During the Cold War Era of the 1960s, Russian researchers were looking for ways to support the immune system in conditions running the gamut from cancer to bio-warfare agents. Eastern Europeans, with a cultural love of fermented milk products, logically looked to probiotics, or lactobacillus, for immune support because it was safe, cheap and effective.
A Bulgarian researcher and medical doctor, Dr. Ivan Bogdanov, researched lactobacillus bacteria in the 1960s. Bogdanov believed that specific strains of probiotics could have anti-tumor properties.
The doctor’s research team injected mice with a sarcoma cancer, then administered a crude mixture of cell fragments from a strain of Lactobacillus delbrukii. Bogdanov observed that the cancer disappeared within a few days. Subsequently, researchers attempted to re-grow cancer in the same mice, but without success — the mice seemed immune to the cancer cells.
In the 1970s, a Soviet-owned biotech company, Enzymes Ltd., worked on developing products for protection against bio-warfare agents such as anthrax. The researchers discovered that not only did probiotic cell fragments support healthy immune function — they offered protection from radiation sickness and cell damage.
“We used a lactobacillus cell fragments after Chernobyl, conducting experimental work on animals exposed to radiation, then later on humans,” said Dr. Luba Shynkarenko, former dean of the Institute of Biotechnology at the National Technical University in Kiev, Ukraine. Shynkarenko also worked for Enzymes, Ltd. in 1986 at the time of the Chernobyl accident.
“We found the cell fragments provided protection from radiation cell damage, and also anti-mutagenic activity, which meant the genetic material was protected from radiation. The main damage of radiation is destruction of the bone marrow cells and genetic damage that causes cellular mutation,” she said.
American-made Del-Immune V is the first probiotic cell-fragment immune support products available in the U.S. market. This is a direct descendant of Shynkarenko’s Chernobyl research, and is gathering a broad fan-base that includes doctors and health practitioners in all 50 states.
“I find this product of significant value for treating patients with chronic disease, where someone has been ill for a period of time with infectious agents and micro-organisms. It has a restorative effect on the immune system after damage from malnutrition, stress and infection,” said
Dr. Roger Mazlen of Roslyn, N.Y. Dr. Mazlen added that he has successfully used the product in over 500 patients with no contra-indications or side effects.
The probiotics researched in this study are as follows:
- Lactobacillus acidophilus: This strain is known for its ability to produce lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk. It may help improve digestion of lactose in individuals with lactose intolerance.
- Bifidobacterium bifidum: This strain is found naturally in the human gut and is associated with promoting healthy digestion and supporting immune function.
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG: This strain has been extensively studied and is one of the most well-documented probiotics. It has been shown to have potential benefits in preventing and treating gastrointestinal infections, reducing the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and improving symptoms of certain gastrointestinal disorders.
- Saccharomyces boulardii: This yeast strain has been researched for its potential to prevent and treat diarrhea, particularly that caused by antibiotics or infections such as Clostridium difficile.
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