your immune system canbe friend or foe. When itis balanced, your body

is able to distinguish selffrom nonself and fight off awide range of biological andchemical threats. But whenyour immune system is dam-aged, it can be either under-active or overactive, resultingin susceptibility to infectiousdisease, cancer and othersigns of poor health, or it can

actually attack the body’s own organs, particularlythe pancreas, liver and kidneys.

To take care of your immune health, supplementwith a high-concentrated first-milking colostrum.

First-milking colostrum is one of the very bestfoods for your immune health. Colostrum benefitspeople with low immunity or who are suffering fromautoimmunity (when the body attacks its ownorgans as in lupus).

persons with immune system disorders—includingimmune deficiency, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoidarthritis, lupus, scleroderma, chronic fatigue syn-drome, and allergies—is that it is a particularly richsource of bioactive immune factors. These many

Colostrum work together to provide incredibly valu-able immune-support benefits.

First-milking colostrum provides immunoglobu-lins (A, D, E, G and M). These are some of the mostabundant of the immune factors found in

colostrum; immunoglobulin G (IgG) neutralizes tox-ins and microbes in the lymph and circulatory sys-tem. Meanwhile, IgM destroys bacteria; IgE andIgD are highly antiviral.

Lactoferrin, another immune factor, is an antivi-ral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, iron-bindingprotein with therapeutic support benefits in cancer,HIV, cytomegalovirus, herpes, chronic fatigue syn-drome, candida, and other infections. Lactoferrinhelps deprive bacteria of the iron they require toreproduce, and releases iron into the red bloodcells, enhancing oxygenation of tissues. Lactofer-rin modulates the release of messenger proteinsknown as cytokines, and its receptors have beenfound on most immune cells including lympho-cytes, monocytes, macrophages and platelets.

Many drug manufacturers have even tried toisolate and synthesize individual immune factorsfound in colostrum, including interferon and gammaglobulin. But there is no question that for many per-sons, the whole intact immune complement found incolostrum is far superior to medical drugs.

“Historically, Ayurvedic physicians have usedbovine colostrum therapeutically in India for thou-sands of years,” reports Zoltan P. Rona, M.D., M.Sc.,in the March 1998 issue of the American Journal ofNatural Medicine. “In the United States and through-out the world, conventional doctors used it for anti-biotic purposes prior to the introduction of sulfadrugs and penicillin. In the early 1950s, colostrumwas prescribed extensively for the treatment ofrheumatoid arthritis. In 1950, Dr. Albert Sabin, thepolio vaccine developer, discovered that colostrumcontained antibodies against polio and recom-mended it for children susceptible to catching polio.”

28 the doctors’ prescription for healthy living

Immune Support

A Food SupplementHelps Autoimmune andImmune-Deficient Patients

“I knew that I needed theimmunoglobulins that were incolostrum and I had been tryingbrand after brand without success,”she says. “I was becoming verypessimistic because I knew the

colostrum, “I was greatly surprisedbecause there was no asthma.” (Sheis allergic to milk; the other brands ofcolostrum had caused both stomachtroubles and asthma.) “In fact, the‘first-milking’ colostrum eventually

worse, and within several days I wasback to ‘normal.’ The colostrumseemed to help even more thananother immunoglobulin product Ihad used. Also, my digestion, whichhad been an almost continuous prob-

applied topically, helps the skin prob-lems caused by the other sub-stances. I am not yet totally well andI am continuing to take other supple-ments and medications (although Iwas able to cut back on some). I

Dianne M. Tumbers,of Tucson, Arizona, hadsuffered from chronicfatigue syndrome for14 years when she wasdiagnosed with primaryimmune deficiency.

One of the reasons Immune Tree, IncorporatedColostrum has been used so successfully by

immune factors in Immune Tree, Incorporated

immunoglobulins were absolutely solved the milk allergy almost entirely lem for 11 years, is now more than know that Immune Tree colostrum isnecessary for me.” she adds. ‘Seven hours after taking those first 95 percent better than it was. Many colostrum is an essential part of theWhen she tried Immune Tree capsules I stopped getting supplements and medications give improvement I am enjoying and I feel

HELP FOR UNDERACTIVE OROVERACTIVE IMMUNE SYSTEMSReaders may have noticed that we statedcolostrum may be used for both overactive immunesystem problems, as well as those involving under-active immune function. An overactive immune sys-tem has been implicated in autoimmune diseasessuch as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis,lupus, scleroderma, chronic fatigue syndrome, andallergies. An underactive system is implicated inincreased risk for infectious conditions, cancer andbacterially related heart disease.

Colostrum benefits both conditions because it ismore correctly thought of as an immune system “nor-malizer” or “modulator.” Its health-giving immune fac-tors work intuitively on a biological level.

This is thanks in part to being a rich source ofanother immune factor, proline-rich polypeptide.Also known as PRP or colostrinine, proline-richpolypeptide is a hormone that regulates the thymusgland, stimulating an underactive immune systemor subduing an overactive immune system. In a1979 study published in Immunology, it was shownthat proline-rich polypeptide from colostrum couldeither stimulate or suppress the immune response.

Proline-rich polypeptide causes the body’simmune cells to produce cytokines. Cytokines areproteins that regulate the duration and intensity ofthe body’s immune response.

When it comes to overactive immune systemfunction, PRP “has been demonstrated to improve oreliminate symptomology of both allergies andautoimmune diseases (MS, rheumatoid arthritis,lupus, and myasthenia gravis),” notes Dr. Rona,adding that proline-rich polypeptide “inhibits theoverproduction of lymphocytes and T-cells andreduces the major symptoms of allergies and autoim-mune disease: pain, swelling, and inflammation.”

IMMUNE DEFICIENCY HELPMeanwhile, when it comes to immune deficiency,PRP has also been shown to be of benefit. In a1998 study conducted at the Laboratory of Virol-ogy, Institute of Immunology and ExperimentalTherapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw,Poland, it was shown that when proline-richpolypeptide isolated from colostrum was added tothe immune cells found in the membrane lining theabdominal cavity and viscera immediately aftervirus adsorption or one day before or after viralinfection, weakened cells were better able to inhibitvirus replication.

This is critically important and we shouldn’tunderestimate the significance of this experimentalstudy. Two volunteers were given tablets contain-ing 100 or 200 micrograms of proline-richpolypeptide orally once daily for two to threeweeks. The oral dosage was found to be “activein humans and may have therapeutic value,” saythese scientists. Immune cells found in the gas-trointestinal tract produce about 75 percent of theantibodies in the body. Since colostrum stimulatesthe immune cells in the gastrointestinal tract, it hasgreat potential to support strong and protectiveimmune function.

THE DOCTORS’ PRESCRIPTION

ments for immune health. Their “first-milking”

merly available from Immune-Tree, a leader in pro-ducing the nation’s highest quality colostrum.) Thisis important to know. True colostrum is producedbefore the actual birth of the calf and can only becollected for a short period of time, without beingdiluted by the subsequent production of milk. At thetime of birth, potency is at its peak. The active ele-ments such as immune factors, growth factors,antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents are attheir highest concentrations. However, in less than12 hours, the concentration of these components isonly half of what it was at the time of birth. What thismeans is that the sooner the colostrum is collected,the less diluted it is with milk, and the greater theconcentration of beneficial factors. Unfortunately,much of what today is sold as colostrum—especiallyimported brands and those sold on the mass marketand over the Internet by companies that purchase itas simply another bulk commodity item—comesfrom the first four to six milkings after the birth of thecalf and is as old as 72 hours. �

the doctors’ prescription for healthy living 29

Many studies have shown hair-dressers to be at relatively highrisk for toxic exposures that dam-age their cellular DNA due to thenumerous toxic chemicals used incosmetic and personal care prod-ucts. “After years of exposure, myimmune system had taken a beat-ing,” says Chavez. “At one point inmy career I par ticipated with otherhairdressers in a study to deter-mine the long-term effects of thechemicals we use. I had bloodtests, allergy tests, and white cellcounts under varying circum-stances. In the end, it was deter-mined that I was on toxic overloadwith very little I could do about it ifI continued as a hairdresser.”

he had been ill for a very longtime and had begun to miss somany appointments “that it wasbeginning to be a real problem.”His colleagues strongly suggested

about 10 days when I began tak-ing the colostrum and then thingsstar ted to clear up and I noticedenergy—not a ‘speedy’ feeling butreal deep-down energy,” he says.“The colostrum has also clearedmy lungs and I can breathe deeplyagain. Now I run around here atwork and everyone wonders whathas happened to me.”

You might say that hair-dresser Michael Chavezof Concord,California,works in a veryhazardous occupation.

Resources

Immune Tree Incorporated specializes in supple-

colostrum is taken from dairy cows within the first 6to 8 hours. (In fact, it is the same colostrum for-

When Chavez discoveredImmune Tree Colostrum,

“I had a runny nose forthat he try Immune Tree.

Immune Tree develops and distributes a variety of high-quality products which focus primarilystrengthening the immune system. Immune Tree's first-milking colostrum comes in capsules,powder, chewables and lozenges. The usual dosage is six capsules or chewables daily. If usingpowder, take 1/2 teaspoon twice daily with water.