Transfer Factor Immune System Support
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Transfer Factor? Transfer
Factor is a set of messaging molecules that convey immune information within
an individual's immune system. Nature also uses transfer factor to carry
immune information from one individual's immune system to another individual.
This in fact is how it got its name: by being the factor that transferred
immunity from one person to another.
2. How was Transfer Factor discovered?
In 1949 Dr. H. Sherwood Lawrence was working on the problem of tuberculosis.
What he was trying to discover was if any component of the blood could
convey a tubercular sensitivity from an exposed recovered donor to a naive
recipient. Whole blood transfusions could be used but only between people
of the same blood type. Lawrence first separated the blood's immune cells,
the lymphocytes or white blood cells, from the whole blood. Then he broke
open the lymphocytes and separated the contents of the cells into various
size fractions. What he found was that a fraction of small molecules was
able to transfer tuberculin sensitivity to a naive recipient. This is what
Dr. Lawrence called transfer factor.
3. Is blood the only source of transfer
factor? Originally it was. It was not until the mid 1980's that
two researchers came up with the idea that Transfer Factor may also be
present in colostrum. The confirmation of this discovery was awarded a
patent in 1989. Colostrum is now the best source of transfer factor.
4. What is colostrum? It
is the first milk that a mother produces immediately after giving birth.
5. What prompted these scientists
to look for Transfer Factor in colostrum? Those who have worked
with cattle know that if a calf is not allowed to nurse from its mother
it will most often die within a short time. The calves would die in spite
of an abundance of food. Death in these cases was cause by infections brought
on by the most common organisms. For whatever reason the immune systems
of these calves were not working. Seeing this suggests that there is some
kind of immune information was being transferred from the mother and her
infant. The logical question then became: was it transfer factor? The answer
was a resounding YES!
6. Transfer Factor is isolated
from colostrum, what about milk allergies and lactose intolerance? Milk
allergies are caused by the large milk proteins, primarily casein, and
to a lesser extent the immunoglobulins. These proteins are completely removed
from the transfer factor. Lactose intolerance is most common in Oriental
populations; much less so in those of European or African decent. We are
conscience of this concern and remove the lactose from our product.
7. How does Transfer Factor™ compare
to the colostrum products that are on the market now? We looked
seriously at hyperimmunized colostrum and eggs. These products are good
but certain issues must be addressed. First the milk allergy and lactose
intolerance issues as we discussed above. Second the issue of immunoglobulin
or antibody effectiveness. The use of cross species antibody therapy can
be effective in the short run. Long-term use is ineffective since the recipient
develops antibodies to the foreign antibody thus destroying its effectiveness.
Antibody therapy is given intravenously since oral consumption leads to
acid degradation in the stomach.
8. Is Transfer Factor™ only good
for newborns? Transfer Factor is good for everyone who needs
an extra immune boost. The three groups who are most in need of immune
strengthening are the young, the old, and anyone under stress. Almost all
of us fall into one of these categories. We often talk of the baby-boom
generation. Most of these people are at an age where already their immune
systems are becoming lax. Transfer Factor is a way to boost a lagging immune
system.
9. Has Transfer Factor™ been scientifically
validated? Since Lawrence's discovery of Transfer Factor in 1949,
there have been over 3000 scientific studies published on Transfer Factor.
Dr. Hennen has summarized a portion of this research in a forty-eight-page
booklet for the general public. This booklet can be obtained from
Woodland Books by calling 801 785-8100.
10. What conditions are responsive
to Transfer Factor™? Transfer factor preparations have been used
to effectively treat a wide range of diseases. These include bacterial,
mycobacterial, fungal, parasitic, viral, and cancer. It is in part because
of AIDS, or more specifically our frustration in treating AIDS, that transfer
factor is experiencing a resurgence of research interest. In fact a recent
international symposium held in Italy was titled: "Transfer Factor in the
Era of AIDS".
11. If Transfer Factor™ is so effective
why hasn't the pharmaceutical industry jumped on Transfer Factor™? I
think that is exactly what we are seeing in many foreign countries notably
China, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Japan. In the US transfer
factor has had an interesting history. The idea of transfer factor flies
in the face of conventional immunology. In the 50’s antibiotics were the
golden child of medicine followed in the 60's by steroids like cortisone
for inflammation and the synthetic steroid hormones like ethinyl estrogen
and progestin that were used to create the birth control pill. After an
initial delay transfer factor hit its heyday in the 70's and early 80's.
Results however were inconsistent as researchers dove in sometimes with
more enthusiasm than skill. The key feature that was missing in these investigations
was a dependable assay technique for quality control of the product. The
quality control issue was not resolved until the mid 1980's. Given that
transfer factor is not a single entity, the pharmaceutical companies had
fits to trying to purify the material without losing efficacy. This force-fit
into the single-entity, single-function drug dogma was disastrous. The
next issue that slowed transfer factor research is the age-old issue of
funding. When AIDS hit the popular press politicians shifted funding into
AIDS research but with the focus on finding the cause and then finding
a drug that would cure AIDS. The work of a few dedicated, but under-funded,
researchers and the inability of the mainstream medical-pharmaceutical
industry have combined to again focus attention on transfer factor as one
of the few modalities that is effective against diseases of viral origin.
12. Are there reasons why we haven't
seen transfer factor as a food supplement before now? Yes, there
are two doors that recently have opened that allow transfer factor to be
effectively marketed now. The first door to open was the passage of DSHEA
in 1994. The provision for structure-functions claims allows the story
of transfer factor to be told without jeopardizing its status as a nutritional
supplement. The second is technical. Transfer factor was definitely an
idea way ahead of its time and it had to wait for technology to catch up.
The processing methods that allow for large-scale extraction of transfer
factor have only recently been perfected and a commercial product has only
been available for the past year.
13. How does one discuss Transfer
Factor in terms of structure-function claims? Simplistically,
transfer factor strengthens the immune system. But that is simplistic and
could be used to describe a number of herbal products and other supplements.
Let me answer the question by first reiterating that transfer factor is
not just a single entity. Transfer factor is in fact a complex mixture
containing three separate fractions. These three fractions are an INDUCER
fraction, and ANTIGEN SPECIFIC fraction, and a SUPPRESSOR fraction. Since
our immune systems fight the microbe wars for us, let me use a military
analogy to explain these three functions. The inducer fraction serves as
the drill Sargent of basic training whipping the immune system into shape
but not telling them who to go out and attack. The antigen specific fraction
is like a set of wanted posters identifying critical features of the bad
guys. If we were microbes these specific identifiers would be our fingerprints,
mug shots, etc. Similarly a whole set of transfer factors are made against
a single microbe type. Finally the suppressor fraction is like the politicians
who declare an end to the war and demobilize the troops. Without this action
a lot of excessive damage is done both in war and within ourselves. When
our immune system does not demobilize or overreacts we suffer from autoimmune
diseases such as multiple sclerosis and allergies. Unlike most immune supplements,
that provide the building blocks for proper immune function, transfer factor
is immune intelligence. It is immune information and education that focuses
the immune system keeping it on task and effective. This is a whole new
concept in immune system strengthening.
14. Is Transfer Factor™ FDA approved?
Foods and dietary supplements are not approved per se by the FDA and food
supplements derived from milk would certainly fall under the category of
Generally Recognized As Safe [GRAS].
15. Is Transfer Factor™ safe? YES,
researchers have given huge doses of Transfer Factor™ to volunteers
in an attempt to trigger some sort of adverse reaction. No negative side
effects were observed even with massive doses.
16. Are there any reports about
Transfer Factor helping people with cancer? Radiation, chemotherapy,
and surgery are the commonly used conventional cancer treatments. Both
radiation and chemotherapy are highly damaging to fast growing cells in
the body such as the intestinal lining, the bone marrow and the cells of
the immune system. After these treatments persons often have to be on very
strong antibiotics in order to prevent infections. The use of transfer
factor during radiation or chemotherapy protects the immune system by some
mechanism which we do not fully understand at the present. In cases of
surgical removal of certain tumors the use of Transfer Factor™ as
an adjuvant therapy resulted in a consistently higher survival rate.
17. What about colds? Colds
are viral diseases and transfer factor is used most commonly against viral
conditions. Studies of transfer factor and colds have not been officially
done but interestingly cold relief is a commonly reported side effect of
taking Transfer Factor™.
18. Is transfer factor safe for
infants? Colostral transfer factor was designed by Nature for
newborns. Removal of the milk allergens and lactose leaves only the essence
of the immunological information in the form of Transfer Factor™.
19. Is transfer factor safe for
pregnant women?
There have been no adverse responses
reported while taking Transfer Factor XF during pregnancy, but as with any
supplement, consult a physician.
20. Who can benefit from taking
Transfer Factor XF?
Everyone who needs an extra immune boost
can benefit from taking Transfer Factor XF.
21. What is the difference
between transfer factors and colostrum? Transfer factors are the most
powerful part of colostrum. Colostrum contains bovine specific antibodies that
can cause allergic reactions. However, transfer factors are not species-specific
and can be given to another mammal without reaction. In addition, transfer
factor supplements are vastly more concentrated than colostrum alone. In fact,
you would have to consume many quarts of colostrum to receive the same benefits
of one transfer factor capsule.
22. Who makes transfer factor?
Through a special patented process licensed to 4Life Research, transfer factors are extracted from cow colostrum. 4Life's Transfer Factor
naturally supports the body's immune system, communicating immune information
more efficiently among the cells in the body, and ultimately enhancing the
body's ability to withstand attacks on its health. In addition, transfer factors
are unique because they also contain a suppressor factor, which helps to
normalize and balance an overactive immune system.
23. Can persons who have milk
allergies use Transfer Factor XF?
Yes. Transfer factors themselves are
non-allergenic. Common allergens such as immunoglobulins and casein are removed
from Transfer Factor products.
Relieving
Concerns about the "Mad Cow Disease"
By Richard H. Bennett, Ph.D.
Expert
in Infectious Disease Microbiology
Over the last
year, medical professionals and customers alike have raised questions about
the safety of Transfer Factor™ products. Many of the questions are about
TSE's (Transmissable Spongio encephalopathies). This concern arises from
the events that have taken place in England over the last 14 years.
In 1986 over
160,000 cases of bovine neurological disease were confirmed in sick cattle
in Europe. The disease is called Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or BSE.
The common linkage of this disease outbreak was the practice of feeding
rendered animal waste products back to beef cattle. The infective agent
is likely a Prion or a viral-like particle. The agents that cause TSE's
have not been fully identified. Just the same the BSE agents withstand
heat processing of normal cooking and pasteurization. Once ingested they
have the ability to infect cells, especially neurological tissues, and
reproduce themselves.
The BSE agent
is highly species specific as it infects the bovine almost exclusively.
The concern about BSE and human health arose from a statistical linkage
that suggested that a variant of the BSE agent was able to cause the human
equivalent of BSE called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease or CJD. CJD has a genetic
predisposition component and occurs worldwide at a rate of 1 per million
persons. CJD has been linked to the use of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) use
and transplantation of neurological tissue.
In England
a variant form of CJD was identified in 14 patients as of 1996. In contrast
to typical CJD, this variant affected young patients. Rigorous scientific
review concluded that no definite link between BSE and the CDJ variant
could be established. Circumstantial evidence suggested that consumption
of meat containing the BSE agent was the likely cause. Thousands of English
and European consumers were likely exposed, yet only 14 human cases have
been confirmed. Milk and dairy products did not appear to be a linkage
to the disease and are considered safe by UK authorities.
Worldwide surveillance
for BSE reveals there are a few other countries that have low incidence
of BSE in cattle. THERE HAVE BEEN NO CASES OF BSE IN THE UNITED STATES
EVER. Internal surveillance for BSE is intense due to the potential devastating
impact of the disease on the milk and meat industries.
There are TSE's
in other animals in the US, including cats, mink, deer, elk, sheep and
goats. There is no evidence of horizontal transmission to humans from these
species.
The US meat
and milk supply is considered by the USDA and WHO to be free of the BSE
agent. Most importantly protections are now law. BSE is a noticeable disease
and veterinarians are required to report suspect cases. Hundreds of cattle
brains in the US are examined each year for evidence of BSE. There have
been no confirmed cases from this screening process.
In August of
1997 the FDA instituted regulations that prohibit the refeeding of most
animal proteins to cattle and other ruminants. Feeding animal protein to
milk cows has never been recommended and has not been the practice of the
dairy producer.
In summary,
we should have great confidence that all colostrum and bovine sources of
thymus protein are not contaminated with the BSE agent. The programs and
regulations currently in place will work effectively to ensure product
safety for 4Life™ products derived from animal sources.
References
Sources: WHO
Fact Sheet No. 133, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy,
www.who.int/inf-fs/en/fact113.html
USDA, APHIS,
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy,
www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/bse
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