Heroine Letitia Valentine

“I would also like to thank everyone who sponsored and supported me, particularly Tom at Synertek Colostrum.” Letitia Valentine

Letitia is a heroine in every sense of the word. Letitia rode her bicycle from one end of England to the other, a distance of 870 miles, in nine days, for charity. If that is not challenge enough consider that Letitia has lupus. And if that is not challenge enough consider that Letitia also has diabetes. And…well…if all that is not challenge enough consider that Letitia slept on the ground at night and had two serious wrecks and a concussion enroute, but determined to raise funds for the charity Lupus UK, Letitia pressed on to the end.

UK Press Release

Letitia Valentine, 26, of Swansea, Wales, completed her Lands End to John O’Groats ride (870 miles in nine days) on Saturday 12th September. The ride started disastrously, with a big crash after only 60 miles. “I was coming downhill and there was a branch overhanging the road which I couldn’t avoid because there was a lorry (truck) blocking me in. I hit the branch as it seemed a better option than the lorry, and went flying out and hit the deck at about 30mph. I hit my head and my elbow pretty hard and it shook me up.”

She was lucky not to have been more seriously injured. “My helmet was smashed to pieces but saved my life.” A trip to the hospital revealed a fractured arm and whiplash, along with road rash and bruises. Despite her injuries she decided to carry on with the attempt the following afternoon. “I collected my bike from the repair shop and tested it out, I felt ok to ride so I carried on as I didn’t want to let an accident stop me from completing my goal” she said. The disasters didn’t end there however, and after five days of cycling she had another accident, this time slipping on a curb in the wet and landing on her cheekbone. “I couldn’t believe it had happened – I have had no accidents this year and then two in the same week! I was badly concussed and blacked out when I hit my head. When I came to, I could only see out of one eye so it meant another trip to the hospital.” Luckily the loss of vision was only temporary and there was no permanent damage.

“People ask me why I carried on but I kept thinking about all the people who had sponsored me and how I would feel if I had given up, and that’s what kept me going, despite the pain in my arm.”

Despite the setbacks she completed the 1450km journey in nine days. Letitia is raising money for the charity Lupus UK and has the condition herself as well as diabetes, which made the attempt even harder as she has to do four injections every day. “My Lupus specialist was amazed that I was even attempting this and astonished at how much exercise I am able to do. Lupus is a disease of the immune system and can be extremely debilitating. I treat my Lupus by taking colostrum and find that it really helps me. If I forget to take it my joints swell up and I’m sure it helps with recovery. It has changed my life.”

She said that she wanted to show other people with life threatening diseases that they can still achieve their goals. “I would also like to thank everyone who sponsored and supported me, particularly Tom at Synertek Colostrum.”

Anyone wishing to support the charity LUPUS UK and help Letitia reach her target should visit: http://www.justgiving.com/tishmegaride/
Your support would be very much appreciated.

Visit the Synertek website at www.synertekcolostrum.com to see research or order colostrum online.

“In my case a late diagnosis (5 years after infection) resulted in eight years of acute symptoms.”

I am one of the blessed persons who have recovered completely from Lyme disease. There is hope. At the lowest point I was in bed all day, and –at times–shaking with pain. In my case a late diagnosis (5 years after infection) resulted in eight years of acute symptoms.  Consistent work on all fronts, physical, mental, emotional, pharmaceutical, nutrition, and alternative treatments was necessary.  It has been a long road, 14 years after it started, I now regularly ride my mountain bike 30 miles and occasionally win a race event. 

I consider a handful of non pharmaceutical treatments to have been helpful.  Colostrum is in the handful. It is has been very helpful to me.

The spiral shape of the Borrelia burgdefori bacteria pierces, then spirals into tissue cells in the body.  Doctors have theorized that Lyme symptoms that do not respond to treatment are a result of permanent damage caused by the spirochete Borrelia bacteria. I certainly know that the disease caused extensive damage in my body.  As a healing aid colostrum has helped me to overcome Lyme symptoms and the damage caused by extensive antibiotic treatment (which has had a nontrivial and persistent negative effect on my system).  Colostrum has helped improve my digestion and general immunity which were lingering casualties after Lyme symptoms were gone. For those of you in the thick of the battle, keep at it, have faith that you can overcome.

In an effort to pass on anything helpful that my experience may have, I write a few notes on what has helped me recover from Lyme disease. Certainly pharmaceuticals have been necessary and helpful, but just as certainly they have been insufficient.  Here are the non-pharmaceutical items that have been most effective for me.

Nutrition
Recovery from any disease is aided by proper nutrition.  In my case good nutrition was requisite for recovery.  Nutrition is also an area you can exercise will power when other forms of practicing discipline are not available.

Vegetable juice/Powders
Fresh Vegetable juice provides phytonutrients, vitamins, enzymes and generally aids the body.  When there is not time for juicing I use a good green drink supplement such as New Chapter’s Berry Greens or Garden of Life’s Perfect food. I would perform a juice fast of 24-72 hours once or twice a year and found it very helpful.  Vegetable juice is also a standard part of my diet. Juicing of fresh vegetables is significantly better than any nutritional vegetable supplement and is a mainstay of recovery.  I juice the following and drink it over two days.
1 large cucumber
3-5 lbs carrots, scraped or peeled
1 large beet, peeled
1 large bunch of cilantro or parsley or both
2 bunches of celery stalks
1 lb Spinach

Sugar
Avoiding sugar, even fructose from fruit, is a good idea.  If you have a sugar issue then try to incorporate occasional sugar in a way that steadily decreases any sugar dependency.  For me a potent sugar like a candy bar is intolerable both mentally and physically. Occasionally drinking a cup of orange juice with some whole grain (or gluten free) pancakes (no syrup) is a nice treat.  My favorite treat is sliced avocadoes, tomatoes, mild onion and cucumber with a bit of olive oil and salt.  Two other treats are: 1) 12 herb congee in a smoothie or as cereal in soy or rice milk, 2) a mixture of chia, sunflower, pumpkin and hemp seeds.

Healing soup
Boil two or three large yellow onions in three to four quarts of water.  Boil for one hour or until skin becomes clear.  Add:
Vegetable bullion
Sautee ½ to ¾ of a garlic bulb (many cloves) in olive oil and add to onion broth. 
Carrots boil for 3 minutes
Celery, and green cabbage boil for 3minutes more
Remove heat
Add sliced cucumbers and cilantro
Sometimes I add lentils a little before the carrots. Any form of meat seems to throw this recipe off. Adding different vegetables can be nice.

Other nutritional supplements
· Plant Fusion’s Protien for those who have a hard time digesting protein
· 12 herb congee available at www.congeeherbs.com
· Kumbacha—Look at the labels for a low sugar flavor.  Available at most health food stores
· NutriCology’s Saccharomyces boulardii for help outcompeting candida
· Master Supplement’s Theralac, Truflora  for probiotics
Treatments
Treatment for each individual will be different.  There are various strains of the Borrelia bacteria.  European strains tend to be a little different than American ones.  Individual body makeups will also influence symptoms and treatment.  These are treatments that helped me.
Garlic/Oregano oil
Place a whole, peeled garlic clove under the tongue (yep that’s right).  Leave it there for five to ten minutes.  Follow with three to five  drops of a 50/50 oregano oil and olive oil mixture also under the tongue.  Repeat three times a day. Space the three treatments out evenly.  Start small and work up to it.  This is not an easy regimen.  Have fun figuring out how to keep your halitosis in check!  I kept a toothbrush and toothpaste with me.   Do this for no more than six weeks at a time and allow a month between the first two treatments, then six weeks or more between treatments after the first two.
Bee venom
The shot was supposedly the equivalent of 1000 bee stings.  It tickled (ha ha), but for me it removed arthritis and some other symptoms for about a month.

Colostrum
Colostrum may have the most wide spectrum effect.  It helps with the Lyme disease.  It helps to avoid colds and the flu which becomes down right torturous when one is fighting Lyme.  It helps repair damage from antibiotics. I feel like it helps repair damage done by Lyme after the bacteria are eliminated.   A recent study I read showed colostrum can help probiotics to re-colonize positive bacteria in the digestive system. The best colostrum I’ve found is Synertek first six hour colostrum www.synertekcolostrum.com.

Prayer
Prayer and my relationship with my Father in Heaven have been the most indispensable support in my recovery.

Social Support
Friends and family have been a huge help.  When I was ready to succumb to despair there were others there to encourage me, and I listened.  Some ill people are not conscientious of becoming an emotional burden and that pushes people away, others are the stoic sufferer who does not share.  Remember, there is a way to share your feelings with loved ones in a productive way that allows them to be edified by your strength and to also be a great support to you.

Aaron Turner

W.R. “Bob” Carlson

In his fabled quest for the Fountain of Youth, was Ponce De Leon – as the country song goes – just looking in all the wrong places?

The Human Body as a Machine

The human body obeys the laws of physics, and it does physical work. It is a machine, a machine with incredibly marvelous and complex biochemical processes, but nonetheless a machine. And like any other machine, if the human body is to look its best and function properly, it requires continual repair and rejuvenation. And without continual repair and rejuvenation – again like any other machine – the human body ages, atrophies, diminishes in performance, and ultimately stops working altogether.

Think of an automobile. An automobile requires a team of maintainers to keep it in top shape – maintainers who monitor systems and correct them before they do further damage, maintainers who repair or replace broken parts, maintainers who refurbish the interior and clean and polish the exterior to keep everything working and looking its very best. The human body is much the same. It has a team of maintainers, and if these maintainers are not present at adequate levels to keep up with the job, the human body more quickly deteriorates and ages.

When we are young our bodies produce the maintainers in abundance. As we grow older our bodies produce less and less of the maintainers. Consequently, we age faster.

The Body Maintainers

The chief maintainers of the body are the growth factors. Growth factors regenerate cells – bone cells, cartilage cells, nerve cells, vascular cells, muscle cells, skin cells, cells of all types. In short, growth factors continually renew all body tissues. Growth factors also regulate and balance. They help to maintain homeostasis, the balance of the body’s physiological systems. When homeostasis exists, the body’s systems function in harmony.

The Primary Anti-Aging Growth Factors in Colostrum

Epithelial growth, stimulates normal skin cell growth and skin healing and rejuvenation.

Transfoming growth factors A and B, aid in wound healing and the synthesis and repair of RNA and DNA.

Growth hormone (GH), regulates metabolism, reduces fat, increases lean muscle mass, regenerates heart, lung, liver and other organ tissues, improves moods and mental acuity, stimulates the renewal of skin and bone, enhances immunity.

Fibroblast growth factor, stimulates the growth of new blood vessels, tissue development, wound healing.

Platelet-derived growth factor, stimulates the healing of vascular wounds.

Trypsin inhibitors, prevent the ulcer-causing bacteria H. pylori from attaching to the walls of the stomach, prevent the destruction of immune factors by digestive enzymes.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGF-1 and IGF-2), a primary factor in the growth, maintenance, and regeneration of all muscle and cartilage cells, increases fat burning, involved in energy production.

Working as a Team

For years drug-engineering (pharmaceutical) companies have synthesized the anti-aging components of colostrum, and these synthetic growth factors have been used by wealthy patrons in expensive anti-aging clinics. Growth factors can indeed help keep our bodies looking young and the biological machine functioning at peak performance. However, for optimum benefit the full array of growth factors needs to be present, and the only supplement that contains a full array of growth factors is colostrum. Also the growth factors need to be present in the correct proportions to provide synergism by working together as a team, and only colostrum that is harvested early enough, such as Synertek, contains all the growth factors in the concentrations and proportions that nature provides to achieve maximum synergism. After six hours post calving there is a marked change in both the concentrations and the proportions of the components of colostrum.

Anti-Aging Research

“A 1990 study in The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that GH treatment prevented some of the signs of aging. In his study, Dr. Daniel Rudman treated 26 men between the ages of 61 and 80 with GH. Patients experienced a decrease in overall body fat (up to 14%) and an increase in bone density and lean muscle mass. In addition, their skin was thicker and more elastic. Rudman said the changes were equivalent to those incurred over a 10- to 20- year period of aging.” (The American Journal of Natural Medicine, 3/1998.)

See research about the amazing regenerative effect of the anti-aging growth factors in colostrum.

Summary

The anti-aging effect of colostrum is real. That is a scientific fact. We know what the major anti-aging components in colostrum are. We know what they do. And we know what happens when they drop below adequate levels. We also know that the anti-aging components do not function in isolation. They work together as a team, and they need to be present in the proper proportions. Only colostrum harvested early enough, such as Synertek, contains the components in the proper proportions.

Age is a matter of time, but getting old is not, and staying younger is not that costly. Visit the Synertek website at www.synertekcolostrum.com to see research or order colostrum online.

“All cancer is a disease of the immune system.” - Dr. Edwin McClelland, MD, Immunologist

Immune system cancer protection as explained by the National Cancer Institute:

“The immune system provides one of the body’s main defenses against cancer. When normal cells turn into cancer cells, some of the antigens on their surface change. These new or altered antigens flag immune defenders, including cytotoxic T cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages. According to one theory, patrolling cells of the immune system provide continuing bodywide surveillance, spying out and eliminating cells that undergo malignant transformation. Tumors develop when the surveillance system breaks down or is overwhelmed.”

And in the medical school textbook Basic Immunology by Abbas and Lichtman:

“Since the 1950′s it has been thought that a physiologic function of the adaptive immune system is to prevent the outgrowth of transformed cells or to destroy these cells before they become harmful tumors. This phenomenon is called immune surveillance.”

Will a strong immune system help prevent cancer?
By Jeannette Santino, PhD Holistic Nutrition.

Jeannette Santino, PhD, Certified Nutritional Therapist

There is much that is understood about the immune system and much that is not yet known. We know that the principal immune mechanism of tumor eradication is killing of tumor cells by CTL’s (cytotoxic T cells) specific of tumor antigens. Science is still investigating if an enhanced, stronger immune system will do this better, or facilitate the other immune mechanisms believed to be of lesser importance in tumor prevention or eradication. Cancer cells develop in our bodies all the time, but our immune systems effectively kill the cancer cells before they further develop and symptomatically appear as the disease we know as “cancer.” The development of cancer indicates that the immune system was ineffective in fighting the malignant cells that appeared; these cells took advantage of a weakened state, grew, and spread out of control.

There is much clinical and empirical evidence that colostrum strengthens and regulates the immune system, but it is not known if that facilitates immune surveillance and the destruction of malignant cells before they become harmful tumors. It may be possible that colostrum induced enhancement of the immune system enhances immune surveillance activity, however that may be difficult to prove or to disprove, especially since immune surveillance is itself still a theory, although widely accepted, at this time. Regardless of immune surveillance, it is of course beneficial to promote strength and balance in our immune systems.

One of the first scientists to try to trigger the immune system to attack cancer was the New York surgeon William Coley (1862-1936). He was inspired by a patient with sarcoma who recovered after suffering an acute bacterial infection. His experimental therapies worked and he became known as the “Father of Immunotherapy”. (Iowa Orthopedic Journal 2006; 26: 154-158; The Toxins of William B. Coley and the Treatment of Vone and Soft-Tissue Sarcomas Edward F. McCarthy, M.D. Department of Pathology, Division of Surgical Pathology; Department of Pathology and Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD) http://www.cancerresearch.org/history.html ;Current Scientists are finding evidence that the immune system kicks in to play a critical role in combating cancer. Jedd D. Wolchok, an oncologist at New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, thinks there is a connection. A spontaneous remission, he says, is “either divine intervention or the immune system.” http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0302/074_cancer_miracles.html

“To the body, a tumor looks like the biggest bacteria it has ever seen,” says Robert Schreiber, an immunologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He has found that mice lacking key components of their immune system are far more likely to develop cancers. http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0302/074_cancer_miracles.html (Same link as above, further down page.)

Dr. Edwin McClelland, MD, Immunologist, San Diego, CA, and a researcher of immunological cancer therapies, says that “All cancer is a disease of the immune system.” (Personal interview 2009)

Enhance Your Natural Immunity

There is a massive amount of research on the benefits of colostrum. Other nutrients known to support the immune system include zinc, Vitamin’s C and D, and phytonutrients.  
However, supplements that strengthen the immune system will have limited effect if we practice an unhealthy lifestyle, such as smoking, excessive alcohol use, drugs and the Standard American Diet (SAD). To get the maximum benefit of colostrum and other natural immune builders, we should, stay away from known toxic foods such as white sugar, white flour, artificial additives, anything not real that is in processed foods, limit alcohol intake or totally refrain, abstain from ingesting foods you are sensitive to, eat 80% raw (I personally love green smoothies), consume organic foods, and drink plenty of pure filtered water. Part of a healthy lifestyle would be to exercise regularly, get adequate sleep, practice stress reduction techniques that work for you, engage in altruistic activities that help others, and maintain a positive attitude toward life. None of us lives a perfect lifestyle, but a small step now and then in the right direction can work wonders over time!
Yours for health,
Jeannette

Visit the Synertek Website at www.synertekcolostrum.com to see research or order colostrum online.

Jeannette Santino, PhD

What I am not going to tell you about Preventing Influenza 

You hear the standard advice about influenza all the time. So much in fact that you could probably recite it to me. So you are not going to hear the standard cautions from me – the “avoid crowds, coughing, sneezing, wash your hands” stuff. We hope to help you avoid the flu, and if you get the flu survive it with the least severity and duration of symptoms. Once we contract a given strain of flu and our immune system is successful in over-coming it, we will have natural immunity against that strain. Those of you that fortify your immune systems NATURALLY and let your body work to fight it off by supporting and not suppressing the body’s natural defenses, will come away with a stronger “smarter” immune system. Please note: The flu CAN BE deadly to persons that have underlying health issues, are immune compromised already, or have other issues that are weakening their bodies. In those cases, or cases of severe symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.The Health of Your Digestive Tract vs Influenza

Did you know that 75% of your immune system is in your digestive tract? Incredible but true, and considering that fact it is obvious that with the flu or any other microbial infection, the health of your digestive tract may be the single most important factor in determining how well your body protects you against infection. How does the digestive system protect against infection, and what can cause this protection to be compromised? And perhaps most importantly, how can we improve the health of our digestion system? The basic, common-sense principles are really quite simple and easy to understand. And I think that when you hear them you may agree with me that the way they work is just, plain, utterly, well..”cool”, I guess is as good a way as any to put it – to the point that it is actually quite fun reading about them.

Immunity is War! Raise the Drawbridge!

Our immune system and the microbes that attack us can be thought of as armies constantly at war. Microbes such as the Swine Flu virus are forever seeking a way to break through the defenses of our bodies. And the first defense they have to get through, like the wall of a medieval city under attack, is the mucus lining of our lungs and digestive tract. When this “wall” of protection lining our digestive system is weakened we are in heightened danger to systemic microbial infections. The second “wall” that attacking microbes have to get through is the epithelial lining, which lines and protects our lungs and digestive tract in addition to the outside of our body itself.

Light Troops Hasten to the Skirmish

As in military battles, speed can be decisive with infection and immunity. A quick strike by fast-moving lightly armed soldiers can destroy the enemy before it has become entrenched. In the mucosal layer of the immune system we find these quick-response troops. They are known as SIgA – Secretory Immunoglobulin A. SIgA is the quick-response force in the mucus lining of the lungs and digestive tract. Its job is to surround a pathogen when ingested or inhaled so it does not enter our respiratory system or intestines and ultimately our bloodstream.

Invaders Breach the Walls!

The left photo shows healthful intestinal villi and the right photo shows the villi destroyed by Salmonella Bacteria.

When the SIgA becomes depleted, the mucus-lining villi and microvilli in the intestines become vulnerable to deterioration from pathogens, narcotics, toxic food, stress, parasites, etc., until the epithelial cells began to lose their integrity and separate, allowing pathogens, such as bacteria, fungus, parasites and undigested food to seep into the bloodstream (a condition known as Leaky Gut Syndrome) necessitating an aggressive reaction by the immune system to eradicate the pathogens from the blood. If this goes on long enough the body becomes over aggressive and will begin to attack it’s own tissues leading to auto-immune diseases, or even some cancers if it goes on long enough. Remember that 75% of our immune system is in our digestive tract!

Fortifying our Defenses

As mentioned, anyone can become ill from the flu, and those at most risk for serious complications are those that have a compromised immune system. Which means just about anybody now-a-days, since 95% of the population have food sensitivities and are mega-stressed! Both of which seriously stress the immune system. So someone that is “seemingly healthy” that has serious flu complications, may have (or had) underlying health issues that had not manifested themselves yet, or were in a weakened state due to overwhelming stress.

My suggestions for a holistic approach?…I’m a strong believer in colostrum for the immune system and general gastrointestinal health. OPC-3, Maximum ORAC, Resveratrol, Ultimate Aloe Juice, & probiotics (www.nutraMetrix.com/createbalance) are also potent immune builders along with your standards like Vitamin C and Zinc. Hence a good multi and/or extra Vitamin C might also be in order.

Still supplements will have a limited affect if our diet is poor. Think WHOLE-NATURAL-PURE. Ideally, stay away from known toxic foods…white sugar, white flour, artificial additives, coffee, anything not real that is in processed foods, limit alcohol intake or totally refrain, abstain from foods you are sensitive to, eat 80% raw, organic foods. I personally love green smoothies.

Exercise, stress reduction, and a positive attitude toward life are also critical to our health and well-being.

Be pro-active with your health and if you (or I) come down with the flu, hopefully we will recover quickly.

…Course it is getting late as I type this, and I am reminded that SLEEP is also very useful to the immune system…

Yours in Health,
Jeannette

See research about colostrum and the flu.

Visit the Synertek website at www.synertekcolostrum.com to order colostrum online.

Alzheimer’s is frightening. And really, there is not much we can do to prevent or treat it anyway…

Or is there? I found the following research to be hugely exciting and I think you will too.

Exciting new research indicates a link between colostrum and maintaining your memory as you age. Fox Business ran a story just a few days ago regarding research that is currently underway, showing a link between insulin,
IGF-1, and Alzheimer’s.Here’s the important part to note:

“…insulin and its close relative, insulin-related growth factor 1 (IGF-1), (both present in bovine colostrum)* are also involved in the brain as growth factors that help to maintain neuronal health and synaptic plasticity, particularly in the hippocampus, the brain area involved in memory storage and the site of early damage in Alzheimer’s Disease”.
It goes on to say:

“Blood levels of IGF-1, which easily crosses the blood-brain barrier, correlate with cognitive performance…” If that is true, using colostrum makes us think better!  – yet another incredible benefit from using colostrum!

Another Alzheimers Study

A double blind study in which fifteen patients with Alzheimer’s were given “Colostrinin” isolated from colostrum. Eight of the patients improved and the other seven stabilized. Read more…

A Study Involving Age-Related Senility and Colostrum

Mick and Cherie

As you may be aware, my partner Cherie has been using the colostrum for her nosebleeds for approximately 18 months now. Her previous major nosebleeds of an hour plus, have now been reduced to minutes which has enabled Cherie to pursue her love of exercise with more energy and confidence. This wonderful product is continuing to lessen the severity and time of my partner’s nosebleeds. She doesn’t travel without it.

Attached is a recent photo of us relaxing on holiday recently in Perth, Western Australia.

Regards,
Mick

Visit the Synertek website at www.synertekcolostrum.com to see research or order colostrum online.

See research or order Synertek 1st Six Hour Colostrum online at
www.synertekcolostrum.com

Synertek invites you to share your experiences with colostrum and autoimmunity, including lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, Chron’s, MS, and any others. Please post any questions that others with autoimmune conditions may be able to help you with, and any comments you have about using colostrum, whether positive and negative.