Glandular Information

By Chuck Michaelis BS, B.Ch.

Many of you have asked why we use lyophilized gland concentrates in many of our products. There can be no doubt that gland concentrates have value in correcting the function of hyper- or hypo-active glands. They have been used successfully by holistically minded physicians for about a century in extract form and were used by folk healers in raw or cooked organ meat form far back into antiquity. There are different viewpoints on WHY they work. One theory suggests that all the necessary genetic and nutritional support the affected gland needs to repair the gland and restore its proper function are contained in the gland concentrate. This is in essence the "like cures like" philosophy.  Glands are rich in nutrients, minerals, enzymes and co-enzymes. Another theory expresses the idea that gland dysfunction is caused by antibody attack on the malfunctioning organ. The consumption of gland concentrates and extracts tend to neutralize these attacks, probably by acting as decoy. This allows the organ to repair itself and resume normal function. Current research seems to tip the scales in favor of the latter theory but the former also seems to have some value. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. The bottom line is that gland concentrates have a normalizing effect. Our philosophy has been to combine raw gland concentrates with herbs, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that provide support to the specific gland or glands that are being targeted. We use lyophilized glands because we believe that the use of the whole gland is necessary for proper nutritional support and to eliminate the possibility of residue from the extraction process. Lyophilization removes the water from the gland stabilizing it and allowing it to be powdered and put into capsule form or punched into tablets.