Re: Immune System Boosters

[Guest guest]

My dentist has given me info on this subject, it states that it does not

cause autoimmune problems and is safe as such. I am going to Emory here in

Atlanta to a Dr. Sullivan, an allergy doctor who thinks even though my

thyriod numbers are within normal range, my symptoms seem to indicate that I

am allergic to the thyriod homone my own body is making and he will consult

with my endo to supplement me with thyriod hormone inorder to shut my own

production down to stop the skin reactions including hives. He says that if

your antibodies are elevated, this can be the reason for the hives etc., and

can also cause nerve disorders, anixety attacks, blurred vision, numb hands

and so on...interesting! Sheri Lynn

[Guest guest]

R E A L L Y interesting ! Please keep us posted.

Thanks for the info,

Ann

In a message dated 8/19/1999 9:09:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

BPICKER2@... writes:

<<

>>

[Guest guest]

> Another popular immune booster is Beta Glucan. Although it seems that

> stimulating the immune sytem of a person suffering from an auto-immune disease

> such as Graves might be unwise, apparently a healthy immune system is better

> able to distinguish between host cells and foreign invaders.

Advanced Dermatologics News, April/May 1993, page 5

http://www.o2facial.com/boll1.html

There are a growing number of companies using beta glucan (variably labeled

'beta-1,3-glucan' or 'beta-1,6-glucan' or 'yeast extract' or 'yeast cell-wall

extract' or 'yeast derivative' or 'Nayad', etc.) in their skin care

formulations.

Contrary to the claims of its critics, beta glucan does penetrate the epidermis.

In fact, it is one of the very few molecules of such size that can penetrate

well into the dermis. How can it do this? Beta glucan is a glucose-type molecule

that travels freely through the network of dendritic cells(e.g. Langerhans cells

and melanocytes) which are present in both the epidermis and dermis.

This does not mean that beta glucan is beyond criticism. Ironically, its single

tragic flaw has been completely overlooked by its most vociferous opponents. And

all the competing proponents of beta glucan who claim they have the best product

because it is beta-1,6-glucan instead of beta-1,3-glucan or because theirs comes

from barley instead of yeast, still have nothing but a marginally effective

product because of the 'single

tragic flaw.'

The Single Tragic Flaw: Beta glucan is merely a 'helper molecule in adding

'muscle to your immune system. Beta glucan is an embarrassingly poor builder of

immune response when used alone in its purest form. All the beneficial effects

attributed to beta glucan when used topically are in reality due to the master

it serves, mannoprotein.

Whereas beta glucan is just a D-glucose polymer that stimulates immune system

response through anatagonism of the immune cells ('antagonism' is necessary for

keeping immune cells in a heightened state of vigilance against outside

invaders), only mannoprotein will build lasting strength into the immune system.

The two exist together in the yeast cell wall, but over-purification separates

them.

Mannoprotein is a sugar-protein(glycoprotein) that is linked to beta glucan in

yeast and barley cell walls. Mannoprotein has a hormonal effect and similar

growth factor that is selective for Langerhans(immune) cells. It directly

increases the structural integrity, alertness and number of immune cells. Beta

glucan being only a sugar, energizes while mannoprotein builds. All of the

claims made about beta glucan's long-term effects in the skin can only be

realized by the use of products containing a certifiable(measurable)

mannoprotein/beta glucan complex.

More information at:

http://www.glucan.com/html/medical.html

http://www.nsc24.com/research/index.html

http://internetmedicalcenter.com/news/9990422.html

http://www.betaglucan.com/

http://www.kayaresource.com/beta/science.html

http://www.galaxymall.com/commerce/beta/info.html

Nothing specifically related to Grave's, but some good information on the

product....

Me.

--

" The light is not a weapon, though some would wield it as such.

Nor is it a shield, though some would try to hide behind it. "

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/19/99 2:48:04 AM !!!First Boot!!!, alexh@...

writes:

<< I am currently taking an oral aloe vera supplement for it's benefit to

the immune system and it is specifically mentioned as a possible cure

for Graves disease. Another popular immune booster is Beta Glucan.

Although it seems that stimulating the immune sytem of a person

suffering from an auto-immune disease such as Graves might be unwise,

apparently a healthy immune system is better able to distinguish

between host cells and foreign invaders. Has anyone seen any studies or

anecdotal evidence for using Beta Glucan to treat Graves?

>>

I did a Medline search of both aloe vera and beta glucan and thyroid and

Grave's and found nothing. I looked up beta glucan and there are a lot of

studies which indicate that it may strengthen or stimulate the immune system.

I think there is an important difference between stimulating the immune

system and strengthening it.

Some things stimulate the immune system and make it attack. This may be

good in certain situations such as when there is a bacterial invader, but in

other situations such as Grave's I don't think we want the immune system

stimulated. Other nutrients strengthen the immune system and make it more

capable of reacting and stopping once the threat is over. It seems that in

Grave's the immune system in over-reacting and not stopping properly.

The following studies indicate that beta glucan (a substance found in the

cell walls of yeast and bacteria) stimulates the immune system. The immune

system must protect the body from the mycotoxins of yeast and from bacteria,

so it is reasonable to expect that it must be set into motion by something in

the cell walls of these organisms. There may be different types of beta

glucans, but it seems that the ones which stimulate the immune system such as

from yeast and bacteria would not be good for people with Grave's.

The second study is interesting because it indicates that the beta

glucans from seaweed (1-3 beta glucan) may offer protection from breast

cancer. The third study, however, indicates that beta glucans from yeast and

bacteria may be arthritogenic, that is, they cause arthritis. Arthritis is

another disease of characterized by an over-active immune system (which is

attacking the joint). I would expect this type of beta glucan to also

stimulate the immune system in Grave's, so I'd be careful.

STUDY 1

Title

Immunomodulatory activities of oat beta-glucan in vitro and in vivo.

Author

Estrada A; Yun CH; Van Kessel A; Li B; Hauta S; Laarveld B

Address

Animal Biotechnology Centre, Department of Animal and Poultry Science,

University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. estrada@...

Source

Microbiol Immunol, 41(12):991-8 1997

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that beta-glucans extracted from yeast or fungi

potentiate immune responses. In the present study, the immunomodulatory

activities of beta-(1-->3,1-->4)-glucan, derived from oats, were

investigated. The ability of oat beta-glucan (ObetaG) to stimulate IL-1 and

TNF-alpha release from murine peritoneal macrophages and the murine

macrophage cell line P338D1, was assessed. In vitro stimulation of

macrophages with ObetaG resulted in the production of IL-1 in a dose and

time-dependent manner, whereas only small amounts of TNF-alpha could be

detected in the culture supernatants. ObetaG also induced the production of

IL-2, IFN-gamma and IL-4 secretion in a dose-dependent manner in cultured

spleen cells. The intraperitoneal administration of ObetaG in mice resulted

in the accumulation of leucocytes, predominantly macrophages, in the

peritoneal cavity. Furthermore, ObetaG was tested for its ability to enhance

non-specific resistance to a bacterial challenge in mice. Survival of mice

challenged with Staphylococcus aureus was enhanced by a single

intraperitoneal administration of 500 microg of ObetaG 3 days prior to

bacterial challenge. In conclusion, these studies demonstrated that ObetaG

possesses immunomodulatory activities capable of stimulating immune functions

both in vitro and in vivo.

STUDY 2

Title

The dietary intake of Laminaria, a brown seaweed, and breast cancer

prevention.

Author

Teas J

Source

Nutr Cancer, 4(3):217-22 1983

Abstract

Based on epidemiological and biological data, Laminaria, a brown kelp

seaweed, is proposed as an important factor contributing to the relatively

low breast cancer rates reported in Japan. Several possible mechanisms for

the influence of Laminaria on breast cancer are proposed: Laminaria is a

source of nondigestible fiber, thereby increasing fecal bulk and decreasing

bowel transit time; it changes the posthepatic metabolism of sterols; it

contains an antibiotic substance that may influence fecal ecology; it

contains 1-3 beta glucan, which alters enzymatic activity of fecal flora; and

it stimulates the host-mediated immune response. It is suggested that

Laminaria may play a role in preventing either the initiation of breast

cancer or its promotion by endogenous physiological factors.

STUDY 3

Title

Identification of arthritogenic adjuvants of self and foreign origin.

Author

Lorentzen JC

Address

Department of Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm,

Sweden.

Source

Scand J Immunol, 49(1):45-50 1999 Jan

Abstract

The lack of defined triggers for human inflammatory joint diseases warrants

efforts to identify candidate molecules. For this task, it may be an

important lead that nonspecific activation of the immune system can

precipitate arthritis in rats. Consequently, arthritis-prone rat strains were

used to search for disease-triggering factors among molecules which initially

induce innate defence reactions rather than specific immune responses. A

variety of immunological adjuvants were investigated by intradermal injection

into DA and LEW.1AV1 rats and monitoring of clinical signs for 30 days.

Several arthritogenic cell-wall structures from yeast and bacteria were

identified, such as beta-glucan, lipopolysaccharide and trehalosedimycolate.

The test procedures also revealed arthritogens of chemical origin, such as

dioctadecyldiammoniumbromide (DDA = C38H80NBr) and heptadecane (C17H36).

Furthermore, it allowed the precise definition of arthritogenic determinants

of lipids, since C16H34 induced arthritis, whereas the closely related linear

hydrocarbons C16H32, C16H33Br and C15H32 did not. The observed pathogenicity

of organic lipids raised the question of whether endogenous lipids can also

precipitate arthritis. Indeed, this was true for the cholesterol precursor

squalene (C30H50). In conclusion, this article describes the rational use of

arthritis-prone rat strains to identify arthritogenic factors of both foreign

and self origin. Although structurally unrelated, the pathogenic molecules

defined here share the feature of being nonspecific triggers of the immune

system. This consolidates a general principle for the induction of adjuvant

arthritis which may provide clues to the aetiology of human arthritides,

including rheumatoid arthritis.

[Guest guest]

You have to be careful when you are boosting your immune system--because you

should only take things once in a while--like before the winter season or

while you are suck, because if you overstimulate --you can have a reversal

affect and over stimulate and cause a lot of havoc kin your body. Like for

instance--if you take echinacea--just take it for a short while, bevause if

you over do it, the chemicals will not work when you need them. Or you can

cause yourself to have problems that are similar in destroying the glands

that protect you. Because by overstimulating, you can actually destry those

glands that protect you. So think --MODERNATION. Because more is not always

better or healthier. Because you can also drink more water than your body can

tolerate. So as you would eat anything--dont over do it.

[Guest guest]

Yeah it does unless you could figure what was

triggering the autoimmunity and eliminate it/correct

it.

--- natesmom4@... wrote:

> While in Florida I spent the day with a dear friend

> who has severe MS. She said that taking anything

> (vitamins, etc.) that would be a boost to the immune

> system would actually cause more problems. I don't

> really get it but has anyone ever heard of this?

> She said since it's an autoimmune disease, making

> the immune system healthier would cause it to attack

> more ferociously. Does that make any sense?

>

> Becky

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

[Guest guest]

> While in Florida I spent the day with a dear friend who has severe

MS. She said that taking anything (vitamins, etc.) that would be a

boost to the immune system would actually cause more problems. I

don't really get it but has anyone ever heard of this? She said

since it's an autoimmune disease, making the immune system healthier

would cause it to attack more ferociously. Does that make any sense?

>

> Becky

Yes, this is true. My rheumatologist told me to avoid ginseng and

echinacea because they stimulate the immune system. People with

overactive immune systems need to calm, not excite, an immune system

that is attacking their own tissues.

S

[Guest guest]

Becky,

RA was thought to be a disease caused by an overactive immune system. If

this is true, anything boosting the immune system could potentially make the

disease worse. Recent research has said that RA and other autoimmune

diseases are the result of a TIRED immune system. This tired immune system

has been battling it¹s enemy for so long that it is just plain tired. Until

they find the cause autoimmune diseases, these questions can¹t be answered.

It is interesting to note that many vitamin and mineral levels in people

with RA are low. It¹s not known if these deficiencies contribute to the

disease process or are a result of the disease process.

a

> While in Florida I spent the day with a dear friend who has severe MS. She

> said that taking anything (vitamins, etc.) that would be a boost to the immune

> system would actually cause more problems. I don't really get it but has

> anyone ever heard of this? She said since it's an autoimmune disease, making

> the immune system healthier would cause it to attack more ferociously. Does

> that make any sense?

>

> Becky

>

>

>