Transfer Factor | Allergies & Your Gut

In 2011 I was working with a knowledgeable nutritionist who was helping me restore my GI tract after I’d successfully vanquished a nasty Clostridium difficile infection that began in April 2010 while I was on vacation. Fortunately, the infection wasn’t fatal as it often is but it certainly was inconvenient and became debilitating after I returned home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), **30,000 people in the US die every year from C. diff and millions of people of all ages suffer with non-fatal infections**. (Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation, 2014).

If you want to read more about how I got rid of the C. diff infection without antibiotics, my Oriental Medicine Journal article Successful Holistic Treatment of Clostridium difficile Gut Infection: Case Study is online here.

The nutritionist recommended an interesting nutritional supplement called 4Life Transfer Factor Plus to help boost my immune system. I now take a maintenance dose of 1 capsule 3x/day.

TRANSFER FACTORS are molecules that actually transfer immune memory and knowledge from one immune system to another. The 4Life Transfer Factor Plus supplement is made from bovine colostrum and chicken egg yolk. These molecules contain antigen information which educates, enhances, and helps maintain immune system balance.

COLOSTRUM is an important precursor to the milk produced by mammals (including humans) for nursing their offspring. It is very easy to digest; a yellow to orange color; thick and sticky; low in fat; and high in carbohydrates, protein, and antibodies to help keep the baby healthy. The concentration of immune factors is much higher in colostrum than in mature milk. All this makes it the perfect first food for a baby mammal.

Colostrum (on left) vs Milk (on right)

Colostrum works as a natural and 100% safe vaccine. It contains large quantities of an antibody called secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA). In the womb the baby received the benefit of another antibody, called IgG, through the placenta. IgG worked through the fetus’s circulatory system but IgA protects the baby in the places most likely to come under attack from germs, namely the mucous membranes in the throat, lungs, and intestines.

Colostrum contains high concentrations of leukocytes, protective white cells which can destroy disease-causing bacteria and viruses.

Colostrum also plays an important role in the baby’s gastrointestinal tract. A newborn’s intestines are highly permeable. Colostrum seals the holes by coating the GI tract with a barrier to prevent foreign substances from penetrating and possibly sensitizing a baby to foods the mother has eaten. (La Leche League International, 2006)

Egg laying animals pass on transfer factor to their offspring through the egg yolk. (TransferFactor.com)

To be healthy, you must keep your immune system strong with probiotic foods and probably also probiotic supplements. See Super Immunity and the pages in the menu under it for more information. Transfer Factor is another powerful supplement for aiding the immune system.

Transfer Factor works differently from a probiotic … but probiotics complement the immune support provided by Transfer Factor. Transfer Factor contains peptides that actually EDUCATE immune cells to be more efficient destroyers of threats to health.

The PLUS in 4Life Transfer Factor Plus is Cordyvant, a blend of ingredients that includes maitake mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, cordyceps, IP-6 (inositol hexaphosphate), olive leaf extract and other phytonutrient-rich active ingredients that help nourish healthy, innate aspects of your immune system.

4Life does also make a probiotic supplement that works alongside Transfer Factor Plus. From the 4Life website:

“4Life’s interest in probiotics piqued as 4Life learned that research demonstrates their role in facilitating effective immune functions in a way that complements the support provided by 4Life Transfer Factor. 4Life Probiotics are shown to help support Natural Killer (NK) cell function, as well as some innate functions of white blood cells. In the GI tract, messages from probiotics move into the immune cells of the GI system. The effects of this communication helps support appropriate immune system response by modulating overactive immune reactions system wide.”

Note: The “overactive immune reactions system wide” mentioned in the quotation refer to autoimmune responses. See Autoimmune Disorders.

Transfer Factor

This slightly repetitive but clear video about developing immunity and how transfer factors protect us is worth spending 8 minutes watching if you want to understand how it all works.

For more information on Transfer Factor Plus, see 4Life’s website.

4Life Transfer Factor Plus is a medically respected supplement endorsed by researchers and doctors. This is the Prescribing Information in the 2014 Physicians Desk Reference — although it is a nutritional supplement and does not require a prescription. The listing includes:

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES
– Natural Killer Cell Activity
– CD4 T Helper Cell Research
– Salivary Secretory IgA-Preliminary Investigation
– Wellness Research
– Longevity Studies
– Safety
– How Supplied
REFERENCES

Transfer Factor is also an excellent adjunct to chemotherapy:

Provides powerful immune system support
Stimulates Natural Killer (NK) cell activity by 437%
Supports the immune system’s natural ability to recognize, respond to, and remember potential health threats

If you have questions about 4Life Transfer Factor Plus, want to know about the years of research on it or order some, you may call Suzette Lawrence, MSN, CNM on her toll free number: 877-420-4001.

REFERENCES

Hardin, J.R. (2011). Successful Holistic Treatment of Clostridium Difficile Gut Infection: Case Study. Oriental Medicine Journal, 19:4, 24-37.

La Leche League International. (2006). What is colostrum? How does it benefit my baby? See http://www.lalecheleague.org/faq/colostrum.html

PDR.net. (2014. Full Prescribing Information – 4Life Transfer Factor Tri-Factor – (nanofactor/transfer factor) – 4Life Research. See http://www.pdr.net/full-prescribing-information/4life-transfer-factor-tri-factor?druglabelid=159

Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation: Fighting C Diff through Education and Advocacy. (2014). See prevalence information at http://www.peggyfoundation.org/about-cdiff/prevalence

TransferFactor.com. Transfer Factor FAQ. See http://www.transferfactor.com/us/faq

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site or blog is intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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