This week:

Peter, age 62 reported that his eye surgeon is amazed that his cataract is improving and surgery may no longer be needed.   Peter has been on Immunocal Platinum for 5 months.

Cindy, age 49 reported that her recovery from hip replacement surgery was significantly easier and faster this time around (surgery was March 18), than when the other hip was replaced in June ‘07.   Even family and friends have noticed the difference in her compared to last summer.  Cydnee has been on Immunocal Platinum for 10 months.

Christie, age 29 reported that she suffered one continuous string of cold symptoms for the first 6 months of her pregnancy.  She has been on HMS 90 for 2 months and has not had so much as a sniffle.   She is due in June!

Sharon, age 59 reported that her pain specialist is beginning to wean her off narcotic pain-killers as it appears she may no longer need them.   She has been taking Immunocal Platinum for 3 months. 

Announcement from President and CEO of Immunotec Jim Northrop:  It was recently brought to my attention that a company called Feelgood Nutraceuticals was promoting its protein product as containing whey protein sourced from Glanbia Nutritionals.  I investigated immediately and have determined that this is not the case.  References have been removed from their online marketing materials and Glanbia has provided me with a statment outlining the steps taken to correct the  inaccurate assertions made by FGN. 

Veteran distributors know that Glanbia Nutritionals and Immunotec have a longstanding strategic alliance.   Immunocal/HMS 90 is produced using a proprietary and unique formulation developed by Immunotec scientists.  In addition, the manufacturing process used by Glanbia was developed especially for Immunotec.  As we have said in the past, if it doesn’t say Immunocal/HMS 90 on the label, it’s not the real thing. 

As Immunotec continues as the leader in immune system support, I assure you that I will rigorously defend our brand.  With the only patented protein proven to consistently raise and sustain glutathione levels, Immunotec has a unique product, a unique earning opportunity and a unique position in the marketplace. 

Herbal energy might keep the dreaded crash at bay

Energy drinks have grown from a few obscure tonics into a multibillion dollar industry – the heir-apparent of traditional soft drinks.

Sugar is the other key ingredient in most energy drinks. It gives you energy for the same reason candy made you bounce off the walls when you were five. It’s got all the same effects – and drawbacks – that you remember from childhood: empty calories, fuel for tooth-rotting bacteria and the so-called “sugar crash.” The crash hits when muscle tissue absorption and insulin cut your previously-elevated blood glucose levels. Your body doesn’t like that kind of rapid change and smacks you down, hard.

Herbs and Supplements

Energy drink formulas include a bunch of secondary supplements like taurine and herbal extracts designed to fine tune the stimulant effect, but the primary actors are still caffeine and sugar. On their own, herbal and nutritional supplements provide a moderate boost, bereft of the jaw-clenching highs and brain-hammering lows of the traditional caffeine-sugar combination.

Immunotec’s Xtra Sharp is an herbal energy tonic designed to boost your energy levels through smart supplements and balanced herbal extracts. 21 herbs and a mix of essential minerals keep you moving and alert in hectic times.

Xtra Sharp targets common deficiencies, providing an inherent energy boost that’s actually good for you. For example, the potassium in Xtra Sharp is a vital nutrient that maintains neuron (brain and nerve) and muscle function, but most North Americans only consume about half of the recommended dietary intake. Herbal extracts like guarana seed also offer a less-harsh alternative to caffeine, while specific herbs provide other benefits. The net effect: higher energy levels without jitters and exhausting low points.

Immunocal/HMS 90 is derived from whole milk, however that is where the relationship to milk ends!  After it leaves the cow (which is antibiotic/steroid free), the milk is processed and refined until it is 90% molecularly similar to human breast milk; thus HMS=Human Milk Serum 90% pure.  Specifically, the product is distilled down until there is almost nothing left but the amino acid ‘cysteine’.  In addition, more than 99% of the lactose is removed, so there is an extremely minimal risk of lactose intolerance.   A person would have to have a specific intolerance to cysteine to react to this product, and cysteine allergies are extremely rare.  One would know if they were cysteine intolerant if they were allergic to their mother’s breast milk.   Cysteine stimulates cellular production of glutathione (GSH).  GSH is the body’s master antioxidant, fuel for the immune system and detoxifier.  It is therefore common for people to experience detoxification symptoms, not to be confused with an allergic reaction.  Detox symptoms may include nausea/vomiting, skin rash, abdonimal cramps, diarrhea, constipation, nasal discharge and headache to name a few of the more common ones.  These symptoms are temporary and actually desirable, even though they may be unpleasant.  Detoxification means that the product is doing what it’s supposed to do.  The severity and longevity of detox symptoms is directly related to the degree and location of toxicity and tissue weakness in the body.   Stay tuned to learn how the cysteine in Immunocal/HMS 90 is superior to other products containing cysteine.

Everyone does it – so why are we so bad at it?

Thomas Edison hated sleeping because he thought it was a waste of time – and it was one of the few areas where he was totally out to lunch. It wasn’t his fault, though. We know a lot more about sleep now than we did then. A good night’s sleep is crucial to immune health and long-term memory formation. You might be dreaming, but your body’s busy preparing you for another day.

You’d think that knowing the importance of sleep would help us take it more seriously, but sleep disorders are more common than ever. We sleep badly for a bunch of reasons, but one of the most common is irregular melatonin production levels. Melatonin is your natural timekeeper. The light-sensitive pineal gland regulates melatonin production throughout the day. High levels make you sleepy – and the pineal gland likes to boost your melatonin in the dark.

The pineal gland hasn’t quite caught up with the age of electric lighting. Artificial lights fool it and depress melatonin production. It’s no wonder Edison hated sleeping – all those light bulbs probably put him in the world’s worst sleep environment.

Natural Sleep Aids

You can use two methods to regulate your melatonin levels better. The first is obvious: Sleep in a dark place. Lower light levels around the house before you go to sleep. When you turn in, make sure to minimize indirect lighting. That glow from the bathroom light down the hall might depress your melatonin levels.

The second option is to take a melatonin supplement. It’s a proven sleep aid. Immunotec’s Concentrated Tart Montmorency Cherry Juice is a melatonin supplement that has several advantages over capsules or tablets. It’s naturally sourced, definitely tastier and you can prepare it however you like.

Not Just Sleep

Melatonin’s more than just a sleep aid. It’s an antioxidant that appears to influence proper immune functioning. Low melatonin levels are associated with immune deficiencies. Melatonin-depleted blood is associated with an increased risk of cancer, too, so supplementation does more than help you sleep – it might just help you live longer.

Company distributes Immunotec® Health Supplements to Revitalize and Preserve Health

Peterborough, Ontario, Canada: As a successful chiropractor, Dr. Catherine Owens didn’t need to expand her business, but personal experience drove her to distribute Immunotec’s health products.

“In 1998 I stopped running due to chronic charley-horses in my calf muscles,” said the owner of Owens Chiropractic and Be Well or Else. “I tried everything to fix them and nothing worked. After seven years of suffering and frustration, I was introduced to Immunotec’s HMS 90 and in less than one week the charley-horses disappeared. I resumed running and have been symptom free ever since.

“This inspired me to set up Be Well or Else so I could share these life changing products with others.”

Partner James Boyle was similarly inspired by his experience with an Immunotec product. “I became a distributor because I was so impressed with how their Tart Cherry Concentrate provided in helping me sleep. The results were nothing short of amazing.”

Be Well Or Else focuses on four product categories: natural sleep aids, herbal energy supplements, immune enhancements and vitamins. Each product benefits from Immunotec’s precision manufacturing and research.

Be Well or Else has set up a web site and marketing campaign to match Dr. Owens’ commitment to her products. Go to http://www.bewellorelse.com to not only purchase Immunotec supplements, but read news and research about them as well.

The immune system is the currency of cancer treatment. You spend it on healing illness, save it against future complications and build it as the “nest egg” that ensures your quality of life.

The “immune system” is actually several systems – it’s one of the most complex, dynamic processes in your body. Your skin, bone marrow and a host of specialized cells protect you from disease. That’s why immune enhancement starts with a healthy lifestyle. Immune health is whole-body health because your immune system’s components are everywhere. Supplements help you correct specific deficiencies and target problem areas, but they work best within a total health regimen.

Cysteine

Cysteine is an important amino acid because it’s a precursor to the amino acid . Glutathione is your body’s master antioxidant and governs proper T-Cell functioning – but you can’t take it as a pill or dietary supplement. Your digestive system isn’t good at absorbing it. One study found that even taking a 3 gram chunk of glutathione orally didn’t significantly increase bloodstream levels.

You can’t get glutathione – but you can get cysteine. By rebuilding glutathione, cysteine helps you recover immune health.

Studies suggest that cysteine (and elevated glutathione levels) help prevent cancer and help cancer patients maintain their weight. In a double blind study, Immunotec’s cysteine-rich whey protein isolate helped advanced-stage cancer patients maintain bodyweight and physical strength. Immunotec markets this supplement as HMS90 in Canada and Immunocal in the US. Immunocal qualifies for Medicare/Medicaid coverage and Health Canada approves Immunocal/HMS90’s immune-enhancement claims.

You can get HMS90/Immunocal from distributors like Be Well or Else.

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. To view Immunocal on ConsumerLab.com’s website, visit http://www.consumerlab.com/results/bannedsub.asp.

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. An abstract of the study is available at jap.physiology.org.

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.

MORGAN CAMPBELL
SPORTS REPORTER TORONTO STAR

Three storeys above Queen St. E, and half a pound over the super bantamweight limit, Steve Molitor stands shirtless in his strength trainers’ studio.

When he flexes, every muscle in his body ripples. Muscles you usually only see in anatomy textbooks are visible here.

“Holy sh–! Look at the striations in his traps,” says Chris Smits, one of the Sarnia fighter’s strength trainers.

“Lookin’ good, man,” says Marty Smits, Chris’s brother and business partner.

Marty then rhymes off a long list of vitamins, herbs and supplements and asks Molitor if he’s been using them. Molitor nods.

“I leave no stone unturned,” he says. “Trust me.”

Tonight, Molitor (25-0, 10 KOs) faces Mexico’s Ricardo Castillo (33-4, 22 KOs) at Casino Rama, staking his IBF 122-pound title and climaxing a training camp where he used everything from cinder blocks to nutritional supplements to gain an edge.

The Smits brothers, who apprenticed under former Maple Leaf and renowned fitness freak Gary Roberts, say Molitor gets a lot out of his body because of what he puts into it.

“You don’t put unleaded fuel in a Formula One car,” Marty Smits says. “He’s a finely-tuned engine. He needs a finely-tuned diet so he can perform at the highest level.”

Thirty years ago Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky guzzled raw eggs to train for his title fight with Apollo Creed, but it’s not that simple anymore. When preparing for a fight, Molitor subsists on a high-tech organic diet designed to deliver maximum nutrition with minimum calories. His daily intake includes:

HMS 90: a protein extracted from unpasteurized milk, Chris Smits calls it the “Lamborghini” of protein supplements. It aids muscle recovery and boosts the immune system.

Buffalo and ostrich meat: they’re high in protein and contain virtually no fat.

Blue Green Algae: exactly what it sounds like – a pungent-smelling green goop that helps balance the body’s Ph levels.

Molitor’s intake is exotic and expensive (HMS 90 retails for about $100 a box), but Chris Smits says Molitor can’t expect to be a soldier in the ring if he eats like a civilian.

“If you give yourself proper nutrition and raw food, your body will flourish. Steve’s a testament,” Chris Smits says.

In training, the shift in nutrition enables Molitor to work harder and recover more quickly, and long-term better training has built a better body. Molitor says he’s much leaner now, at 122 pounds, than he was five years ago fighting at 118.

“I feel a lot smoother and a lot more alert,” he says. “And I feel healthier day-to-day.”

And in the ring Molitor says his focus on training and nutrition means he’s never tired.

“I did nine rounds with (Takalani) Ndlovu and I was just getting warmed up,” he says, referring to his title defence last July. “I do a lot of things a regular boxer doesn’t do. Everything that helps me out 1 per cent adds up at the end of the day. Results speak for themselves in this world.”

mcampbell@thestar.ca

MONTREAL, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Immunotec Inc. (TSX-V: IMM) announced today the successful completion of a multi-center randomized, double-blind clinical trial on cancer-related weight loss (cachexia) in lung cancer patients which was performed in collaboration with various Canadian clinical centers(x). The research concluded that patients treated with IMN 1207 showed significant increases in body weight (Tozer et al. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling (2008) 10:395-402). Immunotec also announced the initiation of a follow-up study to confirm the positive results.

The massive loss of body weight and muscle mass in advanced cancer patients is typically associated with psychological stress, financial burden and a decreased quality of life. Until now there have been no dietary interventions known to satisfactorily prevent this process.

Immunotec’s new study included 66 patients with advanced lung cancer receiving state of the art chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The patients had already suffered significant involuntary weight-loss prior to treatment. During a six month treatment period the patients were given either casein, a protein supplement low in cysteine which is widely used in clinical nutrition (”placebo”) or IMN 1207, a specially-prepared glutathione enhancing cysteine-rich whey protein isolate supplied by Immunotec Inc. The results showed that patients in the placebo group continued to lose weight whereas patients treated with IMN 1207 showed a significant increase in body weight. Incidentally, these patients also showed an increase in strength and quality of life parameters. This study showed for the first time that cancer-related weight loss (cachexia) can be prevented by a single source of protein. Dr. Gerald Batist, Chair, Department of Oncology, McGill University stated “Having been involved in the early mechanistic studies of the therapeutic use of whey proteins, I’m pleased to see this particular formulation being tested in the clinic. The data to date encourage additional and expanded clinical trials”. Dr. Wulf Droge, Senior Vice-President Research & Development at Immunotec Inc. emphasized that the results of this first trial should be viewed with cautious optimism. A second trial has been initiated to confirm the results.

Among other questions, this clinical trial also addressed the controversy about antioxidant use in chemotherapy. Since radiotherapy and many types of chemotherapy work by raising levels of oxidative stress and free radical formation to destroy cancer cells, oncologists have voiced concern that treatment of the patient with antioxidants may “protect” the cancer from the toxic effects of the therapy. If this were the case, antioxidants could even be expected to shorten the life span of the patients. Immunotec’s study now showed that this was clearly not the case with IMN 1207. Based on his earlier work at his laboratory at the National Cancer Research Center of Germany (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Dr. Droge was reasonably confident that supplementation with a critical precursor of the major cellular antioxidant glutathione, would actually improve the condition of the patients, most probably by ameliorating adverse effects of these therapies on the patients’ healthy tissues. The results of this new study suggest that this is true. The antioxidant glutathione is distinct from other antioxidants including the popular antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E which are widely used as nutritional supplements. Glutathione is involved in the removal of reactive oxygen species and other potential toxic compounds through special biochemical processes and can reach relatively high and beneficial concentrations in cells and tissues depending on the availability of its biosynthetic precursor cysteine.

About IMN 1207

IMN 1207 is a cysteine-rich protein. It is the research formulation of the undenatured whey protein Immunocal(R)/HMS 90(R), a dietary natural health supplement, developed and marketed worldwide by Immunotec during the past 12 years. Immunocal(R)/HMS 90 is a precursor of the major cellular antioxidant glutathione, an element important in maintaining a strong immune system.

About Immunotec Inc.

Immunotec is engaged primarily in the development and marketing of natural health products, dietary supplements, food, vitamins and personal care products, many of which are manufactured on its behalf by third parties. Immunotec’s products are distributed and sold in Canada and the United States through a network marketing system and in other countries through exclusive distributorship agreements. Immunotec’s investment in this study is another manifestation of its ongoing commitment to research and development. http://www.immunotec.com.

• Montreal General Hospital (McGill University teaching hospital) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Cross Cancer Institute, Alberta Cancer Board (University of Alberta affiliate) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
• Jewish General Hospital (McGill University teaching hospital) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Juravinski Cancer Centre (McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences affiliate) Hamilton, Ontario,Canada.
• Allan Blair Cancer Centre (a division of Saskatchewan Cancer Foundation) Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Immunotec_cancer_study-complete.pdf