Tuesday, February 26, 2008

What is Immunocal/HMS 90- Frequently Asked Questions

Immunocal/HMS 90 Questions and Answers


Q. What is Immunocal®? What is HMS-90®?

A. Immunocal® is known as HMS90® in Canada. This unique product is manufactured by Immunotec Research in Montreal, Canada. It is not a prescription drug, but a powerful and patented un-denatured and highly bioactive whey protein dietary supplement that is loaded with glutathione precursors.

Immunocal® took $10 million and 18 years of research to perfect. It is unique in the nutritional field as it is covered by 10 ‘Method of Use’ patents worldwide: 5 in the US, 3 in Canada and 2 in Australia. Immunocal® is a highly concentrated milk serum isolate which is high in protein (90% protein by weight) and is lactose-free and fat-free. Immunocal® shares many of the same immune promoting and enhancing properties of Mother's milk. Immunocal® has been clinically proven to increase serum and tissue glutathione levels, and its efficacy is validated by extensive research, including over 450 that appear in the medical literature. These scientific papers can be examined through MEDLINE (the US National Library of Medicine). Immunocal® increases glutathione which is your cells' own natural antioxidant and most potent detoxifier. Immunocal® has been demonstrated to enhance both healthy and deficient immune systems, and is validated as an effective nutritional supplement by the medical community. Immunocal® has its own NDC (National Drug Control) number, and is reimbursable under Medicaid, Medicare, and by private insurance in many states.


Q. Can children take Immunocal?

A. Yes they certainly can. There is no problem with side effects or worry about conflicts with medication. Children should be given 11/4 teaspoon of Immunocal for every 3 lbs of body weight.


Q. What is the difference between Immunocal and other whey proteins?

A. Immunocal has been shown to differ from other whey proteins in its effect upon the immune system. Specifically, scientific studies on other whey proteins have not shown the same immune stimulating effects that are seen with Immunocal®. Immunocal has been extensively studied in the clinical literature. Comparing the bioactive ingredients in Immunocal to those in other whey proteins clearly shows the superiority of Immunocal®. Immunocal is a bioactive dietary supplement that is supported by eighteen years of research through rigorous clinical trials that have been published in peer review journals. These studies, performed in world-renowned medical and scientific institutions, attest to the efficacy of Immunocal. Immunocal studies have shown that Immunocal not only increases intracellular levels of GSH (glutathione or glutathione precursors) following ingestion, but also significantly builds up the stores of these substances inside the cells. This beneficial effect lasts for considerable periods of time after ingestion of Immunocal.


Q. What is the product's bioactivity dependent upon?

A. Concentrations of 3 bioactive and thermo labile (easily damaged by heat) proteins that are contained in the milk serum: serum albumin, alpha lactalbumin and lactoferrin. Because these compounds can be damaged by heat (in excess of 140 degrees F) or excessive mechanical agitation, Immunocal® must not be cooked, heated, or placed in a steel-bladed blender. For these reasons, and to preserve the bioactivity of its serum albumin, alpha lactalbumin and lactoferrin, Immunocal® has not been exposed to standard high-temperature Pasteurization. Rather, it has been bio-filtered to remove bacteria, and subjected to a patented process of low-temperature purification procedures to ensure its safety and purity.


Q. If a different manufacturer of whey protein supplements was able to duplicate our technology, could they make the same claims?

A. No. The power of our patents is not in manufacturing. Immunocal patents (presently there are ten patents on Immunocal®: 5 US patents, 3 Canadian and 2 Australian patents relate to the METHOD OF USE. That is, no other whey protein can state: "clinically PROVEN to stimulate the immune system", and "significantly raises glutathione levels". Additionally, although there are dozens of companies producing DENATURED (high-heat Pasteurized) whey proteins (primarily for use as a protein source in body-building), there currently is no company manufacturing an UNDENATURED whey protein product similar to Immunocal. Over 450 clinical studies and medical reviews appear in the clinical literature which specifically involved Immunocal®, and not other whey proteins. Accept no imitations.


Q. What exactly is glutathione (GSH) and how is it important?

A. Glutathione is the master antioxidant of the body. Without glutathione, we would die. The replenishment of the glutathione levels within the lymphocytes (also called leukocytes or white blood cells) increases the intensity of the immune response. The increase in glutathione levels also results in the proliferation of lymphocytes that act as scavengers, and helps to combat infections. Selenium is a structural component of, and a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase. For this reason, supplementation with selenium can modestly increase glutathione levels in persons who are selenium deficient. Glutathione is a tri-peptide of the amino acids cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid. Tissue glutathione levels increase when cystine levels increase within the cell. This is why cystine is critical in the production of glutathione. Prior to the development of Immunocal, no effective way was known to safely and significantly increase cystine levels in the cell over long periods of time. A deficiency of glutathione can cause haemolysis (the destruction of red blood cells resulting in severe anaemia) and numerous diseases of oxidative stress. Glutathione is essential in intermediary metabolism as a donor of sulfhydryl groups that are essential for the detoxification of the liver. The antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase functions in the process of elimination of wastes from the body. Glutathione works within the liver, lungs, colon, kidneys, and skin in the process of removing toxic cellular metabolic wastes.


Q. What is the difference between products or pills that people use as supplements that are labelled as "glutathione" or "cystine"?

A. Glutathione must be produced within the cells (intra-cellularly). Clinical and laboratory studies demonstrate that oral glutathione is NOT absorbed but will be eliminated by the liver through the bile before ever reaching the systemic circulation (blood stream). Several studies have suggested that supplementing with oral glutathione may actually do the reverse and depress cellular and blood levels of glutathione. Injectable glutathione also has limited benefits. It is unstable in the blood stream. By the time it reaches the cell, much of it has been degraded, and much of the remaining glutathione cannot effectively pass through the cell membrane. Cystine is not well absorbed when taken by mouth. Clinical studies have demonstrated that oral cystine supplementation (NAC or N Acetyl LCysteine) is not effective in increasing cystine levels within the cell, and also has not been associated with significant increases in glutathione levels within the cell. The three bioactive proteins supplied by Immunocal constitute a "natural delivery system" from these cystine precursors to the cell (in order to facilitate clinically and statistically significant increases in glutathione levels in BOTH the extracellular serum and intracellular tissues). Because Immunocal® provides the building blocks for cystine, and these building blocks for cystine are easily transported inside the cell where they can be quickly synthesized into glutathione, Immunocal® is therefore ideally suited to increase glutathione levels within the cell.


Q. What is the difference between NAC (N Acetyl L-Cysteine) and Immunocal/HMS90®?

A. N Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC) is an Antioxidant Drug, which has been demonstrated to facilitate the SHORT TERM cellular detoxification of alcohol, tobacco smoke, acetaminophen [Tylenol®] poisoning and environmental pollutants in several in-vitro (in a test-tube) studies. When Cystine is heated, molecular bonds are cleaved and it becomes Cysteine. Cysteine is beneficial if it is produced INSIDE the cell, but is mildly toxic if it is produced outside the cell. NAC does not travel well in the blood stream, and doesn't reach the cells (to be used to synthesize glutathione and Glutamic acid). NAC supplementation over long periods has been associated with modest increases in serum glutathione, but has not proven particularly useful in the treatment of chronic, long-term intracellular glutathione deficiencies. Furthermore, therapeutic levels of NAC are relatively toxic and have been associated with significant side effects. At therapeutic doses, oral NAC supplementation has been associated with cerebral symptoms: nausea, blurred vision, and vomiting. Immunocal provides the precursors for the manufacture of intra-cellular cystine, and effectively delivers these to the cell. For this reason, Immunocal supplementation has been associated with sustained and significant increases of cellular glutathione, and is virtually devoid of troublesome side effects. Immunocal® has the same side-effect profile as mothers' milk.


Q. What is the difference between bovine colostrum and Immunocal®?

A. The proteins in colostrum have almost no cystine content. Cystine is critically essential to the immune system. Although growth factors present in colostrum (including IGF-1, or Insulin-like growth Factor-1 which is effective in promoting muscle growth) are not affected by stomach acid, research published by one manufacturer of Colostrum (Vital Health News, Winter 1998, page 7) demonstrated that "the effectiveness of the immune factors present in colostrum is lowered by stomach acid." Although the immune enhancing factors found in colostrum are often "preferable to single isolated immune components" (such as interferon, which is more likely to cause troublesome side effects), colostrum has NOT been demonstrated to be superior to isolated undenatured whey proteins such as Immunocal®. Colostrum (which is produced by the mammary glands during the first 26 hours following birth) is primarily composed of immunoglobulin and some lactoferrin. According to both laboratory experiments and clinical trials conducted in Germany, although colostrum supplementation was associated with mild increases in immune function in some patients, these increases were not statistically significant. A postulated mechanism of the action of colostrum is the inter-species transfer of immune factors, however this has NOT been clinically proven. Most of the data supporting the effectiveness of colostrum is anecdotal (consisting mostly of personal testimonies rather than clinical studies). Since the primary mechanism of action on the immune system is via stimulation of the synthesis (production) of glutathione, the near absence of glutathione precursors in the
immunoglobulin fraction (from the colostrum) may explain its relative lack of effect. Conversely, Immunocal contains substantial amounts of thermolabile (heat-sensitive) proteins which are rich in cystine and glutamylcystine (known precursors of glutathione), and the effectiveness of Immunocal has been demonstrated in numerous human clinical trials which found statistically significant increases in glutathione and indices of immune function (such as CD4:CD8 ratios). Colostrum might be beneficial as an adjunctive (add-on) therapy to Immunocal®, but the clinical data is significantly more convincing for Immunocal/HMS90®.


Q. What are some additional benefits of un-denatured whey proteins?

A. Immunocal® has been clinically demonstrated to increase exercise capacity by 13 percent (Lands et al., 1999), and may be useful as a supplement for competitive athletes. Wattanabe et al. (Japan) conducted a clinical study with Immunocal to evaluate increases in GSH among patients with Hepatitis B and C, and found that these viruses are vulnerable to glutathione. In-vitro studies in Japan also showed that whey could stimulate the bone cell (osteoblasts) to produce more bone, hence increasing bone density and reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Lactalbumin from whey protein has been demonstrated to kill breast cancer cells in-vitro. Glutathione (from whey protein) lowers serum cholesterol by stimulating bile synthesis in the liver. In addition, glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that will prevent lipid peroxidation (a sign of free radical activity). Lipid peroxidation is implicated in arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), stroke and coronary artery disease.

Q. How does the manufacturing of our product differ from other whey proteins?

A. In the manufacturing of other whey proteins several things occur: in the process of heating and Pasteurization, critical bonds holding the cystine together get broken down ("denatured", meaning they lose their original nature--similar to the denaturing and irreversible changing of liquid egg white by the heating process involved in frying an egg). The exact type of proteins that serve to increase tissue and serum glutathione most effectively are lost or diminished. The researchers at Immunotec (the manufacturers of Immunocal®) have developed a process by which these delicate proteins remain intact in their natural form to serve us most effectively.


Q. What is the theoretical mechanism of action of GLUTATHIONE (GSH) in Cancer and Immune dysfunction?

A. Natural killer (Immune) cells may become glutathione-depleted over time, and their immune
response weakens. Immunocal raises glutathione levels and strengthens the immune system to fight cancer, viruses, bacteria, etc. For those patients receiving traditional medical therapy for their cancers, Immunocal supplies lactalbumin and has been clinically proven to raise glutathione levels. Glutathione and lactalbumin (a component of Immunocal®) have been associated with the strengthening of healthy cells and (paradoxically) the weakening of cancerous cells. In research conducted by C. Svanborg et al, lactalbumin was associated with apoptosis (or the programmed death) of breast cancer cells. Glutathione has been scientifically demonstrated to decrease cancerous cells' resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, while protecting healthy cells. This should allow a patient to respond better to chemotherapy with fewer side effects.


Q. What are the diseases or conditions that have been associated with low glutathione levels?

A. There are over 100 diseases and conditions associated with low glutathione levels. Most of the degenerative diseases of aging and the autoimmune diseases have been studied and linked to low GSH levels including: Acetaminophen poisoning, ADD, Addison's disease, aging, AIDS, alopecia areata, ALS, Alzheimer's' disease, anaemia (haemolytic), ankylosing spondylitis, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), arthritis (rheumatoid), asthma, autism, autoimmune disease, burns, cacexia, cancer, candida infection, cardiomyopathy (idiopathic), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, colitis, coronary artery disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, Crohn's disease, eczema, emphysema, Epstein Barr Viral (EBV) syndrome, fibromyalgia, free radical overload, Graves' disease, hepatic dysfunction (liver disease), hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hypercholesterolemia (high blood cholesterol), herpes, infections (viral, bacterial and fungal), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), lupus, macular degeneration (diabetic and age-related macular degeneration), malnutrition, Meniere's disease, multiple sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis, neurodegenerative diseases, nutritional disorders, Parkinson's disease, primary biliary cirrhosis, progeria, psoriasis, rheumatic fever, sarcoidosis, scleroderma, shingles, stroke, surgery, toxic poisoning, trauma, vasculitis, vitiligo, Wegener's Granulomatosis, to name a few.


Q. Has therapy to increase glutathione levels been effective in treating the diseases or conditions that have been associated with low glutathione levels?

A. Yes. There have been many thousands of research studies proving that raising glutathione levels is an effective treatment in dozens of diseases and conditions. Of course, prevention is always amore desirable path. Immunocal/HMS90 has been proven to raise and maintain healthy levels of glutathione.


Q. Can a person who is lactose intolerant take Immunocal/HMS90®?

A. Yes, Immunocal® has less than 1% lactose which should not cause any ill effect even in the most severe case of lactose intolerance.


Q. Are there any interactions known between supplements such as coenzyme Q-10, antioxidant vitamins, or herbs and Immunocal/HMS90®?

A. No, there are no known potential or reported interactions between Immunocal and nutritional supplements. In fact, Immunocal increases glutathione levels that help to improve the action of antioxidant vitamins (which are less effective if your glutathione levels are impaired). For this reason, mega-doses of antioxidant vitamins (i.e. doses in excess of 10 times the RDA of these vitamins) are not required if you are supplementing with Immunocal®. As we age, our glutathione levels fall precipitously like a downhill ski-slope. Low levels of glutathione are associated with a host of degenerative diseases, and critically low levels of serum and tissue glutathione often predict that death is imminent. Supplementation with Immunocal/HMS90® helps restore these precious glutathione levels, and assists the supplemental vitamins you may be taking to work more effectively.


Q. Are there any interactions known between prescription medications and Immunocal/HMS90®?

A. No, there are no known interactions between Immunocal and prescription drugs. Immunocal is composed of the same basic proteins that are found in human breast milk, and should be considered to be as safe to take as mothers' breast milk. Furthermore, Immunocal® is 90% protein, and is one of the best sources of highly absorbable protein on the planet. Patients taking immunosuppressant drugs such as Cyclosporin® after such treatments as organ transplants should consult their physician before taking Immunocal®.


Q. Are there any side effects associated with Immunocal/HMS90®?

A. Immunocal® increases serum and tissue glutathione levels. When liver tissue glutathione levels rise, the liver is able to more effectively detoxify the body (which is a beneficial function of
Immunocal®). Some patients (especially those who have been exposed to high levels of environmental toxins) may have a mild temporary reaction to these mobilized toxins as the liver is removing them from storage in body fat. Typically, reducing the dose of Immunocal® will allow these temporary side effects quickly disappear. Immunocal is composed of the same basic proteins that are found in human breast milk, and has the same side effect profile as mothers' breast milk. Because Immunocal® is a milk protein, persons who are mildly allergic to milk proteins may experience minor gastric distress from Immunocal®. This gastric distress usually disappears if you reduce the dose of Immunocal®. Persons with serious milk-protein allergies should not take Immunocal®.


Q. Can you overdose Immunocal/HMS90®? Is there any potential for toxicity if you take too much?

A. Your greatest risk is wasting your money if you take "too much" Immunocal®. Clinical data seems to indicate there is limited benefit from exceeding 30 grams (3 packets) per day of Immunocal®. Because our cells have an innate mechanism of "feed-back inhibition" with respect to the glutathione synthesis precursors (building blocks) provided by Immunocal®, there is no potential for making "too much glutathione" within the cell if large quantities of Immunocal® are consumed. Immunocal® supplementation will result in establishment of normal glutathione levels, (NOT excessive glutathione levels) within the cell. Excess Immunocal/HMS90® would be metabolized as protein (Immunocal® is an excellent source of protein, containing 90% protein by dry weight).


Q. Because Immunocal/HMS90® is 90% protein, is it contraindicated in patients on renal dialysis who must limit protein intake?

A. No, Immunocal/HMS90® is not contraindicated in these patients. Although we suggest that you consult your personal physician with individual medical questions such as these, there is no reason to believe that Immunocal/HMS90® would be anything but helpful for these patients. Immunocal® is one of the most easily digested and most easily absorbed forms of protein in the diet. Its Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER: a mark of the quality of a protein) is extremely high, and in conditions such as renal failure where protein intake must be limited, it is most prudent to consume the highest quality proteins such as whey proteins and egg white proteins, versus lower quality proteins that produce more problematic metabolic waste by-products and residues.


Q. Is Immunocal/HMS90® contraindicated in Celiac Sprue disease?

A. These patients are usually instructed not to ingest wheat or gluten. There is no wheat, or gluten in Immunocal. Furthermore, Immunocal® is lactose-free. There is no reason to believe that Immunocal® would be detrimental in patients with Celiac Sprue Disease.


Q. Who should not take the product?

A. People with an allergy specifically to milk protein, (which is very rare). NOTE: Please understand that lactose intolerance is NOT a milk allergy. Also, anyone who has had an organ transplant and is receiving immunosuppressant therapy should not take Immunocal. The immune system needs to be suppressed in order to prevent organ rejection.


Q. What are some of the critical ingredients in a daily amount of Immunocal/HMS90® (1 pouch)?

A. 9 grams or 90% Protein, 0 mg Fat, less than 1% Lactose, 60 mg of Calcium, 4 micrograms of Selenium, 30 Mg of Potassium, 4 mg of Iron, and approximately 40 Calories.


Q. What is the recommended dose for taking Immunocal/HMS90®?

A. Check with your physician or health care professional. If you do not have a documented glutathione deficiency and are taking Immunocal for good health, one pack per day is the usual
maintenance dose. Generally, most studies conducted using Immunocal in patients with glutathione deficiencies used at least 20 grams per day (2 pouches), and some studies showed increased effectiveness using up to 30 grams (3 pouches) per day.


Q. What is the difference in taking Immunocal/HMS90® as opposed to taking other antioxidants?

A. Vitamin E and C are important antioxidants, and you should consider these important supplements in your diet. Immunocal® is not an antioxidant per se, but provides the building blocks for the synthesis of the principle intra-cellular antioxidant, glutathione. Glutathione is the most potent cellular antioxidant known to man, and is hundreds of times more potent than vitamin C or vitamin E. For this reason, glutathione has been called the "Super Antioxidant".

By raising the glutathione level within our bodies we provide for the optimum functioning of other lesser antioxidants such as vitamins C and E. More importantly, glutathione serves as a detoxifying agent for multiple toxins that we encounter on a daily basis through the environment and the medications we take. Glutathione has been demonstrated to act as an effective protectant against ultraviolet radiation, which is important in view of the continued loss of the ozone layer.


Q. What is the best way to mix Immunocal/HMS90®?

A. Because Immunocal is a very fine and delicate powder, we recommend mixing it with any juice or liquid that is not above lukewarm (110 degrees F), and NEVER above 120 degrees F. First, mix the packet with approx. 1 tablespoon of the liquid you have chosen, to form a paste. Then pour the liquid to fill your glass. Allow it to sit for a few minutes, stir, and enjoy. Immunocal can also be mixed in applesauce, yoghurt, or sprinkled over cereal without any particular mixing procedure. The product should not be mixed at high speed in a blender (mechanical mixing damages the milk proteins). If you are making a breakfast “smoothie”, put all the ingredients except the Immunocal/HMS90® into the blender, mix at high speed, then reduce the blender speed to ‘Fold’ or ‘Low’ before adding the Immunocal/HMS90®. You can mix Immunocal by hand, whisk, covered shaker cup or inexpensive "vortex-mixer". We will ship you a portable, battery-operated vortex-mixer FREE with your first shipment of Immunocal® on the Immunocare (Autoship) program (when you sign up using your credit card to receive monthly
shipments of 1 box of Immunocal® or more), or when you purchase a business-builder “Action
Pack".


Q. When is the best time of day to take Immunocal/HMS90®?

A. There is no ‘best time’ to take this product. Because foods such as yoghurt and orange juice are generally morning foods, most people take Immunocal/HMS90® with breakfast. There is nothing wrong with taking it with lunch or dinner or as a midday snack. It will be better absorbed if taken on a relatively empty stomach, i.e. not with or after a heavy meal.
Glutathione (GSH) Enhancer “Glutathione” the body’s most powerful healing agent. (Dr. Jim Gutman, MD) “The human immune system is extremely dependent on adequate glutathione levels to perform properly, in the words of Dr. Wulf Droge former head immunology at the Heidelberg Cancer research institute. "Thiols And The Immune System: Effect of N-Acetyl cysteine on T Cell System in Human Subjects. Even a partial depletion of the intracellular glutathione pool has a dramatic consequence for the process of blast transformation and proliferation, and for the generation of cytotoxic T cells." (T–cells help the body defend against diseases.) Research has shown that we cannot stay healthy with low levels of ‘glutathione. Scientists at McGill University in Canada, discovered a safe, natural way of raising our glutathione levels. The product is “Immunocal”.


Facts about this GSH enhancer, cysteine delivery system

  • 21 Years of research at McGill University Medical Research Center and the Montreal General Hospital
  • 23 Published clinical studies proving its effectiveness
  • All natural –with no side effects, no conflicts with existing meds
  • Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement in U.S. in selected states
  • 8 Pharmaceutical type patents in the treatment of numerous very deadly and serious disease states. Proven to raise glutathione levels in your cells.
  • Listed in the main ‘drug’ edition of the U.S. Physician’s Desk Reference 2004
  • Exceptional health product for all levels of athletes! Double blind study in Muscle Performance from Montreal Children’s’ Hospital

Main Functions of Glutathione (A I D E )

Anti-oxidant: Glutathione is the body’s own natural anti-oxidant, destroying bad free radicals, while helping anti-oxidants like C & E do more work

Immune Booster: Glutathione raises levels of disease fighting T&B cells

Detoxifier: Glutathione removes heavy metals, toxins & pesticides from the liver. Reduces the negative effects of pharmaceutical drugs on the liver

Energy: Glutathione eliminates bad free radicals, cells produce more energy Immunocal is not a drug, herb, vitamin or anti-oxidant!! It is a highly bioactive (protein) cysteine delivery
system, safe & effective



Doctors Viewpoint on Immunocal/HMS-90

"Almost everyone I put on Immunocal tells me that they feel better as soon as they start taking the product. This is explained by the fact that Immunocal brings to all the cells in our body, the building blocks necessary to produce glutathione, a small protein that each cell needs to function properly. In severe asthmatics taking Immunocal, the attacks become less frequent and less severe. The need for medication is decreased, they sleep better, they don't miss work or school as often, resulting in a better quality of life." Dr. Jean Marcoux, Board Certified Allergist, Immunologist


"Immunocal is the future of the wellness movement - nothing else I know can impact the ability of every cell in the human body to defend itself from the common pathological mechanisms. To raise glutathione levels is to reduce premature oxidation, to eliminate destructive free radicals and help detoxify the poisons inside each cell when it needs to. Only Immunocal is clinically proven to do that in a safe, effective and convenient way." Dr. Allan Somersall


"Current research is uncovering the fact that the underlying culprit in most disease and aging processes is free radical damage and oxidative stress. Therefore, the most reasonable way to combat these degenerative changes is to find a safe and effective way to raise anti-oxidant levels. I have concluded that glutathione is the crucial anti-oxidant. I believe that Immunocal is the safe, effective, and natural way to raise glutathione levels. Taking Immunocal everyday should be a vital component to anybody's proactive health plan." Dr. Tom Iwama


" Immunocal works and it's safe. I believe it is the safest and most effective supplement available to help raise glutathione levels in every cell of your body. GSH or glutathione is the body’s most powerful antioxidant and healing agent. Immunocal itself is not an antioxidant! Also, Immunocal is the best way that I know to support and maintain the immune system. This is especially important at a time when medicine is beginning to recognize how many diseases are caused by a deficiency of the immune system. But that's not the whole story - just as important, are the people behind the product. Everyone at Home Office is of the highest integrity. As a doctor, I appreciate the power and efficacy of Immunocal. As a person, I enjoy being associated with dedicated and delightful people." Dr. Tom Kwyer


Immunocal Amino Acid Profile Review

As a nutritional chemist, PHD and a certified Sports Performance coach with over 2 decades of experience working with a wide variety of athletes including elite World and Olympic medalists, Dr. Theadoro was very impressed upon reviewing the amino acid profile of Immunocal. It has been our experience working with these athletes, and is well documented, that exercise exerts a huge systemic demand for amino acids on the human body. Many studies, such as Lemon at Kent State University, have demonstrated that certain amino acids are consumed much faster than others during even moderate exercise. L-glutamine, in particular, is known to be the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue and shows the highest blood concentration of all the amino acids after an exercise session. Immunocal supplies almost 1.8 grams of L-glutamine/glutamate in one pouch!

Also, the three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine, are absolutely fundamentally necessary for the maintenance, repair and growth of lean, functional muscle tissue, are available in a high percentage in Immunocal/HMS-90. Young at MIT showed that L-leucine oxidation is increased by 240 % during even moderate exercise!

Immunocal provides almost one gram of L-leucine in one pouch! The total amount of the three BCAAs in one pouch of Immunocal is over 2.2 grams! Knowing the superb bioavailability of Immunocal to human beings and the excellent profile of Immunocal, particularly with respect to the aforementioned amino acids, it should be obvious to any athlete and coach that supplementing with Immunocal will greatly aid recovery from workouts and help any athlete achieve his or her goals, safely, legally and effectively.

• Immunocal is a bioactive whey protein nutraceutical,cystine delivery system that supports the immune system, raises T cell levels and detoxifies the liver.
• It is rich in cysteine-cysteine and glutamyl-cysteine dipeptides.
• It supplies about 1.8 grams of L-glutamine/glutamate per serving.
• It supplies almost 2.2 grams of the essential branched chain amino acids, including 1 gram of L-leucine, per serving.
• It contains <1% style="text-align: center;">The Safety of Immunocal

Immunocal is a broad-spectrum nutraceutical food derivative with biologic capability to modulate cellular function. More than 100,000 people have used Immunocal with no significant adverse side effects.

  • Production of Immunocal meets or exceeds the requirements of the USDA for dairy products.
  • The total bacterial count is less than 1000/g with no detectable pathogens and/or antibiotics.
  • The whey protein concentrate (WPC) marketed as Immunocal has been tested in hundreds of laboratory experiments on mice (20% in formula diets) from 1980 to 1992 without any signs of toxicity.
  • WPC fed mice were not distinguishable from controls, in terms of growth rate, hair appearance, serum protein, etc. 1-8 Immunocal has also been administered in clinical trials in adults and children in doses varying from 10/g to 40/g per day without side effects. 9-12

In addition, Immunocal is sold in Canada, United States, Europe, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and other
countries to thousands of customers and no clinically relevant complications have been reported.
* 21 Code of Federal Regulations §184.1979c affirms whey protein concentrates as GRAS and the FDA has determined there
are no questions regarding safety for human consumption.
REFERENCES
1. Bounous G, Stevenson MM, Kongshavn PAL. Influence of dietary lactalbumin hydrolysate on the immune system of mice and resistance to Salmonellosis. J Infect Dis 144: 281, 1981.
2. Bounous G, Letourneau L, Kongshavn PAL. Influence of dietary protein type on the immune system of mice. J Nutr 113: 1415-21, 1983.
3. Bounous G, Kongshavn PAL. Influence of protein type in nutritionally adequate diets on the development of immunity. In: Absorption and Utilisation of Amino Acids. M. Friedman (Ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, vol. 2, 219-32, 1989.
4. Bounous G., Batist G, Gold P. Immunoenhancing property of dietary whey protein in mice: role of glutathione. Clin Invest Med 12: 154-61, 1989.
5. Bounous G, Shenouda N, Kongshavn PAL, Osmond DG. Mechanism of altered B-cell response induced by changes in dietary protein type in mice. J Nutr 115: 1409-17, 1985.
6. Bounous G, Papenburg R, Kongshavn PAL, Gold P., Fleiszer D. Dietary whey protein inhibits the development of dimethylhydrazine-induced malignancy. Clin Invest Med 11: 213-7, 1988.
7. Papenburg R, Bounous G, Fleiszer D, Gold P. Dietary milk proteins inhibit the development of dimethylhydrazine-induced malignancy. Tumor Biol 11: 129-136, 1990.
8. Bounous G., Batist G., Gold P. Whey proteins in cancer prevention. Cancer letters 57, 91-94, 1991.
9. Bounous G, Baruchel S, Falutz J, Gold P. Whey proteins as a food supplement in HIV seropositive individuals. Clin Invest Med 16: 204-209, 1993.
10. Baruchel S, Viau G, Olivier R, Bounous G, Wainberg M.A. – Nutriceutical Modulation of Glutathione with a Humanised Native Milk Serum Protein Isolate, Immunocal®.
11. Application in AIDS and Cancer. In: Oxidative Stress in Cancer, AIDS, and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Ed. L. Montagnier, Olivier R., Pasquier C. Publ Dekker M., New York, 447-461, 1998.
12. Lands L, Grey VL, Smountas AA. The Effect of Supplementation with a Cysteine Donor on Muscular Performance. Journal of Applied Physiology Vol. 87: 1381-1385, 1999.
13. Lotian B, Grey V, Kimof RJ, Lands L. Treatment of Obstructive Airway Disease with a Cysteine Donor Protein Supplement: A Case Report. Chest; 117: 914-916, 2000.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Consumer Lab Certified


Immunocal has been tested as part of ConsumerLab.com's Athletic Banned Substance Screening Program which screens for over 170 substances (including metabolites) based on the 2007 World Anti-Doping Code Prohibited List and has been certified free of any prohibited substances. The screening includes testing for stimulants, narcotics, anabolic agents, diuretics, masking agents and beta blockers based on the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code or the codes of other sports organizations. Click to view Immunocal on ConsumerLab.com's website.

For purposes of this testing, ConsumerLab.com acquired product through an independent representative, ensuring that product tested was randomly selected from a specific lot. Lot number for the testing was A3030731L, with an expiry date of 2009. To pass, a product must contain no confirmed Banned Substance at a "zero-tolerance level".

ConsumerLab.com reserves the right to disqualify a product at any time from passing its testing if it considers such product to present a safety risk or to provide misleading or inaccurate information. Athletes have long included Immunocal in their training regimens based on its scientific validation.

Studies such as that by Dr. Larry Lands on the "Effect of supplementation
with a cysteine donor on muscular performance"
show that Immunocal can be an effective part of the athlete's nutritional supplementation.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Jim Northrop underlines that this latest substantiation of Immunocal's safety reinforces Immunotec's commitment to providing the public with the highest integrity nutritional supplementation available.

Immunocal has numerous North American and International patents, is listed in the Physicians' Desk Reference, the Pharmacist's Red Book and is approved for Medicare/Medicaid coverage in the U.S. Immunocal/HMS 90® has regulatory approval and a Natural Product Number from Health Canada as a natural source of the glutathione precursor cysteine for the maintenance of a strong immune system.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Immunocal vs. NAC


RAISING GLUTATHIONE USING CYSTEINE



Enhancement of glutathione levels through cysteine supplementation has proven and important health benefits. But consumers have questions about the best available source of cysteine. Immunotec provides the answer.

IN SEARCH OF THE BEST STRATEGY FOR CYSTEINE SUPPLEMENTATION

By Dr. Wulf Dröge, Senior Vice-President, Research and Development

A series of clinical studies and complementary laboratory experiments has shown that aging is associated with a progressive decrease in plasma cysteine and intracellular glutathione concentrations. This decrease leads to (and can be viewed as a manifestation of) age-related oxidative stress. Cysteine and glutathione concentrations are particularly low during the night and early morning hours, i.e. during periods of starvation.

Several clinical studies have also shown that cysteine supplementation on top of the regular diet ameliorates several aging-related processes and improves amongst other parameters skeletal muscle functions and infl ammatory cytokine levels. Most of these studies have been performed with N-acetylcysteine (NAC). This was the best choice for this purpose because the free amino acid cysteine is not very stable and cysteine-rich proteins such as IMMUNOCAL® contain various different amino acids and would not have been helpful in studies designed to identify cysteine as the most important amino acid in this context.

The search for the best strategy to supply additional amounts of cysteine to the average consumer is now raising a very different and practical question. Not surprisingly the answer is different.

Let us compare NAC with IMMUNOCAL®.

NAC has some adverse effects which are not shared by IMMUNOCAL® and which render NAC unattractive as a source of cysteine over long periods of time. In addition, there are studies to suggest that dietary cysteine from any source is converted within the blood into its less accessible derivative cystine and within the liver into its breakdown product sulfate unless it is rapidly cleared from the blood by protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and other tissues. The undenatured whey protein IMMUNOCAL® provides all protein-forming amino acids and is known to stimulate rapid protein synthesis within less than 2 hours. This process allows the body to store cysteine until it is recovered by regulated protein breakdown during periods of starvation, i.e. during the night and early morning hours. IMMUNOCAL® is clearly superior to NAC in stimulating this process of cysteine storage.

Dr. Wulf Dröge, Ph.D. - A world-renowned research scientist, Dr. Dröge has devoted more than forty years to basic and clinical research that form the basis for the design of safe, effective new immunotec products. Published over 260 times in peer-reviewed publications Postdoctoral fellowships at the Max Planck Institute and Harvard University Professor, Faculty of biology, University of Heidelberg and Head of the department of Immunochem., German Cancer Research Center. He continues to write articles and teach at McGill University & Research Development

IMMUNOCAL®. Accept no substitutes. Immunotec®



CYSTEINE, N-ACETYLCYSTEINE (NAC), AND IMMUNOCAL®

By Dr. Jimmy Gutman, Medical Consultant Research over the past quarter century has shown that the limiting factor for our body's ability to make glutathione, is the availability of cysteine in our diet. There are several options, let's look at cysteine itself, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and IMMUNOCAL®.

The amino acid cysteine can be found in supplement form in pills and powders. Unfortunately just eating cysteine has not proved to be an effective way to raise glutathione. Cysteine alone is quickly oxidized in the digestive system and does not make it to the cells in an appreciable quantity. Cysteine must be in a form that can survive the trip through the gut, into the bloodstream and across the cell membrane.

NAC is a form of cysteine that has been chemically modified to be able to make this long journey from your mouth to your cells. NAC is used as a drug to raise glutathione in critical medical situations such as acetaminophen overdose. It is also the drug most commonly used in research studies investigating glutathione augmentation. NAC suffers from two drawbacks. It is effective in raising glutathione only for a short few hours, which is why doctors must give it to patients throughout the entire day. Individuals who take NAC pills experience a peak in glutathione and then levels may crash, occasionally below baseline values. The other complication of NAC is that side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common.

After years of investigation, Dr. Gustavo Bounous developed what we know as IMMUNOCAL®. This is a protein supplement that has the ability to deliver cysteine to our cells. It can be viewed as a "cysteine delivery vehicle". Being a complicated natural protein, the transformation of cysteine into glutathione starts quickly, but continues over many hours as our digestion and metabolism do their job. Side effects from IMMUNOCAL® are very rare.

It must be kept in mind that the amount of cysteine in IMMUNOCAL® is not as important as the form of ysteine. For example, if you were to boil IMMUNOCAL®, the amount of cysteine would remain the same, but the ability to raise glutathione would be destroyed, because the cysteine would no longer be in a deliverable form for the cell to properly utilize.

The advantages of IMMUNOCAL® over cysteine and NAC are clear once the physiology is understood. Glutathione molecule and structure

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

The Leading Cause of Death may Surprise you!

Some interesting statistics that may interest you regarding the leading cause of death in North America.


  • Statistically nearly 1/2 of all deaths in North America are the result of Coronary Disease (Heart and Stroke)
  • 1 of every 2.6 women in North America will die of heart related diseases
  • Only 15% of heart attacks are because of blockages

  • 85% of heart attacks are because of inflammation

There is an inexpensive test called CRP (C- Reactive Protein) that will tell you the risk you have of having a heart attack.

If your test results are: 3+ you are a walking heart attack, 2 or less – at risk, 1-1.5 – moderate risk, .5 or less – almost never have heart attack or stroke


Make a list of 40 people you know - that you care about.

Nearly half of them will die of heart related disease!

Immunocal Platinum gets rid of inflammation. There are no other natural products that will reduce inflammation like Immunocal Platinum.

Alternately: It is expected that in North America $105 B in sales in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by 2012. Celebrex will be the prescription drug of choice.

Celebrex side effects

Gastrointestinal Abdominal: pain, Diarrhea, Dyspepsia, Flatulence, Nausea

Body as a whole: Back pain, Peripheral edema, peripheral nervous system, Dizziness, Headache

Psychiatric: Insomnia,

Respiratory: Pharyngitis, Rhinitis, Sinusitis, Upper respiratory tract infection

Skin: Rash

Immunocal Platinum side effects:

No side effects (initial detoxification may occur), no interaction with prescription drugs.

Those taking anti-rejection drugs due to organ transplant; or those with true milk protein allergies must consult their doctor before taking HMS90 or Platinum. Immunotec has made application to make the claim that Platinum is effective in reducing inflammation.

Now, go back to that list of 40 people you care about. Based on today’s statistics, 20 of them will die of heart related diseases. When do you start sharing this information with them?


Want More Details on Immunocal Platinum?

Monday, February 4, 2008

Can We Cure Aging?





Controlling inflammation could be the key to a healthy old age.

by Kathleen McGowan

12.04.2007

Jim Hammond is an elite athlete. He works out two hours a day with a trainer, pushing himself through sprints, runs, and strength-building exercises. His resting heart rate is below 50. He’s won three gold medals and one silver in amateur competitions this year alone, running races from 100 to 800 meters. In his division, he’s broken four national racing records. But perhaps the most elite thing about Hammond is his age.

He is 93. And really, there’s nothing much wrong with him, aside from the fact that he doesn’t see very well. He takes no drugs and has no complaints, although his hair long ago turned white and his skin is no longer taut.

His secret? He doesn’t have one. Hammond never took exceptional measures during his long life to preserve his health. He did not exercise regularly until his fifties and didn’t get serious about it until his eighties, when he began training for the Georgia Golden Olympics. “I love nothing better than winning,” he says. “It’s been a wonderful thing for me.” Hammond is aging, certainly, but somehow he isn’t getting old—at least, not in the way we usually think about it.

They say aging is one of the only certain things in life. But it turns out they were wrong. In recent years, gerontologists have overturned much of the conventional wisdom about getting old. Aging is not the simple result of the passage of time. According to a provocative new view, it is actually something our own bodies create, a side effect of the essential inflammatory system that protects us against infectious disease. As we fight off invaders, we inflict massive collateral damage on ourselves, poisoning our own organs and breaking down our own tissues. We are our own worst enemy.

This paradox is transforming the way we understand aging. It is also changing our understanding of what diseases are and where they come from. Inflammation seems to underlie not just senescence but all the chronic illnesses that often come along with it: diabetes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, heart attack. “Inflammatory factors predict virtually all bad outcomes in humans,” says Russell Tracy, a professor of pathology and biochemistry at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, whose pioneering research helped demonstrate the role of inflammation in heart disease. “It predicts having heart attacks, having heart failure, becoming diabetic; predicts becoming fragile in old age; predicts cognitive function decline, even cancer to a certain extent.”

The idea that chronic diseases might be caused by persistent inflammation has been kicking around since the 19th century. Only in the past few years, though, have modern biochemistry and the emerging field of systems biology made it possible to grasp the convoluted chemical interactions involved in body wide responses like inflammation. Over a lifetime, this essential set of defensive mechanisms runs out of bounds and gradually damages organs throughout the body.

When you start to think about aging as a consequence of inflammation, as Tracy and many prominent gerontologists now do, you start to see old age in a different, much more hopeful light. If decrepitude is driven by an overactive immune system, then it is treatable. And if many chronic diseases share this underlying cause, they might all be remedied in a similar way. The right anti-inflammatory drug could be a panacea, treating diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and even cancer. Such a wonder drug might allow us to live longer, but more to the point, it would almost surely allow us to live better, increasing the odds that we could all spend our old age feeling like Jim Hammond: healthy, vibrant, and vital. And unlike science fiction visions of an immortality pill, a successful anti-inflammatory treatment could actually happen within our lifetime.

For the last century and a half, the average life span in wealthy countries has increased steadily, climbing from about 45 to more than 80 years. There is no good reason to think this increase will suddenly stop. But longer life today often simply means taking longer to die—slowly, expensively, and with more disease and disability. “If you talk to many old people, what they are really desperate about is not the fact that they’re going to die but that they are going to be sick, dependent, have to rely on others,” says Luigi Ferrucci, chief of the longitudinal studies section at the National Institute on Aging and director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, the nation’s longest-running study of old age.

Biologists have known for a while that inflammation increases with age, but until recently, given everything else that slumps, spikes, or goes off the rails as we get old, it didn’t seem especially important. Some researchers on aging still think that way.

But a big clue linking inflammation with aging came in the late 1990s, when Tracy and his colleagues showed that C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory protein, is an amazingly accurate predictor of a future heart attack—as good as or better than high blood pressure or high cholesterol. At least in heart disease, inflammation isn’t just a bystander. What’s more, we could do something to decrease it. Aspirin, which was already known to help people with heart disease, seems to work primarily by reducing inflammation.

So why should our own immune system rely on such an apparently dangerous mechanism? The answer lies in the fact that infectious disease has historically been the number one killer of human beings, and responding to this threat has profoundly shaped our biology. Possessing a fierce and ferocious immune response primed to keep us alive long enough to reproduce was an evolutionary no-brainer.

Damage to the joint from sever arthritic inflammation often requires a hip replacement.

Inflammation is what gives us that response. It serves as all-purpose protection against invaders and traumatic damage. To take a simple scenario, suppose you are bitten by a cat. First, coagulation factors promote clotting in order to stanch bleeding and prevent germs from spreading from the wound site. A menagerie of phagocytes, which swallow and destroy pathogens, surge out of the bloodstream and squeeze into the affected tissue, engulfing bacteria and secreting cytokines—messenger proteins that send out the call for more responders. The phagocytes also generate reactive oxygen species, unstable compounds that chew up bacteria as well as damaged human tissue.

At the same time, other switches get flipped throughout the body, modifying everything from metabolism to cell growth, via other cytokines, such as IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor–a, and things like CRP, which mark bacteria for destruction. The specialized adaptive immune response eliminates any remaining germs.

So far, so good. But the inflammation response can kick in even when there’s no invader. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a classic example. In response to fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries, a type of phagocyte called a macrophage identifies the growing lesions as trouble spots and infiltrates them, swelling and destabilizing the deposits. Those lesions can then break open, resulting in the formation of a blood clot that can clog blood vessels and cause heart attacks. The more active the macrophages are, the more CRP is in the bloodstream, and the more likely the lesions will break open, block your arteries, and kill you.

The evidence that inflammation is behind other diseases is indirect, but it is mounting. Researchers have long known that in patients with Alzheimer’s, the areas of the human brain clogged with senility-associated plaques also bristle with inflammatory cells and cytokines. Modern research has found that cytokines block memory formation in mice. In diabetes, inflammation and insulin resistance apparently track together, and drugs that effectively restore insulin sensitivity also appear to reduce inflammatory factors like IL-6 and CRP. Inflammation is also being investigated by a group at Leiden University in the Netherlands as a culprit in declining lung function, in osteoporosis, and in old-age depression. Even the weakness of old age may have an inflammatory cause: Ferrucci has found that inflammatory activity breaks down skeletal muscle, leading to the loss of lean muscle mass. Being fat makes all these diseases strike earlier, and that seems to be at least in part because fat cells spur more inflammation.

These findings have provided researchers with a totally new appreciation of how subtly inflammation can work and how wildly awry it can go over time. It’s not about “a massive infection or a welt the size of an egg because you got hit in the head with a two-by-four,” Tracy says. “Inflammation also goes on at a much lower level.” As it simmers in the background, over years and decades, collateral damage accumulates—in the heart, in the brain, everywhere. Harvey Jay Cohen, chairman of the department of medicine and director of the Center for the Study of Aging at Duke University Medical Center, likens inflammation to “little waves lapping on the shore. It’s a relatively low level of activity, one that sustained over time wears away at the beach and stimulates other bad events.”

Evolution has designed into us a cruel trade-off: What saves us in the short term kills us over the long haul. As we get older, acute episodes of inflammation tend to turn into chronic ones, perhaps because the regulation of the immune system becomes less efficient. Inflammatory factors in the blood can increase two- to fourfold. Chronic infections may be partly to blame. Although we usually don’t know it, nearly all adults are infected with the Epstein-Barr virus, and at least 60 percent of us with cytomegalovirus. These two pathogens can stay in our bodies in a latent state, hiding out in our cells. But Ronald Glaser, a viral immunologist at Ohio State University Medical Center and his research partner (and wife), psychologist Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, think that these viruses are not fully dormant. They’ve found evidence (pdf) that with age, antibodies to these viruses increase, indicating a reawakened virus and an active immune response.

Early experiences may also influence the way that inflammation affects an individual’s aging, says Caleb Finch, a neurobiologist and gerontologist at the University of Southern California. Analyzing historical birth and death records from 19th-century Europe, he and Eileen Crimmins, a gerontologist and sociologist at the University of Southern California, found that longevity is directly related to exposure to childhood disease. Children born during years of high neonatal mortality who survived to adulthood didn’t live as long as those born in healthier years. The reason, he says, is inflammation: A high infectious burden in childhood results in a high inflammatory burden in adulthood, which results in a shorter, sicker life. Conversely, Finch believes that people in affluent countries now live so long because their childhoods are free from diseases like measles, typhoid, malaria, whooping cough, and worms. Without these diseases, people grow bigger and stronger—and live much longer.

Looking beyond provocative findings like those in Finch’s study, Tracy and other researchers on aging say that it may be too simplistic to think of inflammation in terms of straightforward cause and effect. Instead we must think of human biology as a group of interdependent systems. “Is inflammation a response to aging, or is it causing aging or disease?” Tracy asks. “My answer is: Yep, yep, yep. It does all those things. There’s no other way to think about it—it’s both cause and response to what’s going on.”

Inflammation is not uncontested as a theory of aging. There are many competing hypotheses. Yet inflammation reinforces some more than others, potentially establishing a plausible constellation of mechanisms responsible for aging.

For example, according to the “free radical” hypothesis of aging, we get older because of constant cellular damage caused by reactive oxygen compounds that are a natural product of metabolism. Inflammation can partly explain how this might work. Macrophages, as part of the inflammatory response, produce reactive oxygen species in order to attack bacteria. Oxidative stress and inflammation clearly egg each other on, and calming one can inhibit the other.

To take another prominent example, a low-calorie diet is known to increase the life spans of creatures ranging from flatworms to rats, but no one knows why, or whether it will help humans live longer. Inflammation provides a clue: Dietary restriction sharply inhibits the inflammatory response, and that may be part of why it promotes longevity at the same time that it reduces insulin resistance and slows dementia. Yet another widely discussed theory of why we age blames the shortening of telomeres, chromosomal structures that, in most cells, dwindle with each division and may ultimately limit the number of times any cell can divide. It is possible that inflammation could play a role here, too, because it prompts the faster turnover of cells in the immune system and other tissues.

Still, nobody thinks that there is a single root cause of aging—different species may age in different ways, and multiple mechanisms are probably at work. “I think it would be a mistake to suggest that inflammation is the cause of aging, or that all theories of aging must be tied to it,” Cohen says. Then again it may not ultimately matter whether inflammation is the most significant cause of our decay. More important is that inflammation offers an unparalleled opportunity to do something about it.

Some ways to reduce inflammation are elementary. It is impossible to know exactly what is going on in Jim Hammond’s body, but all the aspects of his regimen—healthy food, exercise, and a good attitude—reduce systemic inflammation. Those of us without his tenacity can turn to drug companies, which are exploring new anti-inflammatory drugs like flavonoids. Researchers are also looking at new uses for old drugs—trying to prevent Alzheimer’s using ibuprofen, for example. “The research is really to prevent the chronic debilitating diseases of aging,” says Nir Barzilai, a molecular geneticist and director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. “But if I develop a drug, it will have a side effect, which is that you will live longer.”

Some of this research stretches the boundaries of what we know. Rudi Westendorp, head of the department of gerontology and geriatrics at the Leiden University Medical Center, is trying to treat old-age depression with drugs that are currently used for autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Harvard University researchers are considering a vaccine against atherosclerosis, which may provoke a reaction that suppresses inflammation.

The caveat with these experiments is that by modifying inflammation, we are playing with fire. After all, fighting off infection is an absolutely essential bodily function. “The danger of monkeying around in a system like that is that you may do more harm than good,” Cohen says. But humans appear willing to renegotiate the ancient evolutionary bargain that traded robust reproductive health for frail old age.

Think of Jim Hammond if you have any doubts. In his blog, he describes running the 800-meter race in the 2007 National Senior Olympics games. “I won in a photo finish, and I broke the national record,” he wrote. The crowd went nuts. At the age of 93, Hammond had the most exhilarating experience of his entire life.