage that it causes, the thymus gland can be permanently damaged. The immune system will be so severely compromised that repeated infections, poor health and an early death will result.

For a great many years it was always believed that the shriveled thymus gland so often seen during the autopsies of adults was just a normal consequence of adult life. However, in recent years scientific investigators into the relationship between nutrition and the well being of the thymus gland has shown it doesn’t have to be that way. In the following paragraphs we will share a few of these amazing discoveries.

Vitamin A:

Working at the Albert Einstein Medical College of New York, Dr. Eli Seifter made one of the most important and far reaching discoveries concerning the thymus gland ever made. Following in the footsteps of Dr. Hans Selye, the great stress researcher from Montreal, Canada, Dr. Seifter placed laboratory animals under a variety of stress factors, and just as Selye had found, their thymus gland hemorrhaged and shriveled and shrank to half its original size. Furthermore, these glands were unable to repair themselves, and left the immune system permanently impaired.

However, Seyle’s research had also shown that much higher than normal amounts of nutrition given at the time of stress, or shortly thereafter, would prevent much of the damage and when sufficient, even reverse some of it.

As Dr. Seifter continued this line of research he made an amazing breakthrough. He found that when he gave vitamin A at an amount 10 times greater than normal he could totally prevent the shrinkage of the thymus gland. (101)

Similar research was conducted by Dr. Nauss and his associates, in which they found that the stress of severe injury will quickly reduce the blood serum level of vitamin A by 5 to 10%. They also found that the liver will lose 5% of its Vitamin A content during severe injury. However, during severe injury, the thymus gland loses as much as 90 to 95% of its vitamin A content. This amazing finding reveals exactly why Drs. Eli Seifter and Hans Selye found that it took such a massive amount of vitamin A, as much as 10 times normal, to restore the thymus gland to normal. (102)

Thymus Gland Tissue Extract:

Many years ago it was found that when individuals had thyroid glands which were functioning below the level required to produce good health, that by giving

them supplements of dried thyroid gland tissue extract, it would restore the activity level of thyroid hormones to normal. In very recent times it has been found that the same holds true for giving dried thymus gland tissue extract to those whose thymus gland has been impaired, thus restoring the competency of their immune system.

In 1987, Drs. P. Cazzola, P. Mazzanti and G. Bossi began giving thymus gland extracts to patients with AIDS, chronic infections, allergies, migraine headache, and rheumatoid arthritis. In all these conditions, the balance between the T-Helper and T-Suppressor cells was out of balance. In some cases it was too high one way, and in other cases it was too high the other way, and in still other cases they were both too low. Yet when these patients were given the thymus gland tissue extract, in a matter of weeks their T-Cell balance was restored to normal. (103)

Two years later, in 1989, Dr. Cazzola was joined by two new colleagues, Drs. M. Prada and N. M. Kouttab in working with cancer patients whose T-Cell level was suppressed, and with a ratio that was out of balance due to radiation and chemotherapy. They gave these cancer patients thymus gland tissue extracts, and within just a few weeks their T-Cell level began to rise and In a few more weeks the ratio between them normalized.

Four years prior to this last study, in 1985, a research team led by Dr. S.D. Kang was working with cancer patients whose bone marrow had lost the ability to produce an adequate number of white blood cells due to radiation and chemotherapy. After giving these patients thymus gland tissue extract for six months, the ability of the bone marrow to produce white blood cells gradually returned to normal. (105) Depressing the immune system just a little more, thus making the next infection that much more likely to occur. In 1986, Dr. A. Fiocchi and associates found that the T-Cell ratio of children with recurring respiratory infections was significantly depressed and their ratio was out of balance. They performed a double blind study, giving half the children a placebo, and half were given thymus gland tissue extract. Over the course of a year, those who received the placebo showed no improvement in the number of infections or the status of their immune system.

Those given the thymus were able to effectively eliminate their current infection, significantly reduce recurrences of additional respiratory and other infections, and improved the blood profile of their immune system. (106)

Viral infections of all types are very challenging for the immune system as well as to the medical profession, since there are no drugs which will kill the virus and keep the patient alive at the same time. Thus if the individual is to survive a viral infection, it will be up to their own immune system to do the job. There are few challenges to the medical profession, or the patients immune system, as great as when dealing they are dealing with a case of viral hepatitis B.

Yet, in several double blind studies done with this condition using thymus gland tissue extract, there was a significant rate of recovery for both chronic and acute cases of viral hepatitis B.

In one such study with children suffering from the chronic version of this condition, Dr. F. Bortolotti and associates gave them thymus gland tissue extract. The results were extremely impressive. In these cases many of the liver enzymes are elevated, especially the transaminases. Shortly after the children began taking the thymus extract, these levels started declining and eventually returned to normal. There was also a seroconversion of anti-Hbe to normal, indicating an elimination of the virus and a clinical remission. (107)

As can be seen by these examples from the medical and scientific literature, thymus gland tissue extract has a proven scientific record of improving the quality and effectiveness of an impaired thymus gland and immune system, even in the face of damage by radiation, chemotherapy and chronic recurring infections.

The inclusion of thymus gland tissue extract in the Immune Plus formula along with a significant amount of vitamin A provides adequate nutritional support for the thymus gland as well as the entire immune system.

A Final Word About Immune Plus:

The subject of the nutrients which make up this formula have been so thoroughly covered, and each section has been summarized, so there is no need for a further summary here. It is this unique approach of brining all the nutritional factors which have been medically and scientifically proven to be key factors in creating and maintaining a powerful immune system that makes this Immune Plus formula so truly exceptional and outstanding.

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