| ImmunoPhase
The five-month period ranging from October through
February is commonly referred to as cold and flu season, and for
good reason. With the end of summer, as people transition from the
fresh air of the outdoors to the closed confines of offices, classrooms
and homes, their chances of catching a cold, flu or other human-transmitted
infection increase dramatically.
This year’s cold and flu season may be especially
severe, according to global health officials who are warning of
an impending flu pandemic. More troubling, many health experts say
that current supplies of vaccines are far too low to control a major
flu outbreak, let alone contain a full-fledged global pandemic.
Writing in the July 31, 2005 Washington Post, reporter
David Brown notes that, “The public, conditioned to believe
in the power of modern medicine, has heard little of how poorly
prepared the world is to confront a flu pandemic, which is an epidemic
that strikes several continents simultaneously and infects a substantial
portion of the population.” (1)
While global health experts and drug manufacturers
admit they lack adequate medical tools for fighting a serious outbreak
— and they won’t have them anytime soon — health
experts in China are touting a unique anti-viral herbal formula
that has already proven its ability to protect those at highest
risk of infection in a health crisis — the front-line health
care workers taking care of sick patients. The formula, ImmunoPhase,
is a modern, pharmaceutical version of a traditional cold and flu
formula that demonstrated its protective effects during the deadly
2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong.
Unlike over-the-counter cold and flu medications
that cover up symptoms or suppress the immune response after catching
a cold or flu, ImmunoPhase has been shown to be highly effective
at preventing illness when taken at the first signs of an impending
cold or flu. And if taken after one has already caught a cold or
flu, ImmunoPhase has been shown to relieve symptoms and enhancing
the immune system for a more rapid recovery.
During the SARS outbreak an alarming number of
doctors and lab workers had becoming infected while tending to their
patients. The crisis was further complicated by the fact that the
SARS virus was resistant to every known pharmaceutical agent, including
the powerful anti-viral drug, ribavirin. In desperation emergency
medical authorities rushed the new herbal formula to some 3,600
workers manning emergency clinics throughout Hong Kong. Immediately
infections among doctors, nurses and other hospital staff halted,
even as the number of infected patients continued to rise.
Originally distributed to Hong Kong clinics as
a granulated powder that was mixed with water to form a tea, this
unique formula, ImmunoPhase, is now available in the United States
in convenient, easy to swallow capsules. And while ImmunoPhase has
been shown effective at protecting health care workers facing extraordinary
health situations, the formula was originally designed to address
a far more common health problem – preventing the common cold
and influenza.
By definition a cold is a mild viral infection that affects the
upper respiratory system, especially the nose, throat, and windpipe.
Colds are caused by over 200 different strains of virus, and exposure
to one strain doesn’t offer any protection against the others,
making it almost impossible to devise an effective cold vaccine.
In the spring, summer and fall the predominant cold bug is one of
about 100 or more types of rhinovirus. In the late fall and winter
the most colds are caused by parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial
viruses. More than 600 million cases of the common cold occur in
the United States each year (an average of 2.5 cases per person,
per year).
People become infected after being exposed to
a virus particle, either by inhaling an air-borne virus or by coming
into contact with an infected surface. Typically a virus infects
healthy cells by attaching to the walls of mucous membranes in the
nose, eyes or mouth. Once the virus has attached itself it penetrates
the cell membrane enters the cell. Cold viruses reproduce by reprogramming
the cells, instructing the cellular machinery to begin manufacturing
millions of new viral particles. Eventually the cell interior expands
and becomes so stuffed with new viral copies that it literally explodes,
releasing the new viruses back into the body where they are free
to search for fresh cells to infect.
Once infected, cells lining the respiratory tract
become inflamed and begin to produce mucus, leading to such typical
symptoms as a stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, coughing and general
malaise. Fevers can soar to 102 degrees F (39 degrees C) in infants
and children. In adults, fevers of this magnitude are more indicative
of influenza. During this phase, an infected person is a highly
infectious, mobile germ factory, releasing virus particles while
moving about and spreading a trail of infection through the air
and on any surface touched to continue the cycle of infection.
A typical cold lasts for approximately nine days,
or for as long as it takes the infected persons’ immune system
to kill enough viruses to stop the symptoms. In short, the stronger
your immune system, the faster you recover.
Influenza is a highly contagious and often deadly infection. The
virus and accompanying complications, such as pneumonia and bronchitis,
cause some 20,000 deaths in the United States each year. Hippocrates
recorded the first written description of the “grippe”
in 412 BC. In 1580 the disease became known as “influenza”
after an observer noted that epidemics seemed to be under the “influence”
of certain stars and constellations. Since 1580 some 31 major influenza
pandemics have occurred, three in just the last century. The most
devastating pandemic on record was the 1917 variant that killed
an estimated 40 million people as it swept across the globe. In
the United States, over 25 million people fell ill and 500,000 died
from the outbreak.
Like a cold, influenza is an infectious disease
of the upper respiratory tract caused by a specific virus of the
genus Orthomyxovirus. In the United States flu season generally
appears in late December and lasts through March. Infection occurs
in generally the same manner as with colds, though inhalation of
air-borne viral particles is believed to be the primary vector.
Infection rates tend to be highest among school-age children, due
in part to their lack of immunity from previous exposure to related
strains of the virus.
Researchers have discovered that the most deadly
flu pandemics tend to arise when animal viruses mutated to form
new strains capable of infecting human hosts. The most deadly of
these animal-origin pandemics are the swine flu of 1918, and two
strains of avian flu that appeared in 1957 (Asian flu) and 1968
(Hong Kong flu).
The symptoms caused by influenza are similar to,
but more severe, than those of the common cold, ranging from virtually
no symptoms (asymptomatic) to fatal. Note that while many infected
individuals do not experience any symptoms at all they remain highly
infectious, capable of spreading the virus to those around them.
When symptoms do appear, they tend to do so abruptly, starting with
a high fever (103 degrees F) in adults, and possibly higher in children.
Following the onset of fever many people will experience chills,
muscle aches (myalgia), runny nose, throbbing headache, fatigue,
sore throat, hoarseness and a dry cough. It is not uncommon to experience
diarrhea and stomach upset (nausea), and even light-headedness and
disorientation. Flu symptoms usually last for three to seven days,
and may be followed by a period of general weakness and depression.
Note that while flu symptoms tend to be more severe
in the elderly and very young, in general most cases don’t
require hospitalization unless complicated by secondary bacterial
infection (pneumonia). A persistent fever or worsening of symptoms
in those 50 years or older may indicate one of three types of the
pneumonia that frequently accompany influenza. The first is sudden,
severe, often fatal and is present from onset; the second, less
severe, appears a few days after onset; and the third, also less
severe, appears after apparent recovery. Treatment with antibiotics
may be required to prevent or treat pneumonia.
Warnings of a “doomsday” virus sweeping
the world have been heightened by the recent spread of a lethal
strain of avian flu, H5N1. After first being detected in wild birds
in Asia, avian flu has recently passed into Siberia and is now moving
into Europe. So far the human death toll from avian flu has been
low, and confined to people in close contact with infected birds.
But a number of scientists are warning of a major pandemic if the
H5N1 virus mutates into a form capable of being transmitted between
humans.
The best treatment for colds and flu is not to become sick in the
first place. Unfortunately, this approach is not very reliable,
and modern medicine doesn’t have much to offer for treating
the common cold or influenza. Thankfully most people recover on
their own if given plenty of rest and fluids. In addition to hot
chicken soup, over-the-counter antihistamines, decongestants, and
cough medicines may offer some relief and comfort. Aspirin may help
in controlling fevers, but should be avoided due to the fact that
it actually increases viral shedding, making the infected patient
more contagious to others. Additionally, aspirin is strongly associated
with Reyes syndrome and should never be given to children. Consider
alternatives such as acetaminophen.
Catching the flu does offer temporary immunity
against that specific strain of the virus. Unfortunately this does
not offer protection against other strains of flu. Vaccines have
been developed that have been claimed to be 70 to 90 percent effective
for at least six months against either A or B types. Many doctors
recommend flu vaccines for older patients, especially those with
cardiac or respiratory diseases, and pregnant women. Recently a
number of problems with the makeup and production of vaccines, particularly
flu vaccines, have led some health professionals to question the
usefulness of immunization. Many health care professionals fear
that flu vaccines may actually weaken the immune system and make
patients actually more susceptible to catching the virus, and in
fact there are numerous reports of people reporting that the only
time they catch the flu is after they receiving a flu shot. Other
medical experts are concerned about the presence of mercury used
as a preservative in many flu vaccines. Mercury is a deadly poison
that presents dangerous side effects, including nerve damage that
may be related to Alzheimer’s disease.
The vaccine debate has been further confounded
by problems in manufacturing. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) now admits that the flu vaccine for 2003-2004 had
"no or low effectiveness" against influenza or influenza-like
illness. In fact, depending on how one looks at the data, the vaccine
protected from zero percent to 14 percent of those receiving the
vaccine. These and other concerns, such as recent recalls of contaminated
vaccines, are causing many alternative physicians to cautioning
against receiving immunizations of any kind.
The best defense against a cold or flu is to maintain a healthy
immune system to protect against infection and assist in a quicker
and more complete recovery if infected. And just as stress, lack
of sleep and poor nutrition impair the immune system, a number of
natural substances are capable of enhancing and boosting the immune
system. Traditional Chinese medicine has long recognized the power
of herbs to prevent and treat colds and influenza, and numerous
formulas have been developed over the last 2,000 years. While largely
the result of trial and error, a handful of cold and flu formulas
have survived and are now the focus of intense scrutiny at leading
teaching hospitals and pharmaceutical research institutes throughout
China. As a result of this intense burst of activity, a number of
traditional formulas have been significantly improved by the introduction
of modern scientific testing, processing and clinical evaluation
procedures, leading to a revolution in the practice of Chinese medicine.
One of the leading experts of modern Chinese medicine
is Dr. Dexin Yan, inventor of Vital Cell and numerous other formulas.
In 1990 Dr. Yan launched an intensive study of the effects of three
traditional cold and flu formulas. The first, Yin Chiao, was shown
to be effective for stopping a cold if taken at the first sign of
an infection. The second formula, Gan Mao Ling, was found significantly
reduced the duration of a cold if taken after infection had set
in. The last formula, Zhong Gan Ling, turned out to be extremely
effective for treating the flu, especially when present with a high
fever.
Dr. Yan combined the best elements of all three
formulas. Additionally, he increased the amount of three important
medicinal herbs, ilex, isatis, and forsythia that new research has
shown exert powerful, anti-viral actions. Dr. Yan then went to the
next step, adding elements from a fourth formula, Pe Min Kan Wan,
which acts as an effective nasal decongestant,
After extensive testing and clinical evaluation
to determine the precise percentage of each herbal ingredient, Dr.
Yan finally arrived at a single formula that stops colds or flu
when taken at the first sign, and shortens a cold or flu if taken
after infection has already started. Best of all, reports from Dr.
Yan’s patients revealed that the formula was especially effective
at alleviating such common symptoms such as nasal congestion, headaches
and stuffy head symptoms, without the side effects of over-the-counter
medications.
Impressed with the results of Dr. Yan’s
formula with hundreds of his patients, researchers at the Shanghai
Center for Modern Traditional Chinese Medicine launched a clinical
trial to compare the efficacy and safety of the new formula with
the powerful anti-viral drug, ribavirin (ribavirin and steroids
are frequently used to treat severe cases of flu and other viral
infections).
After reviewing the records of hundreds
of clients reporting positive outcomes with Dr. Yan’s patients
a team of researchers at the Shanghai Center for Modern Traditional
Chinese Medicine launced a clinical trial to compare ImmunoPhase
with ribavirin (Rebetol), a powerful broad-spectrum, antiviral drug
that has been the drug of choice in Asia and Europe for treating
influenza and related viral illnesses for the last 20 years.
The researchers restricted the study to hospitalized
patients with severe flu symptoms, including average body temperatures
of at leasts103 degrees F. Over the course of the study seventy-six
patients were admitted, of which 30 were diagnosed with influenza,
32 with parainfluenza, 5 with adenovirus, and 6 with respiratory
syncytial virus.
39 patients (21 male, 18 female, ages 15 to 48
years) were treated with the ImmunoPhase formula. A second group
consisting of 37 patients (ages 17 to 53 years) was treated with
ribavirin. From the very start of the trial the researchers noticed
a remarkable difference between the two groups: patients receiving
ImmunoPhase showed a dramatic reduction in fevers, beginning as
soon as two hours after treatment, and no later than 6 hours after
receiving their first dose. By contrast, patients receiving ribavirin
took at least 6 hours to show any sign of lessening, and up to 18
hours in many patients – at least three times longer than
ImmunoPhase.
A comparison in the difference in the number of
hours before ImmunoPhase and ribavirin began to effect a reduction
in other symptom is presented in the table below.
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