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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the difference between transfer factors and antibodies?
Unlike antibodies that are large proteins, transfer factors are small peptides containing about eight amino acids.4 The small size of the transfer factors makes them non-allergenic.56 Antibodies are consumed by directly attaching themselves to the offending cell or protein. Transfer factors perform a different role. Transfer factors are immune messenger molecules that educate and alert naive immune cells to an impending danger. In this regard transfer factors perform a catalytic role in the immune system, triggering the affect without themselves being consumed. Transfer factor preparations consist of three identifiable fractions.

Is it a vitamin, mineral or herb?
No. It is a supplement unlike any other. It is in a class of it's own.

You mention transfer factors consist of three identifiable fractions. What are they?
These are an inducer fraction, a antigen specific fraction and a suppressor fraction. The immune system must be able to respond quickly, respond specifically and not exhaust itself by over responding and attacking normal tissue. The three transfer factor fractions were named because of the discovered affects they had on immune system. The inducer fraction triggers a general state of readiness in the immune system. The antigen specific fraction is an array of critical tags used by the immune system to identify a host of enemy microbes. The suppressor fraction is as important as the other fractions in that the components of this fraction keep the immune system from focusing all its strength on a defeated infection while ignoring new microbial threats. The suppressor fraction is also responsible for controlling allergic reactions and blocking autoimmune disorders.

How do transfer factors work?
Transfer factors are tiny molecules found in colostrum, which provide "immune knowledge" from a mother's immune system to her baby used in recognizing and fighting outside threats. By transferring information from cell to cell, transfer factors serve as "teachers" to the new cells, ensuring a strong immune system capable of surviving, even thriving, in its new environment. Transfer factors are not species-specific and can therefore be extracted from any mammal and then be given to another mammal with the same efficacy. 4Life's Transfer Factor naturally supports the body's immune system, communicating immune information more efficiently among the cells in the body, and ultimately enhancing the body's ability to withstand attacks on its health.

Is there a toxic level of transfer factors?
4Life Transfer Factor has a long history of safety with millions of doses taken without incident among humans or animals.

Do stomach acids or other functions of the digestive tract neutralize transfer factors?
Stomach acid or digestive enzymes do not degrade the potency of transfer factor.

Where are transfer factors found?
In the blood and in the first milk after a mother gives birth.

Where does 4Life's Transfer Factor come from?
Bovine colostrum.

Why were cows chosen as the source for Transfer Factor?
Cow colostrum is an immense and available source. Transfer factors are non-species specific, meaning they can be used in humans even if the original source is a different mammal. The cow has been in intimate contact with its environment. It has a wider variety of exposures too much harsher conditions than humans do.

Who manufactures your products?
4Life manufactures it's own products in order to maintain control over quality and availability.

Is there heat used in processing Transfer Factor?
Yes, the normal pasteurization process is applied to the colostrum followed by low temperature heat dehydration. The peptide structure of transfer factor is not broken down or effected at the heat level that is used in the pasteurization process. Vitamins, herbs, and peptide structures each have a different threshold at which heat is harmful to its bio-activity.

Is there a limit to how hot the product can get?
Yes. Colostrum undergoes a brief heat process that is limited to proper pasteurization methods. This amount of heat does not affect transfer factor activity.

Is the transfer factor molecule heat sensitive? What about increased temperatures in shipping of the product to the customer?
A proprietary protein stabilization method is used to maintain transfer factor activity during the processing of Transfer Factor.

Have transfer factors been scientifically validated?
Since Lawrence's discovery of transfer factor in 1949, there have been over 3,000 scientific studies published on transfer factor.

What is this company doing to assure Mad Cow disease is not a present factor?
4Life has a very specific strategy to avoid mad cow disease. The key to avoiding mad cow disease or any other disease is to monitor the cows very carefully. Avoid practices that expose cows to the disease and to test every batch of product as it is being processed. This is a regular procedure with 4Life. Any cow that shows signs of illness is thoroughly checked out to eliminate any chance of mad cow or any other serious condition. Every batch is tested for contamination.

What is the danger of contracting Mad Cow disease through the cow's colostrum or from extracted transfer factor?
Experts on mad cow disease have stated that BSE does not pass through the mammary glands into the colostrum. In examining all of the cows that became ill with mad cow disease, not one of them had infected milk, colostrum or mammary glands. Scientists have found that different bovine tissues contain different amounts of the BSE agent. Scientists have also discovered that the highest amounts of infectivity from animals in the in the final stages of clinical disease are found in the brain and spinal cords. Milk has never been shown to have any infectivity.
Quotes from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Emerging Infectious Disease Journal have been included below.

World Health Organization: "Tests on milk from BSE-infected animals have not shown any BSE infectivity, and there is evidence from other animal and human spongiform encephalopathies to suggest that milk will not transmit these diseases. Milk and milk products, even in countries with high incidence of BSE, are therefore considered safe."

Emerging Infectious Disease Journal: "Many readers asked about the safety of milk and dairy products. Persuasive evidence indicates that these important consumables are risk free: milk from infected cows has been fed to, and injected into the brain of, susceptible RIII mice without transmitting disease. Even more convincingly, calves suckling gallons of milk from their infected mothers have not contracted the disease." Wilesmith JW, Ryan JBM. Absence of BSE in the offspring of pedigree suckler cows affected by BSE in Great Britain. Vet Rec 1997;141:250-1.

Where are the herds kept? And what is the quality control protocol?
Herds are maintained across the US. The herds are not placed near fields where pesticides or herbicides are used. All of the dairy herds that produce colostrum for processing are US FDA and USDA Grand A dairy farms. As such the farm and milk must meet the standards of state and federal milk quality ordinances, including the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). These state and federally inspected farms produce milk for the Grade A Fluid Milk Market. Milk from these farms is sold in the market.

Who oversees the quality control protocol?
One of the foremost authorities in quality control has been contracted to accomplish the protocol. Richard Bennett Ph.D. has been an advisor to the FDA and the USDA. Dr.Bennett is the University of California Environmental Advisor in the North San Francisco Bay Region of California. Dr Bennett received his doctorate in Comparative Pathology at the world renowned UC Davis Agricultural Issues Center, and to numerous national and local corporations.

Are antibiotics or hormones used on the cows?
It is unlawful to use antibiotics in lactating dairy cattle that will give rise to violable levels of antimicrobial drugs. All tanker truckloads of milk are tested in all processing plants for violable residues. Contaminated milk cannot be used for fluid or processing milk purposes. The financial penalties are severe and dairy producers have redundant management schemes in place to assure that residues do not occur. USDA and FDA statutes prohibit use of antibiotics as a feed supplement in lactating dairy cattle. 4Life's inquiry revealed that the dairy farms that produce raw colostrum for processing do not use hormones intended to increase milk production, including rBST. Although it may be virtually impossible for any substance to make it through our stringent extraction and manufacturing process, this policy has been developed to address any concerns that our customers may have. If a cow is sick and must have antibiotics, the cow is removed from the line until no antibiotics are found in its system.

Can you tell me a little bit about the milk and the process it goes through?
All colostrum is pasteurized in a proprietary process to assure its microbial safety and quality. Moreover, the ultra-filtration process will remove all known microorganisms. Once dried the powder is tested for viable microbes. The agent associated with "Mad Cow Disease" (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, (BSE)) has NOT been identified in the United States dairy herd. Additionally, there is no evidence of milk borne transmission in the English experience with BSE and the 36 Crutzfeldt-Jakobs Disease (CJD) patients. All other ingredients in the Transfer Factor? product line are "Food Grade" as defined by the US FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and meet the US FDA GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) definition. All products and processing meet the requirements of the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPS) Ordinance.

What is the difference between transfer factor and colostrum?
Colostrum contains water, vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, carbohydrates, antibodies (immunoglobins), and a little bit of human growth hormones and transfer factors. Store milk can provide water, vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Antibodies in the cow's colostrum are specific to a cow therefore not beneficial. Human growth hormone is not a real factor here due to the minuscule amount contained in colostrum. What is important are water and transfer factors. Colostrum is good. It's just that we have found a way to extract the most important component, transfer factors. One would have to consume approximately 45 grams of colostrum to get the transfer factor activity in just one daily maintenance dose of 4Life Transfer Factor (3 small capsules)

What is the chance that transfer factor contains a virus itself?
No chance. Every batch is throughly tested for contaminates.

How much colostrum does the cow provide? Is the calf robbed of what it needs?
The cow produces approximately five times what the calf requires.

Are the cows hurt in anyway from the extraction method?
No. Normal milking protocol is followed and the animal does not suffer in any way.

How long is the transfer factor available in the colostrum?
The greatest concentration is during the first day, and it sharply drops off the third day. We test each batch for bioactivity.

Is transfer factor FDA approved?
Foods and dietary supplements are not approved per se by the FDA. Food supplements derived from milk would certainly fall under the category of Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)

Is Transfer Factor approved by the USDA?
Transfer Factor XF is produced within the bounds of a USDA certified plant which follows established protocol for dairy production, including pasteurization and safety guidelines. Furthermore, Transfer Factor, as a human-grade product, exceeds standards established for animal-grade products. Each batch of Transfer Factor XF undergoes strict microbial and potency tests to assure quality time after time.

As transfer factor becomes known for it's immune boosting qualities, what prevents other companies from marketing transfer factor?
In other words, what will keep other companies from marketing transfer factor under a different brand?
Transfer factor is a very difficult nutrient to extract. Several major companies tried to find an extraction method throughout the late seventies and eighties. After Paddock and Wilson patented the extraction method, other scientist continued trying to find another process by which to extract transfer factor. To this day, no other method has been found. We purchased the worldwide rights to market the product. Only the patent holders themselves can market the product, other than us. It is possible that someone else will eventually find another extraction method.

What is patented? The transfer factor itself, the extraction process or the brand name?
The extraction process. We have a trademark for the brand name. Transfer Factor, which is the same term for the actual scientific term.

Will 4Life be running a trial for people with HIV/AIDS in Kenya?
We are currently running three studies including the humanitarian work we are doing at Nkosi's Haven. The Kenyan study is waiting funding. A general trend is that those on HAART therapy respond with relatively low doses of TF+. We have had one individual whose drug regime caused a liver enzyme surge that was best contained by using plain TF as a nutritional support. In the cases of African Slim Disease (wasting), 6 TF+ per day resulted in significant weight gain with subsequent recovery of strength and activity. Two of the six participants in one section of our US AIDS study reported significant improvement in lean body mass within the first 30 days of TF+ supplementation (6/day).

Can pregnant women take transfer factor?
There have been no adverse responses reported while taking Transfer Factor during pregnancy. As with all supplements, consult a physician before use.

What about milk allergies and lactose intolerance?
Milk allergies are caused by the large milk proteins primarily casein, and to a lesser extent, the immunoglobulins. These proteins are removed from transfer factor.

Any fear of overdose?
No fear at all with Transfer Factor. We have tested for overdose in vitro up to 2,000 times the recommended dosage.

What about long term studies on transfer factor?
The study that Dr. See performed in vitro (on cultured blood), showed no toxicity on the blood markers when tf was added at the amount of 2,000 times the recommended dosage We have had most of our office and many others on Transfer Factor for three years now with no negative affects. As far as the biochemistry involved, there is no problem. Molecularly the structure is exactly the same as what is in our blood. The only difference is that the 8 amino acids rearrange themselves to recognize the antigens each particular transfer factor has been exposed to.

Can TF or TF Plus be used by anyone whether healthy people or people with any kind of illness or disease without fear of any adverse reaction?
Transfer Factor and TF+ can be used by anyone with one possible exception. There is not enough experience with individuals that have had a transplanted organ. The peptides in Transfer Factor are of the exact same molecular structure as the peptide transfer factors found naturally in your own body. The only difference is the information stored in the peptide.

Can it be taken with any other vitamins, ginseng or any other nutritional product?
TF and TF+ are compatible with any other type of nutrient.

Do transfer factors help with allergies?
Allergies are a common problem with our species. When pollen or some other substance enters our body, our transfer factors misread what is entering the body as a microorganism and begin attacking the pollen as if it were a germ. Through a bio-feedback mechanism, the transfer factors can suppress this hyperactive immune response.

Why consume TF when you are well?
Preventing a problem is safer than trying to cure it after you are ill. With the number of deadly germs that are taking their toll on our society, I plan to protect my loved ones with Transfer Factor. Sometimes an illness can damage body organs beyond repair. The wide benefits of Transfer Factor are still being explored. A healthy immune system is crucial to your overall health, cell cleansing, and cell rejuvenation. Within our bodies, there is a continuous battle between the "good" and "bad" bacteria. Giving your immune system a break can actually allow your body to direct its energies elsewhere. In time, you will just plain feel better.

If the immunity lasts for four weeks, why should you continue to consume more?
The volume of TF in your body is important. Every area of your body is vulnerable to attack from germs. The transfer factor must come in contact with the germ to recognize it. The more TF you have policing the body, the greater the chance that germs will be spotted early in the race for victory.

Can I still get sick when I am consuming TF?
Even a reinforced immune system can't always keep you well, but it can make a tremendous difference in how ill you become and may save the life of a loved one.

If I understand correctly, the primary function of TF is to act as a memory agent for the immune system - transferring immune programming from donor to recipient. Given the ability of the immune system to remember this transferred information, why is it necessary to keep taking it?
There are two avenues that the immune system uses to learn and store information. One is from storage to storage (transfer factor) and the other is through the encounter with the germ itself. Information that is transfered from transfer factor to transfer factor fades as each generation of transfer factor passes the information down to the next generation of transfer factor. Each generation loses information. The life of the information is approximately 5-6 weeks. When an actual germ enters the body or a vaccination is given, the learning process is a complete immune learning experience and the memory last longer in some instances. Another reason that you must continue to consume transfer factor regularly is that volume is important. You must have a certain volume of transfer factor in your system for that particular transfer factor to have an impact on the overall immune system function. This is one reason why whole colostrum doesn't create immunity. There is not enough tf in it.

Do you advise daily use? How long will the immunity last?
Yes. The Transfer Factor works best when taken daily. The volume of TF in your blood affects its effectiveness. If you discontinue use, your immune system will miss out on its daily support. The immunity received from Transfer Factor? is short-term. When a germ enters your body or you are vaccinated, a deep survival mechanism is triggered within your immune system. The memory of the illness is stored through a different pathway to the transfer factors within your body. Experienced knowledge, exchanged from transfer factor to transfer factor, is not as long- lasting. Once the consumed transfer factor is washed from your body, within four to six weeks the immunity is lost. The information is transferred to your own transfer factor, but that transfer factor will eventually die, and the information is diluted down through a few generations.

What are some of the causes of our immune systems not working like they should?
Poor nutrition, pollution, stress, alcohol, tobacco, aging, sleeping disorders.

What is the difference between Dialyzable Leukocyte Extract (DLE) and TF as extracted from colostrum?
(The key relevance is TF specific for selected conditions (HIV, Ca. etc.) Transfer Factor is a product of leukocytes. In the original production of transfer factor the process was a dialysis of fractured leukocytes. Transfer factor and dialyzable leukocyte extract are often used synonymously. In fact the dialyzable leukocyte extract contains the transfer factor along with other materials of similar molecular weight. Regarding the transfer factor isolated from colostrums, these too originate in leukocytes which themselves originate in the blood. Prior to parturition the mammary gland fills with leukocytes. After parturition very few intact leukocytes remain. What has happened is that the leukocytes have been lysed and their contents released into the colostrums. Our filtration of the colostrums removes the larger allergenic proteins and leaves the low molecular weight transfer factors in a manner similar to that originally observed in the dialysis of isolated leukocytes. Transfer factors specific for HIV are problematic for two reasons. First, there are only a few species that support HIV growth. The related Simian and Feline Immunodeficiency viruses do not suggest that there is good source for colostrums which might have antigenic crossover with HIV. Second, preparing an HIV-specific transfer factor from infected blood supplies would not only be cost prohibitive but hazardous for both the donor and the processing technicians. The only HIV-specific transfer factor that has been prepared to date is a material that originated from HIV-infected blood. The material was replicated in a cell-culture system. There are problems with HIV mutations. The currently present HIV-strains may or may not respond to the specific transfer factors developed to the previously present HIV strains. In the case of persons with HIV it is impossible to know, without extensive and expensive testing which of the hundreds of minor subspecies of HIV are present. It should be remembered that transfer factor preparations contain both the specific transfer factors that reflect the donor's infectious experiences, and the non-specific inducer and suppressor factors. The non-specific factors will extert a benefit regardless of whether the donor has had previous experience with the current pathogen. The immune imbalances associated with HIV infection set up the conditions for opportunistic infections as well as the wasting that typifies late-stage AIDS. Reconditioning and rebalancing the immune system response, and especially the Th-2 to Th-1 shift, is critical to survival.

Does TFT have the same suppression function for transcription factor Nf-Kb activity in unstimulated Mt-4 cells? Does this mean inhibition of retroviral function?
(See below) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2000 Jul 14;273(3):1099-103 Dialyzable leukocyte extract suppresses the activity of essential transcription factors for HIV-1 gene expression in unstimulated MT-4 cells. Ojeda MO, Fernandez-Ortega C, Rosainz MJ. Cell Biology Division, Center for Biological Research, Havana, Cuba. The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) contains regulatory regions in its long terminal repeat (LTR) implicated in the control of viral gene expression. We previously demonstrated that Dialyzable Leukocyte Extract (DLE), a preparation derived from immune leukocytes, is able to inhibit HIV-1 replication in MT-4 cell cultures. Here, we examined the effect of DLE on the activation of NF-kappaB and Sp1 transcription factors. NF-kappaB activity was completely suppressed after seven days of treatment with 2.5 U/mL of DLE, with a parallel large reduction in the amounts of Sp1 complexes. These findings correlate with the maximum inhibitory effect on HIV-1 replication described in a previous report. IkappaBalpha and NF-kappaB p65(RelA) gene expression are not regulated by DLE in MT-4 cells. Although up to day, the precise molecular mechanism of DLE biological activity in HIV-1 infection remains unclear, this report presents data that indicate a potential downregulatory effect of DLE on HIV-1 gene expression.

Germs Vs Immune Cells
Transfer factors actually form a "soup" of more than 200 transfer factors. Transfer factors store experienced information. Once your body experiences an illness, the transfer factor registers the germ's receptor "fingerprint" and warns the immune system if the intruder ever returns. Once a germ enters your body, how sick you get or if you survive depends on how fast your immune system can produce attack immune cells to respond to the invasion. Basically, it is a race between the germs and the immune cells as to which can reproduce more quickly. If the germs win, you become ill until the immune cells catch up, or in a serious scenario, you die. If the immune cells win, you don't even notice that you were ill.

Animal Vs Human
The human immune system is not as skilled as the animal immune system. For thousands of years, the human species has tried to avoid exposure to germs or conditions (such as feces) that breed germs. Early, we learned to preserve meats and boil our water. Animals do not know how to avoid these dangers. The animal immune system is more experienced. When we consume transfer factors that have been extracted from their colostrum, we inherit the animal's ability to recognize germs and alert the other immune cells to reproduce and enter the battle quickly.

Modulating the Immune System
Transfer factors contain inducers and suppressors. The inducers stimulate the immune cells to reproduce quickly. The suppressors control the attack so that the immune system doesn't overreact, causing inflammation or an autoimmune disorder. Transfer factors can exercise the inducers and suppressors at the same time. On one hand, they induce attack cells to fight cancer cells or micro-organisms, while on the other hand, they're managing other cells so that they do not attack the wrong target or overreact.

The "Magoo" Syndrome
I like to compare the human immune system to the cartoon character, Mr. Magoo. Our immune systems do not "see" clearly. Sometimes the immune system attacks the wrong target. When it does, we develop allergies or autoimmune diseases. Consuming the highly skilled transfer factors is like putting glasses on Magoo.

Does TF create immunity?
An independent research laboratory compared 4Life's Transfer Factor with vaccinations. Mice were given a number of vaccinations against several different germs. The immunity created by the vaccinations were measured. Another group of mice were given Transfer Factor and the immune response was measured. The Transfer Factor measured a similar immune response as did the vaccinations. We have documents to verify these facts.

Does TF impart only the recognition of those antigens which are part of bovine history?
Yes, it only transfers the information that has been stored in response to the cow's immune system's experiences. Once the antigen information is stored, transfer factor can borrow information from a number of antigens to create an immune response to a unfamiliar pathogen. The immune system can mount a response without recognizing all of the antigens on a particular pathogen.

Speaking specifically of TF (not TF +), does TF play any role in boosting the innate immune system, as would other immune boosters like beta-carotene, Vitamins A and C etc.
Transfer Factors contain inducers that directly boost the innate immune system. Trnasfer factors also contain a biofeedback mechanism that controls the battle, so that the natural killer cells activity can be decreased as the battle ends. Transfer factors do not use the same pathway of boosting that the other nutrients utilize. Transfer factors contain the actual inducers that are used naturally by the body to boost innate cells.

Does TF play any role in combating infectious agents not included in the donor's (cow's) immune history?
TF boost the innate side that is not dependent on antigen recognition. TF also allows the immune system to use antigen (sharing) information on pathogens that the cow has not been exposed to.

My 4Life product is a little different color than last time. Did you change the formula?
No, we did not change the formula. Coloring may change slightly from batch to batch produced because the raw ingredients are natural products which may have slightly different coloring. Be assured that 4Life always maintains a strict testing procedure for potency and standardization.

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