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SBI: The weird food that helps your gut — Part II
How well your gastrointestinal tract works for you is influenced by a variety of interacting factors such as:
- Diet
- Nutritional status
- Genetics
- Environment
- Stress
- Intestinal microbiota balance
- Immune status
- Gut barrier health
Everything doesn’t always come together as it should. As a former ulcerative colitis patient, I know that first hand.
I had extreme surgery to fix my problem. But maybe others can be spared such measures. That’s why I want to share more about serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin…
Serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin
According to the National Cancer Institute, serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin protein concentrate is an oral nutritional supplement containing high levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) that gives various health benefits.
Please recall from a previous post, that serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin promotes gastrointestinal health by improving the microflora balance of the gut. It also increases gut barrier integrity and function and improves symptoms in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.
What’s more, numerous studies have demonstrated that serum-derived bovine IgG concentrates improve both the digestion and absorption of nutrients, thereby increasing needed weight gain. Overall, it clearly enhances the digestive process.
What effect would you expect this improved intestinal health to have on other aspects of health?
Well, what if I told you that by improving your intestinal lining health, you would not only reduce GI infections, but improve your immunity, reduce allergies, and protect from respiratory infection?
Data presented by researchers in 2014 showed how serum bovine IgG binds to the human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other human respiratory viruses, providing immune protection against them too.
And, apparently, bovine IgG can bind up various human allergens. Mechanistically, bovine IgG binds to allergens to at least limit gastrointestinal inflammation.
What’s more, it is touted to be able to bind environmental toxins, so they can safely be removed from your body, thus potentially reducing systemic inflammation as well. This reinforces what I have learned about optimal intestinal health’s effect on lowering chronic inflammation of many types.
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SBI boosts immune function
Serum bovine IgG has immunological effects in humans.
Studies in infants and adults show that bovine IgG can neutralize experimentally infected human cells. Serum bovine IgG binds to human immune system cell receptors to enhance phagocytosis (white blood cells consume bacteria) and give the signal for other mediators of inflammation to engage in “battle.”
SBI is, therefore, becoming a viable approach to support immune function, especially in the most vulnerable (infants, children, elderly and immunocompromised patients).
How to obtain serum-derived bovine IgG
How can one obtain this bovine IgG medical food? You may have heard of colostrum — that first breast milk richest in antibodies for neonatal immune protection.
Typical sources of bovine IgG used for humans (and used in human studies) are called serum-derived IgG, bovine colostrum, colostrum-derived IgG, and milk-derived immunoglobulins. Like humans, pig colostrum contains a rich source of this beneficial immunoglobulin.
These can get a bit pricey, and quality and potency will be difficult to establish. There is a Bovine IgG product called ImmunoG PRP™ for $70 on Amazon.com and for $50 on another online site.
This product is described this way: “ImmunoG PRP™ is a pure bovine colostrum and is collected within the first 16 hours after birthing. Bovine colostrum is actually 40 times richer in immune factors than human colostrum and is biologically transferable to humans. It… provides a rich source of IgG and PRPs (Proline-Rich Polypeptides) … and also protein, immune factors, growth factors, vitamins, and minerals…”
They also claim it helps support the immune system, may positively affect bone, lean muscle mass, and cognitive function. I haven’t personally used this product, so I can not promise you these results.
There are also prescription forms of SBI such as EnteraGam™ by Entera Health, Inc out of Cary, North Carolina. It is medically indicated for the clinical dietary management of enteropathy (under physician supervision) for people who have impaired ability to digest, absorb, or metabolize ordinary food or certain nutrients.
Other strategies for a healthier gut
Strategies to improve the gut microbiome includes the consumption of a nutrient-rich, whole food diet. Also, supplementation with the following would be important:
- Fermentable fiber (with its production of butyrate, known to feed healthy gut bacteria and promote healthy intestinal cells)
- Probiotic organisms (to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut)
There’s one more intervention you should know about: fecal microbial transplantation.
This is exactly what its name describes: the administration of a solution of a healthy person’s fecal matter into the intestinal tract of a sick recipient.
Fecal microbial transplantation directly changes the recipient’s gut microbial composition. It has been primarily used to successfully treat recurrent Clostridium difficile pseudomembranous enterocolitis infection. There are also some preliminary data that suggests it may work to treat inflammatory bowel disease (Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease), and even obesity and metabolic syndrome.
To long term health and feeling good,
Michael Cutler, M.D.
Sources:
- Serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin protein isolate — National Cancer Institute
- den Hartog G, Jacobino S, Bont L, Cox L, Ulfman LH, Leusen JH, van Neerven RJ. Specificity and Effector Functions of Human RSV-Specific IgG from Bovine Milk. — PLoS One. 2014 Nov 6;9(11):e112047. PubMed PMID: 25375837
- Ulfman LH, Leusen JHW, Savelkoul HFJ, Warner JO, van Neerven RJJ. Effects of Bovine Immunoglobulins on Immune Function, Allergy, and Infection. — Front Nutr. 2018 Jun 22;5:52. PubMed PMID: 29988421
- NuMedica Immunog PRP Supplement, 30 servings — Amazon
- ImmunoG PRP — BodyLogicMD.com
- EnteraGam — Entera Health, Inc.
- Serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin/protein isolate: postulated mechanism of action for management of enteropathy — Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology
- McClave SA, Martindale RG. Why do current strategies for optimal nutritional therapy neglect the microbiome? — Nutrition. 2018 Oct 5;60:100-105. PubMed PMID: 30551119
- Preventive Effect of Cow’s Milk Fermented with Lactobacillus paracasei CBA L74 on Common Infectious Diseases in Children: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial — Nutrients
- Gupta S, Allen-Vercoe E, Petrof EO. Fecal microbiota transplantation: in perspective. — Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2016;9(2):229-39
By Dr. Michael Cutler
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