3. Q&A: 4LIFE TRANSFER FACTOR

What are transfer factors and how do they work?

Soon after giving birth, female mammals produce colostrum, which is a milk-like substance that jump-starts a newborn's immune system. Researchers now believe that the benefits of colostrum don't necessarily end there.

Transfer Factor is a set of messaging molecules that convey immune information within an individual's immune system. Nature also uses transfer factor to carry immune information from one individual's immune system to another individual. This in fact is how it got its name: by being the factor that transferred immunity from one person to another. Transfer factors are the primary communications used by the immune system to defend against harmful microbial threats. Transfer factors are small molecules that occur naturally in all mammals and are passed from mother to newborn through the mother's first milk called colostrum. By transferring information from cell to cell, transfer factors serve as "teachers" to the cells, ensuring a strong immune system capable of surviving, even thriving, in its new environment.

How was Transfer Factor discovered?

In 1949 Dr. H. Sherwood Lawrence was working on the problem of tuberculosis. What he was trying to discover was if any component of the blood could convey a tubercular sensitivity from an exposed recovered donor to a naive recipient. Whole blood transfusions could be used but only between people of the same blood type. Lawrence first separated the blood's immune cells, the lymphocytes or white blood cells, from the whole blood. Then he broke open the lymphocytes and separated the contents of the cells into various size fractions. What he found was that a fraction of small molecules was able to transfer tuberculin sensitivity to a naive recipient. This is what Dr. Lawrence called transfer factor.

Is blood the only source of transfer factor?

Originally it was. It was not until the mid 1980's that two researchers came up with the idea that Transfer Factor may also be present in colostrum. The confirmation of this discovery was awarded a patent in 1989. Colostrum is now the best source of transfer factor.

What is colostrum?

It is the first milk that a mother produces immediately after giving birth.

What prompted these scientists to look for Transfer Factor in colostrum?

Those who have worked with cattle know that if a calf is not allowed to nurse from its mother it will most often die within a short time. The calves would die in spite of an abundance of food. Death in these cases was cause by infections brought on by the most common organisms. For whatever reason the immune systems of these calves were not working. Seeing this suggests that there is some kind of immune information was being transferred from the mother and her infant. The logical question then became: was it transfer factor? The answer was a resounding YES!

Transfer factors are isolated from colostrum, what about milk allergies and lactose intolerance?

Milk allergies are caused by the large milk proteins, primarily casein, and to a lesser extent the immunoglobulins. These proteins are completely removed from the transfer factor. Lactose intolerance is most common in Oriental populations; much less so in those of European or African decent. We are conscience of this concern and remove the lactose from our product.

Are there any differences between dried colostrum and 4Life’s Transfer Factor XF?

Unlike colostrum, Transfer Factor XF contains a concentrated amount of transfer factors, the active ingredient found in colostrum. Through a special patented process licensed to 4Life, transfer factors are separated from other components found in this “first milk.” Transfer factors readily survive digestion and are easily absorbed, unlike the antibodies and proteins found in colostrum. In addition, Transfer Factor XF has undergone a special stabilization process to protect the effectiveness of the transfer factors.
Is Transfer factors only good for newborns? Transfer Factor is good for everyone who needs an extra immune boost.

Is transfer factor safe for infants?

Colostral transfer factor was designed by Nature for newborns. Removal of the milk allergens and lactose leaves only the essence of the immunological information in the form of transfer factors.

Who can benefit from taking Transfer Factor XF?

Everyone who needs an extra immune boost can benefit from taking Transfer Factor XF.

Can pregnant women take Transfer Factor XF?

There have been no adverse responses reported while taking Transfer Factor XF during pregnancy, but as with any supplement, consult a physician.

Why should I use Transfer Factor XF if I received immune information as an infant?

The transfer factors we received from our mothers as infants helped educate and strengthen our naïve immune systems for the challenges of that time. Today, more than ever, we are exposed to new immune
challenges, while our immune systems have become weakened with age. Strengthening our immune systems can be critical to lifelong health.

How often should I take Transfer Factor XF?

Every day our bodies create new immune cells that need instruction. To meet this need, Transfer Factor XF should be used on a daily basis to provide the immune system with continual support against an environment filled with new and emerging health challenges. Transfer Factor XF, taken on a daily basis, provides effective support for the immune system.

If transfer factors is so effective why hasn't the pharmaceutical industry jumped on transfer factors?

I think that is exactly what we are seeing in many foreign countries notably China, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Japan. In the US transfer factor has had an interesting history. The idea of transfer factor flies in the face of conventional immunology. In the 50’s antibiotics were the golden child of medicine followed in the 60's by steroids like cortisone for inflammation and the synthetic steroid hormones like ethinyl estrogen and progestin that were used to create the birth control pill. After an initial delay transfer factor hit its heyday in the 70's and early 80's. Results however were inconsistent as researchers dove in sometimes with more enthusiasm than skill. The key feature that was missing in these investigations was a dependable assay technique for quality control of the product. The quality control issue was not resolved until the mid 1980's.

Given that transfer factor is not a single entity, the pharmaceutical companies had fits to trying to purify the material without losing efficacy. This force-fit into the single-entity, single-function drug dogma was disastrous. The next issue that slowed transfer factor research is the age-old issue of funding. When AIDS hit the popular press politicians shifted funding into AIDS research but with the focus on finding the cause and then finding a drug that would cure AIDS. The work of a few dedicated, but under-funded, researchers and the inability of the mainstream medical-pharmaceutical industry have combined to again focus attention on transfer factor as one of the few modalities that is effective against diseases of viral origin.

Are there reasons why we haven't seen transfer factor as a food supplement before now? Yes, there are two doors that recently have opened that allow transfer factor to be effectively marketed now. The first door to open was the passage of DSHEA in 1994. The provision for structure-functions claims allows the story of transfer factor to be told without jeopardizing its status as a nutritional supplement. The second is technical. Transfer factor was definitely an idea way ahead of its time and it had to wait for technology to catch up. The processing methods that allow for large-scale extraction of transfer factor have only recently been perfected and a commercial product has only been available for the past ten year.

How does one discuss transfer factors in terms of structure-function claims?

Simplistically, transfer factor strengthens the immune system. But that is simplistic and could be used to describe a number of herbal products and other supplements. Let me answer the question by first reiterating that transfer factor is not just a single entity. Transfer factor is in fact a complex mixture containing three separate fractions. These three fractions are an INDUCER fraction, and ANTIGEN SPECIFIC fraction, and a SUPPRESSOR fraction. Since our immune systems fight the microbe wars for us, let me use a military analogy to explain these three functions. The inducer fraction serves as the drill Sargent of basic training whipping the immune system into shape but not telling them who to go out and attack. The antigen specific fraction is like a set of wanted posters identifying critical features of the bad guys. If we were microbes these specific identifiers would be our fingerprints, mug shots, etc.

Similarly a whole set of transfer factors are made against a single microbe type. Finally the suppressor fraction is like the politicians who declare an end to the war and demobilize the troops. Without this action a lot of excessive damage is done both in war and within ourselves. When our immune system does not demobilize or overreacts we suffer from autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and allergies. Unlike most immune supplements, that provide the building blocks for proper immune function, transfer factor is immune intelligence. It is immune information and education that focuses the immune system keeping it on task and effective. This is a whole new concept in immune system strengthening.

Is Transfer Factor FDA approved?

Foods and dietary supplements are not approved by the FDA and food supplements derived from milk would certainly fall under the category of Generally Recognized As Safe [GRAS].

What is the difference between transfer factors and colostrum?

Transfer factors are the most powerful part of colostrum. Colostrum contains bovine specific antibodies that can cause allergic reactions. However, transfer factors are not species-specific and can be given to another mammal without reaction.



Who makes transfer factor?

Through a special patented process licensed to 4Life Research™ www.4-life.com, transfer factors are extracted from cow colostrum. 4Life's™ transfer factors naturally supports the body's immune system, communicating immune information more efficiently among the cells in the body.