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Transfer Factor Research

For years, transfer factor research has shown the benefits of transfer factor extracted from bovine colostrum as an immune system booster. Let's take a look at the history and science behind the technology.

Transfer Factor Research : Beginnings

In 1949, Dr. H. Sherwood Lawrence was busy studying patients with tuberculosis, and made an amazing discovery. He discovered that it was possible to heal a person who had become infected, by injecting them with an extract of the white blood cells (leukocytes) of a person who had recovered from the disease. In other words, immunity could be transferred from a donor to a recipient.

The element or factor in this extract that was capable of transferring immunity, he called "transfer factor." Now, 50 years and an estimated $40,000,000 in research later, there are over 3,000 published scientific papers documenting the benefits of transfer factors. In fact, transfer factor research is now so well known in the immunological community that there is an International Congress focused on them, as well as an International Transfer Factor Society.

The Back Burner

By the time that Dr. Lawrence made his discovery, antibiotics were already being developed for commercial use. Penicillin, the powerful antibiotic, had been discovered in 1929 by Alexander Fleming.

By the 1940's, the effectiveness of the power of penicillin had finally been acknowledged. As you know, antibiotics became a huge industry and money and energy were focused there for many years. In fact, other promising methods for promoting health and curing disease were abandoned or put on the back burner as well in favor of antibiotics.

As antibiotics became part of mainstream medicine, some of these other methods became known as alternative treatments, or were only found in research studies or highly specialized treatment centers.

During the 1950's and 60's, new classes of antibiotics were heavily developed. But nothing is perfect. Antibiotics can have side effects and allergic reactions, and they were never effective against viruses. As time went on, progress had slowed, and antibiotics were losing their effectiveness against bacteria.

Transfer Factor Research Bounces Back

In the late 1980's, transfer factor research picked up again. Around that time, it was discovered that colostrum is rich in transfer factor.

Colostrum is the milk that is produced by mammals in the first 24 to 48 hours after birth. It is delivered to the infant during the first feedings and acts as a natural oral vaccine for young immune systems.

Through colostrum, mammals, such as cows and humans, naturally use the process that Dr. Lawrence identified to transfer a mother's immunity to her newborn during the initial feeding sessions.

The Colostrum Connection

The benefits of colostrum were already well established. Bovine colostrum has been used in medicine for immune system problems for thousands of years, before sulfa drugs and antibiotics took its place.

A calf receives 100% of its immunity from its mother through colostrum. If a calf does not receive colostrum, it will die. Humans receive about 60% of their immunity in the womb, and 40% from the mother's milk within the first two days of life. It was already well known that breast-fed human infants were healthier (about 17 times less likely to develop serious illness) than infants fed synthetic formula.

A similar scenario was found to exist in other animals as well. For example, studies have shown that kittens born to queens infected with feline corona virus (FCoV) are protected from FCoV infection by antibodies they receive in their mother's milk. This protection literally saves their lives! The impact of colostrum intake by foals was universally accepted as well.

It didn't take much for researchers to put it all together...

The transfer factor in colostrum potentially stimulated the immune system of infant humans and animals, and this resulted in significant health benefits.

How it Works

One of the premier companies doing transfer factor research is a Utah, USA, based company called 4life Research. Their web site explains how transfer factor works...

"Transfer factors are tiny molecules found in colostrum which provide "immune knowledge" from a mother's immune system to her baby used in recognizing and fighting outside threats. By transferring information from cell to cell, transfer factors serve as "teachers" to the new cells, ensuring a strong immune system..."

Research has proven that, unlike antibody therapy, transfer factors can be taken orally with no loss of effectiveness. They are non-allergenic since they are a purified extract of small size.

The Future of Transfer Factor Research

William Hennen, PhD, is a biochemist and Vice President of Research and Development for 4life Research, a company that researches, produces, and markets Transfer Factor, and Transfer Factor Plus.

As a drug and nutritional supplement researcher for many years, Dr. Hennen now focuses on transfer factor research.

Dr. Hennen tells us...

"Transfer factors are the most exciting discovery in immunology. As the 21st century unfolds, transfer factor will be one of our greatest keys to health and well being."

Only recently has the technology matured enough for this product to become readily available to you and your pets. Mass scale extraction and production of this amazing substance is now possible.

4life has a patented process for extracting transfer factor from the bovine colostrum of Grade A cows. They have an entire line of supplements for people and animals based around their trademarked products, Transfer Factor, and Transfer Factor Plus.

Their ongoing mission is to bring Transfer Factor to the world. Through a network of independent sales people in an ever increasing number of countries, they seem to be doing exactly that. Hundreds of millions of Transfer Factor have been sold world wide.

This puts them in a unique position as a leader in the immune support market. It also allows them to fund ground-breaking transfer factor research, and enables them to take that research to the next level.

What is the next level?

Well, among other advances, I have it on good authority that they will be releasing a "functional beverage" product. Products like Noni juice, Goji juice, and others have become extremely popular over the last 10 years. Now, 4life will be able to compete with those products and go one step further.

Soon, you'll be able to drink transfer factors into your system. This will reach a whole group of people who want the convenience of a ready-made drink product, or those who just don't like to take pills.

Since no one else has 4life's transfer factor research capabilities, and no one has their patented transfer factor product, this will be one drink product that literally has no competition.

Update: It's here, and it's called... RioVida!

More Information

4life Transfer Factor - should you give it to your cat?

4life Transfer Factor Testimonials

In 1996, the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) reported on the benefits being seen in transfer factor research.

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