The latest flu news has people concerned. The mainstream media is constantly pounding the drums of fear, and officials with somber faces are pushing everyone to get a flu shot, even if a number of experts have come out against that sweeping advice.
Whether you should get a flu shot is up to you. But pretty much everyone would agree that it makes sense to do whatever you can to safely boost your immune system so your body is in the best shape to fight off whatever bug happens to launch an attack.
Healthy Mystery
One of the most promising weapons in the fight against disease appeared a few years ago, and quite by accident. A company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, named Diamond V had been supplying a high-selenium yeast culture supplement to feed companies for over 60 years. The company had received many reports from farmers that their animals were not getting sick, and were also producing larger than usual litters. To add to the intrigue, insurance adjusters for the company calculated that its employees were using far fewer sick days and health benefits than people in other companies. Diamond V began to speculate that the yeast culture the workers were exposed to could be helping their immune systems fight off illness. They began using an outside research group to see if they had something on their hands that went beyond a simple animal feed supplement.
EpiCor—A New Approach
It turns out they did. The research discovered a number of intriguing characteristics of EpiCor, which itself is an end product of baker’s yeast fermentation.
First, EpiCor has a healthy mix of mono- and polyunsaturated fats, with just a small amount of saturated fat. It also contains all of the essential vitamins and minerals needed for good health, along with amino acids and key trace elements. It also has polytosterols and phenolics, which fight free radical formation. Its antioxidant (ORAC) potency is three times that of any known fruit. All of this makes EpiCor a free radical fighting powerhouse. Finally, research showed that EpiCor was an effective anti-inflammatory agent, which is significant considering how much inflammation is now considered a key component of disease.
Natural Killer Cells and Other Allies
But a key secret of EpiCor is its capacity to cause a major increase in the activity of lymphocytes, the natural killer cells that attack viral, bacterial, and parasitical invaders. It also activates B cells, which are part of the defense chain, and which transfer lymphocytes from the bloodstream to tissues where they can go to work.
EpiCor balances the ratio of CD4 and CD8 cells. This is a necessary function to ensure there are sufficient pathogen-fighting cells available, while preventing the killer cells from over-extending their effect so as to cause damage to good tissues.
Another major function that EpiCor fills is balancing the level of IgA, a natural substance that is secreted by mucus membranes in the nose, eyes, throat, and gastrointestinal tract. IgA prevents microbes from binding and attacking epithelial cells in these areas.
Test, Test, and Test Some More
Multiple levels of testing have been done on EpiCor, starting with microbial studies, then moving onto tests to determine the purity and safety of the compound. The researchers found no indications of toxic substances in EpiCor, and further tests showed a long shelf life with no adverse breakdown in its composition for close to two years. Lab tests using rats were performed to determine if there were toxic limits to the amount consumed. None were found. Before tests were done on humans, researchers determined that EpiCor did not cause gene mutations or interfere with pharmaceutical drugs.
Finally, tests were done on humans, including blind blood tests on the employees of Diamond V. What they found startled lab technicians and researchers. They discovered the workers exposed to EpiCor had pathogen destroying ability two to three times what is considered normal. It seemed as if these workers were immune to almost anything.
Balancing Act
Embria Health Sciences, the company formed to research, develop, and market EpiCor, makes it clear that it is not an immune system booster, but rather an immune system balancer. The goal with EpiCor is to help the body develop and maintain an optimal balance among the myriad complex and interrelated systems that already exist to protect it from harmful pathogens.
The combination of extensive safety and efficacy testing, along with the remarkable results from real-world usage, make EpiCor a breakthrough product to add to your arsenal of health-maintaining supplements. The author (who does not have any financial interest in this product, and buys it at retail prices) has been using it for the last year or so with good results.
Prevention Not Cure
It is important to note that EpiCor is designed to be taken regularly to slowly build up and balance your immune system for optimum effectiveness. It is designed to help your immune system fight off disease, not cure it once it occurs. If you are sick, do not pop a few EpiCor capsules and expect it to make you better. EpiCor will not help at that point. It should also be noted that Embria Health Sciences makes no claims about preventing H1N1 or any other disease. This is expected since making such a claim would be irresponsible and subject the company to possible litigation or regulatory enforcement.
With all the hype about the various strains of flu going around, as well as all the other maladies that can befall us, it makes sense to take advantage of whatever is available to help us improve our immune system as much as possible. Of course, you should eat healthy natural foods, cut way down on sugar and chemical additives, get exercise, and maintain a healthy lifestyle all the way around. If the addition of EpiCor can help you avoid getting sick, then it is worth looking into.
References:
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Embria-hails-new-era-of-immune-health-with-EpiCor
http://www.embriahealth.com/index.asp
http://www.healthsavers.info/HSNews/EpiCor-ImmuneSystem.htm
http://www.naturodoc.com/library/cancer/epicor.htm
