Frecuently Asked Questions

What are transfer factors and how do they work? Soon after giving birth, female mammals produce colostrum, which is a milk-like substance that jump-starts a newborn's immune system. Researchers now believe that the benefits of colostrum don't necessarily end there. If you have a compromised immune system or are just looking for a boost to your healthy immune system, colostrum may be the jump-start you need to fight infection or immune-related chronic diseases such as cancer. 

Transfer Factor is a set of messaging molecules that convey immune information within an individual's immune system. Nature also uses transfer factor to carry immune information from one individual's immune system to another individual. This in fact is how it got its name: by being the factor that transferred immunity from one person to another. Transfer factors are the primary communications used by the immune system to defend against harmful microbial threats. Transfer factors are small molecules that occur naturally in all mammals and are passed from mother to newborn through the mother's first milk called colostrum. By transferring information from cell to cell, transfer factors serve as "teachers" to the cells, ensuring a strong immune system capable of surviving, even thriving, in its new environment.

How was Transfer Factor discovered? In 1949 Dr. H. Sherwood Lawrence was working on the problem of tuberculosis. What he was trying to discover was if any component of the blood could convey a tubercular sensitivity from an exposed recovered donor to a naive recipient. Whole blood transfusions could be used but only between people of the same blood type. Lawrence first separated the blood's immune cells, the lymphocytes or white blood cells, from the whole blood. Then he broke open the lymphocytes and separated the contents of the cells into various size fractions. What he found was that a fraction of small molecules was able to transfer tuberculin sensitivity to a naive recipient. This is what Dr. Lawrence called transfer factor.

Transfer factors may become a valuable way to treat communicable disease in the future as researchers learn more and gain the ability to isolate specific factors. In fact, transfer factors may someday cure the diseases ravaging the world population, such as AIDS and Ebola. After the tragic 2002 Ebola outbreak in Uganda, freelance journalist Sam Wainaina explored the potential benefits of transfer factors in Africa. In his article, Wainaina concluded that had transfer factors been used during the outbreak, it could have been contained sooner, saving lives and avoiding mass hysteria.

Is blood the only source of transfer factor?  Originally it was. It was not until the mid 1980's that two researchers came up with the idea that Transfer Factor may also be present in colostrum. The confirmation of this discovery was awarded a patent in 1989. Colostrum is now the best source of transfer factor.

What is colostrum?  It is the first milk that a mother produces immediately after giving birth.

What prompted these scientists to look for Transfer Factor in colostrum?  Those who have worked with cattle know that if a calf is not allowed to nurse from its mother it will most often die within a short time. The calves would die in spite of an abundance of food. Death in these cases was cause by infections brought on by the most common organisms. For whatever reason the immune systems of these calves were not working. Seeing this suggests that there is some kind of immune information was being transferred from the mother and her infant. The logical question then became: was it transfer factor? The answer was a resounding YES!

Transfer Factor™ is isolated from colostrum, 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 completely removed from the transfer factor. Lactose intolerance is most common in Oriental populations; much less so in those of European or African decent. We are conscience of this concern and remove the lactose from our product.

Can persons who have milk allergies use Transfer Factor XF?
Yes. Transfer factors themselves are non-allergenic. Common allergens such as immunoglobulins and casein are removed from Transfer Factor products.

Can persons who are lactose intolerant use Transfer Factor XF?
Yes! Lactose intolerant persons can consume up to three grams of lactose without difficulty due to colonic bacterial digestion. The amount of residual lactose is well below these sensitivity limits.

Are there any differences between dried colostrum and 4Life’s Transfer Factor XF?
Unlike colostrum, Transfer Factor XF contains a concentrated amount of transfer factors, the active ingredient found in colostrum. Through a special patented process licensed to 4Life, transfer factors are separated from other components found in this “first milk.” Transfer factors readily survive digestion and are easily absorbed, unlike the antibodies and proteins found in colostrum. In addition, Transfer Factor XF has undergone a special stabilization process to protect the effectiveness of the transfer factors.

How does Transfer Factor™ compare to the colostrum products that are on the market now?  We looked seriously at hyperimmunized colostrum and eggs. These products are good but certain issues must be addressed. First the milk allergy and lactose intolerance issues as we discussed above. Second the issue of immunoglobulin or antibody effectiveness. The use of cross species antibody therapy can be effective in the short run. Long-term use is ineffective since the recipient develops antibodies to the foreign antibody thus destroying its effectiveness. Antibody therapy is given intravenously since oral consumption leads to acid degradation in the stomach.

Is Transfer Factor™ only good for newborns?  Transfer Factor is good for everyone who needs an extra immune boost. The three groups who are most in need of immune strengthening are the young, the old, and anyone under stress. Almost all of us fall into one of these categories. We often talk of the baby-boom generation. Most of these people are at an age where already their immune systems are becoming lax. Transfer Factor is a way to boost a lagging immune system.

Is transfer factor safe for infants? Colostral transfer factor was designed by Nature for newborns. Removal of the milk allergens and lactose leaves only the essence of the immunological information in the form of Transfer Factor™.

Are there studies to back up the power of transfer factors? There have been over 3000 medical studies completed and 40 million dollars spent in researching the benefits of transfer factors. 4Life Transfer Factor™ and Transfer Factor Plus™ were tested for their ability to increase Natural Killer Cell (NK) activity by the Institute of Longevity Medicine in California. Natural Killer Cells seek and destroy harmful cells through direct contact. Natural Killer Cells are especially important in strengthening and supporting the immune system. Test results showed that 4Life Transfer Factor™ boosted NK cell activity 103% above normal immune response without supplementation, more than two times higher than the next highest product. The study also showed that Transfer Factor Plus™ increased the NK cell activity 248% above normal immune response without supplementation, or about five times higher than any of the other previously tested products. With the ability of transfer factors to boost the immune system this will help stop the overuse of antibiotics. According to David Markowitz, M.D. who has been running a clinical trial in his pediatric practice, "In an aged match review of transfer factor users we have seen 74% less reported illness and 84% less use of antibiotics."

  Has Transfer Factor™ been scientifically validated? In the 50 years since Dr. Lawrence’s pioneering work, 11 international conferences have been convened and an estimated $40 million has been spent on scientific research, resulting in over 3,000 scientific papers documenting the results. Dr. William J. Hennen has authored two publications reviewing the volumes of research available on transfer factors as well as the additional components found in Transfer Factor Plus™ Dr. Hennen has summarized a portion of this research in a forty-eight-page booklet for the general public. This booklet is available at amazon.com

Bovine colostrum's high concentration of IgG-type immunoglobulins is especially significant for people suffering from acquired immune deficiency syndrome. While a healthy immune system can easily fight a form of diarrhea called cryptosporidiosis, it can be deadly for AIDS patients. IgG-type immunoglobulins are particularly effective against Cryptosporidium parvum, the microorganism that causes this form of disease. In fact, according to the Health Science Institute's Underground Cures, "colostrum is able to ameliorate or completely eliminate the clinical symptoms of those suffering from cryptosporidiosis."

Who can benefit from taking Transfer Factor XF? 
Everyone who needs an extra immune boost can benefit from taking Transfer Factor XF.

Can pregnant women take Transfer Factor XF? 
There have been no adverse responses reported while taking Transfer Factor XF during pregnancy, but as with any supplement, consult a physician.

Why should I use Transfer Factor XF if I received immune information as an infant?
The transfer factors we received from our mothers as infants helped educate and strengthen our naïve immune systems for the challenges of that time. Today, more than ever, we are exposed to new immune 
challenges, while our immune systems have become weakened with age. Strengthening our immune systems can be critical to lifelong health.

How often should I take Transfer Factor XF?
Every day our bodies create new immune cells that need instruction. To meet this need, Transfer Factor XF should be used on a daily basis to provide the immune system with continual support against an environment filled with new and emerging health challenges. Transfer Factor XF, taken on a daily basis, provides effective support for the immune system. 

What conditions are responsive to Transfer Factor™?  Transfer factor preparations have been used to effectively treat a wide range of diseases. These include bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal, parasitic, viral, and cancer. It is in part because of AIDS, or more specifically our frustration in treating AIDS, that transfer factor is experiencing a resurgence of research interest. In fact a recent international symposium held in Italy was titled: "Transfer Factor in the Era of AIDS".

If Transfer Factor™ is so effective why hasn't the pharmaceutical industry jumped on Transfer Factor™? I think that is exactly what we are seeing in many foreign countries notably China, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Japan. In the US transfer factor has had an interesting history. The idea of transfer factor flies in the face of conventional immunology. In the 50’s antibiotics were the golden child of medicine followed in the 60's by steroids like cortisone for inflammation and the synthetic steroid hormones like ethinyl estrogen and progestin that were used to create the birth control pill. After an initial delay transfer factor hit its heyday in the 70's and early 80's. Results however were inconsistent as researchers dove in sometimes with more enthusiasm than skill. The key feature that was missing in these investigations was a dependable assay technique for quality control of the product. The quality control issue was not resolved until the mid 1980's. Given that transfer factor is not a single entity, the pharmaceutical companies had fits to trying to purify the material without losing efficacy. This force-fit into the single-entity, single-function drug dogma was disastrous. The next issue that slowed transfer factor research is the age-old issue of funding. When AIDS hit the popular press politicians shifted funding into AIDS research but with the focus on finding the cause and then finding a drug that would cure AIDS. The work of a few dedicated, but under-funded, researchers and the inability of the mainstream medical-pharmaceutical industry have combined to again focus attention on transfer factor as one of the few modalities that is effective against diseases of viral origin.

Are there reasons why we haven't seen transfer factor as a food supplement before now?  Yes, there are two doors that recently have opened that allow transfer factor to be effectively marketed now. The first door to open was the passage of DSHEA in 1994. The provision for structure-functions claims allows the story of transfer factor to be told without jeopardizing its status as a nutritional supplement. The second is technical. Transfer factor was definitely an idea way ahead of its time and it had to wait for technology to catch up. The processing methods that allow for large-scale extraction of transfer factor have only recently been perfected and a commercial product has only been available for the past year.

How does one discuss Transfer Factor™ in terms of structure-function claims?   Simplistically, transfer factor strengthens the immune system. But that is simplistic and could be used to describe a number of herbal products and other supplements. Let me answer the question by first reiterating that transfer factor is not just a single entity. Transfer factor is in fact a complex mixture containing three separate fractions. These three fractions are an INDUCER fraction, and ANTIGEN SPECIFIC fraction, and a SUPPRESSOR fraction. Since our immune systems fight the microbe wars for us, let me use a military analogy to explain these three functions. The inducer fraction serves as the drill Sargent of basic training whipping the immune system into shape but not telling them who to go out and attack. The antigen specific fraction is like a set of wanted posters identifying critical features of the bad guys. If we were microbes these specific identifiers would be our fingerprints, mug shots, etc. Similarly a whole set of transfer factors are made against a single microbe type. Finally the suppressor fraction is like the politicians who declare an end to the war and demobilize the troops. Without this action a lot of excessive damage is done both in war and within ourselves. When our immune system does not demobilize or overreacts we suffer from autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and allergies. Unlike most immune supplements, that provide the building blocks for proper immune function, transfer factor is immune intelligence. It is immune information and education that focuses the immune system keeping it on task and effective. This is a whole new concept in immune system strengthening.

Is Transfer Factor™ FDA approved? Foods and dietary supplements are not approved per se by the FDA and food supplements derived from milk would certainly fall under the category of Generally Recognized As Safe [GRAS].

Is Transfer Factor™ safe? Researchers have given huge doses of Transfer Factor™ to volunteers in an attempt to trigger some sort of adverse reaction. No negative side effects were observed even with massive doses.

Are there any reports about Transfer Factor™ helping people with cancer? Radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery are the commonly used conventional cancer treatments. Both radiation and chemotherapy are highly damaging to fast growing cells in the body such as the intestinal lining, the bone marrow and the cells of the immune system. After these treatments persons often have to be on very strong antibiotics in order to prevent infections. The use of transfer factor during radiation or chemotherapy protects the immune system by some mechanism which we do not fully understand at the present. In cases of surgical removal of certain tumors the use of Transfer Factor™ as an adjuvant therapy resulted in a consistently higher survival rate.

What about colds?  Colds are viral diseases and transfer factor is used most commonly against viral conditions. Studies of transfer factor and colds have not been officially done but interestingly cold relief is a commonly reported side effect of taking Transfer Factor™.

What is the difference between transfer factors and colostrum? Transfer factors are the most powerful part of colostrum. Colostrum contains bovine specific antibodies that can cause allergic reactions. However, transfer factors are not species-specific and can be given to another mammal without reaction. In addition, transfer factor supplements are vastly more concentrated than colostrum alone. In fact, you would have to consume many quarts of colostrum to receive the same benefits of one transfer factor capsule.

Who makes transfer factor? Through a special patented process licensed to 4Life Research™ www.4-life.com, transfer factors are extracted from cow colostrum. 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. In addition, transfer factors are unique because they also contain a suppressor factor, which helps to normalize and balance an overactive immune system.

What diseases are transfer factors used for? Transfer factors have been researched for over 50 years and have been successfully used to treat bacterial diseases, viral infections, parasitic diseases, cancer, fungal infections, autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases and much more. In addition, no adverse side effects have been reported.