FACTANDFICTIONABOUTIMMUNESUPPLEMENTS

InterviewwithDr.JimmyGutman,leadingauthoronglutathioneandthe
immunesystem

Q: Asakeenobserverofhealthsupplements,Iamamazedatallthedifferent
productsthathaverecentlycomeontothemarketclaimingtoraisetheimmunesystem.
Idliketogetyourperspectiveasascientistandasadoctoronhowaccuratethese
claimsare.

A: Great!Everyonereallyshouldhaveacriticallookatthemanyothermedical
claimsthatarebouncingaroundoutthereonallkindsofhealthissues.Imsureyouve
heardmesaybeforethereareonlythreethingsthatcountinmakingmymindup
aboutanysupplementresearch,researchandmoreresearch!

Q: Wellforstartersthen,whatdoestheresearchshowabouttheeffectsoffreshfruit
andvegetablesontheimmunesystem?

A: Inanidealworld,wewouldgeteverythingweneedfromourfoodstuff.Thishas
beenincreasinglydifficulttodooverthepastfewdecadesduetotheoveruseof
chemicalfertilizers,herbicidesandpesticides,nottomentionthegeneticmodification
ofplantsandanimals.Manyofthesepracticeshaveledtothedeteriorationofquality
(notquantity)ofnutritioninourfood.

Q: Iveheardyousayinlectures,Dontthinkthatthefruitsandvegetablesyouateas
akidaresimilartotheonesyoucanbuyatthesupermarkettoday!Iguessthatkindof
sumsupwhymoreandmorehealthprofessionalsarerecommendingthatweneedtobe
takingsupplementstoroundoffourneeds.

A: Veryaccurate.Itwouldbegreattojustbeableto
relyongoodfood.Forexample,thevitaminCyou
derivefromanorangeisvastlydifferentfromthat
foundinmostsupplements.Unfortunately,the
amountofthesevitaminsintodaysfruitscontinuesto
fall.Ipersonallyhaveaproblemdrinkingagallonof
orangejuice.

Q: ButIveseenmanyvitaminCsupplementsand
juicecompaniesclaimthattheirproductsbumpupthe
immunesystem!Howtrueisthat?

A: Dr.LinusPaulingdemonstratedthepositiveeffectthattakingvitaminChadonthe
commoncoldmorethanfourdecadesago.Overtheyearshowever,thishasbeen
extrapolatedbydifferentindividualstoincludeallthreatstotheimmunesystem.
Unfortunately,theresearchdidnotreallypanout.Inreality,vitaminCcanimprove
immunefunctionsomewhat,butonlyindirectly.

Q: Areyousayingthatourimmuneresponseissupportedrather
thanactuallyenhancedbytheuseofvitaminC?

A: Verywellstated!HeresthebottomlineANYantioxidant
potentiallycansupportimmunefunction,whetheritisvitaminC,
vitaminEoralonglistofothervitamins.Theireffectontheimmune
systemisthroughsimilarmechanisms.

Q: Indirectmechanisms,likewhat?

A: Iknowyouregoingtolovethisanswerbysupportingthe
functionofglutathione!Yousee,althoughwecallglutathionethemasterantioxidant,
glutathionestillappreciatessomehelp,sotospeak.Whenthereareexogenous
antioxidantslikevitaminCorEaround,theycansupportsomeoftheworkof
glutathione.Butthebodyspecificallyneedsglutathionetofeedthewhitebloodcells,
ourfrontlinesoldiersoftheimmunesystem.

Q: Sounlikeotherantioxidants,includingthosefoundinexoticfruits(aswellas
certainmushrooms,redwine,andothers)glutathioneactuallyhasadirecteffecton
improvinganimmuneresponse!

A: TheverythesisofDr.Bounoussresearchthatstartedwaybackinthelate1970s
isthattheabilityofwhitebloodcellstomultiplyandperformproperlyisverymucha
functionofavailableglutathione.

Q: Thisreallyisopeningupoureyeshere.Ineffect,canwesaythatallofthedifferent
wonderjuicesouttherewithsupposedantioxidantpowertoraiseimmune
functioningaremerelyworkingbyplayingasupportingroleforglutathione?

A: Absolutely,andthatsifweevenassumethattheseantioxidantsarestillfunctional
afterallthatprocessing,whichcansignificantlyreducetheireffectiveness!All
antioxidantsworktogetherlikegearsinaclock.Theyeachhavetheirowndifferent
specializedareabutworksynergistically.However,aclockhastohaveaspring,andthe
springthatdrivesthewholeprocessofantioxidationistheglutathionemolecule.
Withoutglutathione,antioxidantscannotworkproperly.

Q: Impressive.Butobviouslytherehastobeotherwaystoraiseimmunefunctioning.

A: Yes,ofcourse.Eatwell,sleepwell,avoidstress,exercisedoalltherightthings.
Easytounderstand,notsoeasytoaccomplish!

Q: Whataboutprepackagedfoodslikeyoghurtwithprobiotics,whoseadsclaimto
raisetheimmunesystemifyoueattheirbrands?

A:
Hey,Imabigfanofrealprobioticsupplements,but
likeeverythingelseoutthere,therearehugedifferencesin
qualityandefficacy.IfImnotmistaken,thegovernmenthas
takenactionagainstsomeoftheseyoghurtclaims.Isuspect
theywillhavetoprovebywelldoneresearchthattheir
productactuallydoeswhattheyclaim.

Q:
Itgoesfurther!AfewmonthsagoI
wasmadeawareofawellknowncereal
brandwiththestatementSupports.
Immunity.Whatdoyouthinkofthat?

A:
Guesswhat?Thatcompanywasforcedtoceaseanddesistwith
thosepackagingclaims,andretractalltheirboxesandmakeamends
withthepublic.Moreandmorefoodandnaturalproductcompanies
aretryingtoopportunisticallyjumpontheImmunebandwagon.I
dontknowofanythathaveover30yearsofclinicalresearchbehind
themthough.SaywhatyouwantabouttheFDA,buttheyareexerting
apushbackagainsttheseimmunityclaims.

Q:
ManyindividualsinvolvedinnaturalmedicinementionherbslikeEchinaceaor
Astragalus,fungilikeShiitake,andevendifferenttypesofalgae.Whatisyourviewpoint
onthesetypesofsupplements?

A:
Theresearchbehindtheserangefromcredibletoveryquestionable.Thequality
andefficacyoftheseproductsvariesgreatly,andthequantityrequiredtobeefficacious
isnotalwaysrespected.Alsomanyareintendedforonlybriefperiodsofusage.
Importantly,althoughtheymayoffervarioushealthbenefits,theydonotoptimize
humanlevelsofglutathione,sotheirrelevancetoimmunitymaybeveryquestionable.
Somemayactuallybecounterproductivetoyourimmunesystemifusedforlong
periods.Manyarealsocontraindicatedinautoimmunedisease.

Q:
Andraisingglutathionedoesnothavethesedrawbacks?

A:
Remember,youarenotdirectlyconsumingglutathionewhenyoutake
Immunocal.TheprofoundbenefitofImmunocalisthatitdeliverstoyourbodythe
criticalbuildingblocksforyourcellstomanufactureglutathionethemselves.Yourcells
willmaketheirOPTIMALlevelofglutathioneandnomore.Ilovethisapproachbecause
theproductworkswithyourownbiologyandservestooptimizethehumanimmune
system.

Q:
So,fromadoctorsperspective,howisitthatImmunocalhasaDIRECTeffecton
ourimmunesystem?

A:
Immunocaldoesanumberofthings,themostimportantofwhichisraise
glutathionetoempoweranoptimalimmuneresponse.Therearemanyscientificpapers
showinghowglutathionemaintainsastrongimmunesystem.Evenmoreimportantly,
specificpapersontheverybrandImmunocalitself,inexcellentmedicaljournals.

Q:
Iveseenmanyofyourpresentationsandyouareverycarefulaboutnotmaking
directmedicalclaimsaboutanynaturalproductsasrelatingtotheirpotentialeffecton
majordiseaseprocesses.Butyouarenotshyaboutmakingimmunerelatedstatements
aboutImmunocal.Why?

A:
Thefederalgovernmentherehasrecentlysetupaninstitutioncalledthe
NaturalHealthProductsDirectory.Itwasgiventhemandatetoexaminenatural
productsonascientificbasistowarrantwhetherthatsubstancecanhaveany
associatedmedicalclaimsbelinkedtoit.Immunotecwasoneofthefirstthroughthe
door,obtaininganNPNNumberwhichallowsstatementsaboutImmunocalsability
topositivelyaffecttheimmunesystem.Soundssimple,butinfact,thisismomentous.

Q:
WhataboutthefactthatImmunocalappearsbothinthePDR(PhysiciansDesk
Reference,USA)andtheCPS(CompendiumofPharmaceuticalSpecialties,Canada)?I
understandthesebookssitonthedeskofeveryphysicianandeverypharmacistin
NorthAmerica.

A:
Yesthatstrue,andthesemajorreferencebookshavebeenveryinstrumentalin
gettingImmunocalintomainstreammedicine.Inthem,youllfindindications,dosage
andusage,clinicalpharmacology,andmore.ThisistrulyatestamenttoImmunocals
effectiveness.

Q:
TherealsoistheaspectofImmunocalbeingpatentedtoraiseglutathione
(USA#5451412)andoptimizeimmunefunction(USA#5230902,5290571).

A:
Veryimportant!ThisisthedifferencebetweenImmunocalandmostother
supplementsclaimingantioxidantability:OnlyImmunocalisscientificallyprovento
optimizeimmunity,andissorecognizedbythesepatents.

Q:
Immunologyseemstobeoneofthosenewfieldsthatareburgeoningand
growingatatremendousrate.Nowitseems,theimmunesystemisnotjustknownfor
fightingoffinfection,butalsoineliminatingtoxins,battlingchronicillnesses,slowing
downtheagingprocessandsomuchmore!

A:
Wearereallyintheinfancystageinourknowledgeoftheimmunesystem,but
thereareanumberofthingsthatseemquiteclear.Lowglutathionelevelsare
correlatedwithimmunesuppressionandsickness,highglutathionelevelsare
correlatedwithoptimalimmunefunctioningandhealth.Toxins,pollution,stress,
diseaseandagingallcutintoourglutathionelevels.Wewanttobeabletoshutthe
dooronthesenastypossibilitiesbyraisingglutathione.

Q:
Andthis,ofcoursehasbeenourfocusforoverthirtyyearsofresearch.Whatis
newonthehorizonforImmunocal?

A:
Wellbecauseofalloursuccessesinraisingglutathione,wearenowinthe
enviablepositionofhavingworldrenownedoutsideresearchersapproachuswith
proposalstoexaminetheeffectsofImmunocalonsomeveryspecificdiseases.The
qualityofourstudiesandtheprestigiousinstitutions,medicalfacultyandscientists
involvedjustkeepsonamazingme.

Dr.JimmyGutman,thankyouforsharingyourinsightintothisfascinatingtopic!

CANADANPN
#80004370