Laura said:In the above session, there was reference to minerals in relation to secrets from a prior session, as well as a remark about iron and traversing densities. I'm going to include here those specific excerpts.
19 July 1997
Q: I had a dream the other night. As Ark and I were leaving
the park in my dream, I looked up and saw a mosaic on the
side of the mountain. It had seve sharks, one above the
other, the lowest being pale almost to the point of
transparency, and the highest being very dark and intense
in color. There was a HUGE sperm whale to the upper left,
he was in the posture of whipping around, his eye had
caught the sharks, and his mouth was open and he was going
to swallow them all in a single gulp. What was the
meaning of the whale and the sharks?
A: Logic.
Q: Are you telling me to use logic, or that the meaning IS
logic?
A: Logic says to you: examine!
Q: The other part of the dream was that I disappeared and
reemerged from a cleft in a rock. I was cleaning... he
went to investigate... and he returned and was crying and
all this water was flowing out of there like a spring...
What was the significance of this?
A: Trace minerals interact with deeply held secrets.
Shilajit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shilajit, also known as silajit, salajeet or mumijo, momia and moomiyo,[1]"shargai", is a thick, sticky tar-like substance with a colour ranging from white to dark brown (the latter is more common), sometimes found in Caucasus mountains, Altai Mountains, and Tibet mountains and mountains of Gilgit Baltistan Pakistan.[2]
Shilajit is a blackish-brown exudation, of variable consistency, obtained from steep rocks of different formations found in the Himalayas
It is used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine. Today, in the United States, supplement companies are selling Shilajit as an ingredient in testosterone boosting supplements. The composition of shilajit has been investigated numerous times in both India and the former USSR, and depends on the location where it is found. It has been reported to contain at least 85 minerals in ionic form, as well as triterpenes, humic acid and fulvic acid.[3][4][5] A similar substance from the Caucasus Mountains, and the Altai Mountains is called mumijo (Russian).[6]
History[edit]
Shilajit is a substance mainly found in the Altai, Himalaya, and Caucasus mountains. The color range varies from a yellowish brown to pitch-black, depending on composition. An ancient Ayurvedic text, called the Charaka Samhita, states that there is no curable disease in the universe, which is not effectively cured by shilajit when it is administered at the appropriate time, in combination with suitable drugs and by adopting the prescribed method.[7] For use in Ayurvedic medicine the black variant is considered the most potent. Shilajit has been described as 'mineral oil', 'stone oil' or 'rock sweat', as it seeps from cracks in mountains due mostly to the warmth of the sun. There are many local legends and stories about its origin, use and properties, often wildly exaggerated. It should not be confused with ozokerite, also a humic substance, similar in appearance, but apparently without medicinal qualities. Some marketers of dietary supplements pretend to sell mumio, while in fact they are offering cheap raw ozokerite, a substance used, for example, in cosmetics.[8] Genuine mumio/shilajit should melt in the hand and has a distinct smell of bitumen, whereas ozokerite melts at 164-169 °F/73.3-76.1 °C.
Once cleaned of impurities and extracted, shilajit is a homogeneous brown-black paste-like substance, with a glossy surface, a peculiar smell and bitter taste. Dry shilajit density ranges from 1.1 to 1.8 g/cm3. It has a plastic-like behavior, at a temperature lower than 20°C/68°F it will solidify and will soften when warmed. It easily dissolves in water without leaving any residue, and it will soften when worked between the fingers. Purified shilajit has an unlimited shelf life.
It is still unclear whether shilajit has a geological or biological origin as it has numerous traces of vitamins and amino acids. A mumio-like substance from Antarctica was found to contain glycerol derivatives and was also believed to have medicinal properties.[9]
Based on currently available studies, the bioactivity of shilajit lacks substantial evidence. The immuno-modulatory activity does not stand the test of critical assessment and is considered as unproven.[10]
Prion Protein Interaction with Soil Humic Substances: Environmental Implications
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by prions. Animal TSE include scrapie in sheep and goats, and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids. Effective management of scrapie in many parts of the world, and of CWD in North American deer population is complicated by the persistence of prions in the environment. After shedding from diseased animals, prions persist in soil, withstanding biotic and abiotic degradation. As soil is a complex, multi-component system of both mineral and organic components, it is important to understand which soil compounds may interact with prions and thus contribute to disease transmission. Several studies have investigated the role of different soil minerals in prion adsorption and infectivity; we focused our attention on the interaction of soil organic components, the humic substances (HS), with recombinant prion protein (recPrP) material. We evaluated the kinetics of recPrP adsorption, providing a structural and biochemical characterization of chemical adducts using different experimental approaches. Here we show that HS act as potent anti-prion agents in prion infected neuronal cells and in the amyloid seeding assays: HS adsorb both recPrP and prions, thus sequestering them from the prion replication process. We interpreted our findings as highly relevant from an environmental point of view, as the adsorption of prions in HS may affect their availability and consequently hinder the environmental transmission of prion diseases in ruminants.
Interaction of humic acids with human DNA: proposed mechanisms and kinetics.
Sutlovic D1, Gamulin S, Definis-Gojanovic M, Gugic D, Andjelinovic S.
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Abstract
Human DNA quantification by quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) has gained great importance in forensic DNA and ancient DNA studies. However, in such samples, DNA quantification is impaired by the frequently present humic acid (HA). We have previously shown that the addition of synthetic HA inhibits QRT-PCR. In this study we investigated the possible mechanisms of HA interaction with human DNA, and kinetics of QRT-PCR inhibition. In QRT-PCR with pure human DNA and no HA added, VMAX was 40. With DNA sample containing 4 microg/mL of HA, VMAX was 30.30 while the addition of extra Taq polymerase to the same sample changed VMAX into 38.91, amplifying between 80 and 90% of input DNA. The KM/VMAX ratio in all the samples remained constant, indicating that the mechanism of HA inhibition of QRT-PCR is uncompetitive by nature. Moreover, HA shifts the human DNA melting temperature point (Tm) from 75 to 87 degrees C and inhibits DNase I-mediated DNA cleavage, most probably affecting the enzyme's activity.
Mumijo Traditional Medicine: Fossil Deposits from Antarctica (Chemical Composition and Beneficial Bioactivity)
Anna Aiello, 1 Ernesto Fattorusso, 1 Marialuisa Menna, 1 Rocco Vitalone, 1 Heinz C. Schröder, 2 and Werner E. G. Müller 2 ,*
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Abstract
Mumijo is a widely used traditional medicine, especially in Russia, Altai Mountains, Mongolia, Iran Kasachstan and in Kirgistan. Mumijo preparations have been successfully used for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases; they display immune-stimulating and antiallergic activity as well. In the present study, we investigate the chemical composition and the biomedical potential of a Mumijo(-related) product collected from the Antarctica. The yellow material originates from the snow petrels, Pagodroma nivea. Extensive purification and chemical analysis revealed that the fossil samples are a mixture of glycerol derivatives. In vitro experiments showed that the Mumijo extract caused in cortical neurons a strong neuroprotective effect against the apoptosis-inducing amyloid peptide fragment β-fragment 25–35 (Aβ25–35). In addition, the fraction rich in glycerol ethers/wax esters displayed a significant growth-promoting activity in permanent neuronal PC12 cells. It is concluded that this new Mumijo preparation has distinct and marked neuroprotective activity, very likely due to the content of glycerol ether derivatives.
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1. Introduction
“Reports on the high biodiversity of marine animals date back to Aristotle (384–322 BC) [1], who gave—in his 5th book on the History of Animals—extensive descriptions on those sponge species near the island of Lesbos that have been commercially used later (reviewed in [2])”. Likewise, since Aristotle [1] the tar-like substance, of white over yellow to black color, which is used in traditional medicine, has been termed collectively Mumijo, Mumie or Mumiyo [3]. Pfolsprundt [4] also mentioned the alleviating remedy in his compendium. This traditional drug is widely distributed in Russia (termed there Mumie or Mumiyo), India (Saljit), Birma [Kao-tun (blood of the mountain)], Altai Mountains [Barachgschin (oil of the mountain)], Mongolia [Brogschaun (mountain juice)] and Iran Kasachstan, and Usbekistan as well as in Kirgistan [Arakul dshibal (mountain sweat)] [3]. The origin of the word “Mumijo” goes back to the Greek and means “saving the body”. The Asian Mumijo is found at high altitudes as deposits in walls and caves where they are embedded into rocks. These organic accumulations of unknown origin may reach weights of up to 500 kg; some are considered to be up to 3000-years old [3, 5, 6]. The chemical composition of Asian Mumijo of ∼20% of minerals, 15% of proteins, 5% of lipids and 5% of steroids has been described in detail [3]; the rest are carbohydrates, alkaloids and amino acids. A series of medical applications has been described (reviewed in [3]), including immune-stimulating and antiallergic activity as well as an ameliorating effect against gastric and intestinal ulcers and finally healing of bone fractures. Furthermore, a protective effect against radiation and a favorable nootropic property [7] have been described.
The term Mumijo is not only restricted to the black, tar-like substance from Asia [3], but it is also used for the paleoenvironmental records—subfossil stomach oil deposits from Antarctica [8]. This material is yellow and originates from the snow petrels, Pagodroma nivea. The cross composition of this waxy organic material, found in petrel-breeding colonies, had been determined by Warham et al. [9]. These authors reported that the stomach oil of the Petrels consists primarily of triglycerides from which the birds obtain their energy through their intermediary metabolism. The fatty acid “oil” composition was published earlier by Lewis [10], while a more detailed analysis was given by Place et al. [11] who reported that the stomach oil of the Leach's Storm-Petrel, Oceanodroma leucorhoa, is composed to >90% of neutral lipids (e.g., triglycerides, wax esters and glycerol ethers). As expected, the composition of these organic ingredients is dynamic. The amount of deposition of the oil is depends on the environmental living conditions of the birds; Warham [12] underscored also the ecological importance of the stomach oil for the seasonal requirements of the animals. However, a state-of-the-art analysis especially of the fossil deposits is missing. The material, investigated in the present contribution was collected during the “GeoMaud”—Geoscientific Expedition to Dronning Maud Land (Antarctica) (http://www.bgr.bund.de/cln_011/nn_322990/DE/Themen/MeerPolar/Polarforsch-ung/Projekte/Antarktis_Projekte/GEOMAUD.html) during expeditions between November 1, 1995 and August 25, 2005. The yellow stony Mumijo material was collected from the Schirmacher Oasis (11°35′E, 70°45′S) as described [13, 14] and determined to be ∼3000-years old. One reason for the intense study also of the antarctic Mumijo is its value as palaeoclimate biomarker [8]. Especially for the Late Quaternary paleoenvironmental history, this material is suitable to obtain further information about the climate changes and the local ice retreats, moraines and Petrel occupation history. The layers of fossil stomach oil can become 50 cm thick and are deposited only on ice- and snow-free locations. The deposits are indicative for the breeding places of the Petrels and can hence give answers to paleoclimate-related questions, for example, the retreat of glaciers.
In the present study, we report about the chemical composition of the fossil sample of Mumijo as well as about its neuroprotective and cell growth stimulatory effects. Our results correlate this latter activity particularly to the presence of α-glyceryl ethers in this material. However, it cannot be ruled out that Mumijo causes, as a complex formulation, in addition also an amelioration of a series of afflictions and may act also as an antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, antiallergic, immunomodulating or anti-inflammatory medicine, similar to the active compounds from mushrooms [15], or of Propolis [16], or “Kampo” compounds [17] as well as of Arabic medical herbs [18].
[..]
3.2. Mumijo Extract Protects Cortical Neurons against Aβ25–35-Caused Reduction of Cell Viability
The toxic effect of the Aβ fragment, Aβ25–35, was assessed in primary rat cortical neurons. Application of the fragment at a concentration of 1 μM caused within the 5-day incubation period a significant reduction of viable cells to 27.8 ± 6.1% (P < .001). Mumijo extract alone was found to have no effect on the viability of the neurons. However, if the neurons were pre-incubated with Mumijo extract prior to addition of the Aβ25–35, a significant higher cell viability was determined (Figure 2). At concentrations of 3 μg/ml or higher of Mumijo extract, the percentage of viable cells increased from 27.8 ± 6.1% (in the absence of extract) to 98.6 ± 9.3% (10 μg/ml) and 82.4 ± 8.9% (30 μg/ml) (P < .001), respectively. The neuroprotective effect displayed by the Mumijo extract was still significant at 1 μg/ml (not shown).
3.3. Mumijo Extract Promotes PC12 Cell Growth
The permanent PC12 cell line, a model system for neuronal differentiation [28], was used as a second cell system to assess the biological activity of Mumijo (Figure 3). The non-purified extract displaced no significant growth stimulatory effect between 0.1 and 10 μg/ml. However, after purification, Mumijo fraction D/3 was effective and resulted in a significant stimulation of cell growth. Already at a concentration of 0.3 μg/ml, a significant increase in the growth stimulatory activity could be measured (114.0 ± 6.8%; P < .001), while the maximal growth promoting function was determined between 3.0 and 10.0 μg/ml (139.2 ± 12.3% or 129.2 ± 10.3%, resp.).
Veterinary Medicine
Humic acids can be successfully used as an additive in animal feed. Various research trials conducted worldwide have all showed positive results concerning the use of humic acids as an organic feed ingredient. Increases in liveweight of animals, improved growth rates, increased feed intakes and food conversion ratios and a stronger resistance against diseases are the common results of these trials. By improving immune function of animals, especially of young animals, humic acids also reduce the incidence of enteric disease and diarrhoea.
Increasing mass production of animal husbandry throughout the globe has had undesired impacts on the nature of animals, i.e. the natural development of animals and their immune systems. First vitamins, then antibiotics and finally hormones have been used extensively as growth promoters in livestock production. Recently, however, the negative effects of such growth promoters on animal and human health has been evidenced through various studies as well as real-life cases. Consequently, at present there is a new search for natural growth promoters without any environmental or residual problems.
As a result of increasing consumer pressure and in particular concerns about increased microbial resistance to antibiotics, a ban on the use of antibiotic growth promoters in animal feed has been already introduced in Germany recently. Already back in 1998, the European Union had banned antibiotics important in human medicine from use as growth promoters in livestock production.
There is considerable evidence that antibiotic arsenals are being depleted due to the development of resistant organisms.The more microorganisms that become resistant to antibiotics, the greater the risk of a resurgence of untreatable infectious diseases. The overuse of antibiotics not only in human medicine but also in livestock feeding is the major cause of antibiotic resistance in food-borne illness.
Almost 80% of antibiotics used in animal husbandry today are not used to treat sick animals, but merely to promote efficient growth of chickens, cows and pigs.
Similar to antibiotics, the use of hormones in animal feed can also have direct impacts on human health through their residues left in animal products. As of today, these effects have not yet been thoroughly studied.
There is quite a number of animal feed additives in the market currently, that do not contain any antimicrobial substances or hormones. These are mainly probiotics, prebiotics, plant extracts and organic acids presently enjoying a resurgence of interest following the EU-wide ban on antibiotics. These substances however present certain deficits regarding their effects on animal health and growth promotion.
Probiotics do not have any activity other than providing beneficial microorganisms to the natural microflora of the digestive system. The benefit of prebiotics is also limited to supporting the development of microflora. Both probiotics and prebiotics do not have any proven effects on the immune system of animals nor adstringent effects on the mucous membrane of the gastro-intestinal tract. They also do not have any antibacterial or virucidal effects against pathogenes either. Various performance studies have shown that both probiotics and prebiotics fail to show any considerable effects on animal growth.
Plant extracts are believed to be beneficial for the digestive system, but their functioning mechanism is not completely known and should be different for each product under this category. Organic acids give better results as protective agents rather than as growth promoters.
Humic Acids as Animal Feed Ingredient
The use of humic acids in animal feed produces a number of advantages for animal health and growth. Humic acids inhibit pathogenic bacterial growth and growth of moulds, thus decreasing levels of mycotoxins. They improve protein digestion and calcium and trace element utilisation. Humic acids improve gut health, nutrient absorption, nutritional status and immune response in animals.
Humic acids also improve diet digestibility as a result of maintaining optimum pH within the gut, resulting in lower levels of nitrogen excretion and less odour. By improving digestibility and food utilisation, humic acids improve gastric and intestinal conditions of animals. It follows from this that as well as improving physical and financial performance, humic acids also have a positive impact on the environment by improving digestibility.
Replacing antiobiotics with humic acids as growth promoter in animal feed does not cause any loss in the performance of animals. On the contrary, performance factors (daily liveweight gain, feed intake, food conversion ratio and the level of looseness of faeces - scour assesment - ) of animals are considerably improved.
Tests have shown that the use of humic acids as animal feed supplement leads to increased milk production and increased butterfat percentage in dairy cows. Using humic acids also resulted in improved feed efficiency, decreased feed costs, reduced fly population and reduced costs for insect control. Furthermore, the weaning weights increased and faster weight gains were observed in dairy cows, while problems with scours greatly decreased. On the whole, humic acids increase the animal's resistance against stress factors such as heat.
One of the most beneficial effects of humic acids on animals is the overall immune response increase in animals. By improving immune functions in the animal, humic acids are able to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea and other digestive upsets to a considerable extent as well as to improve the animal's defenses against pathogens such as E.coli.
Observed Effects of Humic Acids on Animals
Covering mucous membrane and adstringent effects
Humic acids are able to form a protective film on the mucuous epithel of the gastro-intestinal tract against infections and toxins. The macrocolloidal structure of humic acids ensures a good shielding on the mucous membrane of the stomach and gut, the peripheral capillaries and damaged mucous cells. As a result of this process, the resorption of toxic metabolites is reduced or fully prevented, especially after infections, in case of residues of harmful substances in animal feed or when it is switched to new feeds. Furthermore, humic acids also help to prevent excessive loss of water via the intestine.
Antibacterial and virucidal effects
Humic acids have the ability to influence in particular the metabolism of proteins and carbonhydrates of microbes by catalytic means. This leads to a direct devastating effect against bacteria cells or virus particles.A second mechanism is related to the interionic bonds of high-molecular protein fractions (toxins) of infectious microbes. Their toxic impact on physiological processes of mucous membrane cells can be weakened considerably or even blocked completely.
Antiphlogical effects Dermal, oral or subcutaneous application of humic acids leads to inhibitory effects on inflammation. The ability to inhibit inflammation is believed to be related with the flavonoid groups contained in humic acids.
Antiresorptive and adsorptive effects
As high-molecular humic acids remain in the gastro-intestinal tract almost entirely following the enteral application (there is no self-resorption), antiresorptive and adsorptive effects take place where they are needed: in the digestive tract. Primarily cationoid noxes (protein toxins, toxic substances) are fixed, their resorption is reduced considerably or even prevented completely and their elimination through faeces is promoted.As adsorption by humic acids includes not only physical and chemical reactions, but also complex-formation and ion-exchange, it is more intensive and dynamic compared to pure physical adsorbents.
Effects on the immune system
Humic acids stimulate the resistance forces of the body and lead to an increase in the phagocytosis activity. The inducer effect of phenolic components (groups) of humic acids is believed to be responsible for the immunological effects and is the basis for the success of the treatment of the so-called factor diseases in young animals.
Ergotropic effects
Humic acids stabilize the intestinal flora and thus ensures an improved utilization of nutrients in animal feed (improved feed efficiency). This leads to an increase in liveweight of the animal without increasing the amount of feed given to the animal.
Humic acids are purely natural. The use of humic acids in animal feed excludes any possibility of antibiotic residue or microbial resistance. Simultaneously, as a result of a higher food conversion rate and enhanced absorption of nitrogen by the animal, nitrogenous wastes and odour are reduced.
Earth’s Gift: Ancient Soil Deposits Yield Potent Antiviral Potential
Posted on May 25, 2012 by Michael Ash in Reviews
An Interview with: Richard J Laub, MS, PhD, CChem, FRSC, is a chemist with nearly 150 peer-reviewed published research papers, sixteen patents, and numerous invited reviews and symposium presentations. He was formerly a professor of chemistry at The Ohio State University and San Diego State University, was a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in London, England, was an Alcoa fellow in San Diego, and a Science Research Council fellow in Swansea, Wales. For the last 17 years, Dr. Laub has focused exclusively on sourcing, analysing, studying, extracting and purifying humic acid, a remarkable high-mineral, healing substance with potent antiviral properties, found in ancient soil deposits.
Focus: You have devoted the last 17 years of your life to researching humic acid, an extract of ancient organic soil deposits. These ancient soil deposits—named humus, or humin, from the Greek word for soil—can be found all over the world and contain highly-concentrated minerals and healing substances. It’s interesting that in essence, the soil that nourishes plant life–and later the plant that dies and becomes part of the soil–contains such potent healing substances. Can you give us some basic facts about humic and fulvic acids before we discuss the health benefits?
RJL: Both humic and fulvic acids are extracts from composted organic matter and prove to be excellent mineral supplements. They excel at providing all the trace minerals we need. Fulvic acid is a small and somewhat rigid molecule, with a molecular weight of about 1,500 daltons (a dalton is a unit of mass commonly used in chemistry). Humic acid is equally potent as a mineral supplement, but is a much heavier, bigger molecule. It weighs about 50,000 daltons. Humic acid is flexible, because it is made up of many chains of molecules. It looks a bit like a series of wagon wheels, one inside the other, with spokes going from one wheel to the next. This flexibility is a very important contributor to its antiviral properties.
Focus: What do these very different shapes—small and rigid, or large and flexible—mean in terms of human health?
RJL: Because of its size and flexibility, certain humic acids from particular soil deposits turn out to be potent, broad-spectrum antivirals. That is because humic acid contains many kinds of “functional groups” (specific groups of atoms) that can bind to a multitude of viruses. Research has shown certain humic acids to be effective in vitro against a wide range of viruses, including influenza, HSV, HIV, and others.[1],[2],[3],[4],[5]
Focus: How exactly does humic acid bind to a virus?
RJL: Binding occurs through hydrogen bonding. Electropositive atoms attract electronegative atoms. These are the same forces that hold DNA together. What is remarkable is that humic acid, with its many kinds of functional groups, binds more strongly to viruses than do our own cells. Certain humic acids from certain soil deposits are essentially like a really, really sticky piece of Velcro. Viruses also have really sticky sites—that’s how they manage to bind to a host cell. When these two very sticky pieces of Velcro come together they bind together very strongly.
Focus: Can you explain what a virus does once it attaches to a cell receptor?
RJL: It essentially pokes a hole in the cell, and injects either its RNA or DNA–its genomic material–into the cell. At that point the virus has essentially spent itself, but the viral material inside the cell uses the cell’s machinery to create more viruses, which then leave the cell and go on to bind to and infect other cells.
Focus: What happens to a virus when it binds to humic acid instead of a cell surface?
RJL: Humic acid essentially neutralises a virus’s chemical “stickiness”. Doing so in turn prevents the virus from reproducing since it can no longer attach (“fuse”) to the surface of a host cell. The immune system can then begin to eliminate the virus (largely through the action of macrophages). Also, viruses don’t live forever: if not allowed to reproduce, influenza viruses, for example, die out in 36-48 hours.
Focus: What happens if viruses have already attached to your cells? Can humic acid help?
RJL: Humic acid binds so strongly to viruses that it can actually displace them from a cell surface. In vitro studies have shown, for example, that if you allow herpes simplex viruses to attach to host cells and then add humic acid to the solution, it will displace viruses from infected cell surfaces. That is, humic acid has a greater affinity for the virus than the virus does for the host cell. Thus, humic acid can actually displace a virus even after it has attached itself to the surface of a cell.[6]
Focus: That’s quite amazing—that this natural substance can displace viruses that have already locked onto cells. Is this true of any humic acid from around the world?
RJL: No. Humic acid varies dramatically from site to site. Humic acids from different deposits have very different physicochemical properties. Just like coal—the coal from South Africa is very different in makeup than the coal from Birmingham in Britain. For instance, one of the better-known humic acid deposits in the United States occurs in the state of New Mexico, where humic acid is mined for agriculture–as a fertiliser–and also for the petroleum industry as a drilling mud additive. From an agricultural standpoint New Mexico humic acid is great, but it is not very effective at combating human viruses. A lot of the research I carried out in the early days was simply obtaining samples of humic acid from around the world and testing them to see which ones were efficacious against human viral disease. Remember, humic acid is the result of composted organic matter that is 50-100,000 years old, and that can be found almost anywhere—places where there are freshwater deposits and vegetation living around freshwater lakes, other places where there are saltwater deposits and decomposed organic matter at the edge of marine environments. Some humic acids come from decomposed forests, others from marshes, peat bogs, or scrub-brush. Any plant can be composted into humic acid, but the enormous variety of plant life means that each source of humic acid is unique.
Focus: Once you found the ideal antiviral humic acid, what did you do?
RJL: The next challenge was to purify and sterilise it without degrading it. When you first dig humic acid out of the ground it is dark-brown or even black. Shilajit is a very crude form of humic acid that has been used around the world for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. The most familiar form of humic acid looks like coal, and is sometimes called leonardite or brown coal—though it isn’t actually coal. So, the challenge was to extract the humic acid without damaging it. Methodologies suitable for sterilisation of the final processed product also took very considerable research and development. (The original microbes that created the humus are of course long since dead, but other bacteria and moulds flourish in such soil deposits.) Overall, ten solid years of research and development were required to identify a quality source of humic acid that could also be purified and sterilised without diminishing its effectiveness as a human antiviral agent.
Focus: If one takes humic acid orally, when do peak blood levels occur?
RJL: Peak levels occur at about four hours. By eight to twelve hours the substance is pretty much cleared out of the bloodstream.
Focus: Do you think it has any other special properties beyond being a great mineral source and a potent antiviral?
RJL: Some researchers claim it boosts the immune system, but I’m not convinced it does so directly.[7] I think that humic acid’s wide spectrum of important trace minerals, coupled with its antiviral properties, result in a stronger immune system indirectly. Some of the trace minerals are present in very, very tiny amounts—just a few parts per million—but that’s exactly what we need to support enzyme functions among other things. I also think there are a lot of viruses we are all carrying that haven’t yet been identified (“stealth” viruses). But humic acid will bind to them, regardless.
Focus: That just shows you the broad-spectrum action of humic acid, so that it’s likely to work on many viruses we carry that have not yet been identified. I assume you take it yourself?
RJL: Of course. And I haven’t had a cold or the flu since 2004. Not one.
References
[1] F. J. Lu, S. N. Tseng, et al. In Vitro Anti-Influenza Virus Activity of Synthetic Humate Analogues Derived from Protocatechuic Acid. Arch. Virol. 2002, 147(2), 273-284 View Abstract
[2] C. E. J. van Rensburg, J. Dekker, et al. Investigations of the Anti- HIV Properties of Oxihumate. Chemotherapy 2002, 48(3), 138-143. View Abstract
[3] G. Kornilaeva, A. Becovich, et al. New Humic Acid Derivative as Potent Inhibitor of HIV-1 Replication. Med. Gen. Med. 2004, 6(3), A10360 View Summary PDF
[4] R. Kloecking, B. Helbig, G. Schotz, et al. Anti-HSV-1 Activity of Synthetic Humic Acid-Like Polymers Derived from p-Diphenolic Starting Compounds. Arch. Chem. Chemother. 2002, 13(4), 241-249
[5] Laub Biochem Specialty Labsl, 2001-2002, research conducted by contract for Virology Branch of the Antiviral Research and Antimicrobial Chemistry Program (Dr. Christopher Tseng, Program Officer), Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) Screening and Testing Program for Antiviral, Immunomodulatory, Antitumor and/or Drug Delivery Activities, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), under the auspices of the National Institutes of Health (NIH, Bethesda, Maryland)
[6] Laub Biochem Specialty Labs, Humic Acid Inhibition of HSV Infection. 1998
[7] G. K. Joone, J. Dekker, et al. Investigation of the Immunostimulatory Properties of Oxihumates. Z. Naturforsch. C: J. Biosci. 2003, 58(3/4) 263-267. PMID: 12710739 View Abstract
shellycheval said:Many thanks to all and especially Laura for a surprising and informative (as always!) session.
Fascinating on many accounts--particularly the reminder that "super-efforts" are necessary to increase receivership and grow the tribal unit.
keep the faith, and keep doing, keep putting one foot in front of the other day after day even though they don't see any immediate benefits for themselves. Is that what we're getting to here?
shellycheval said:Again, I am hearing the need for regular COLD showers--not the cool-to-the-point-of-being-uncomfortable--slacker showers I have been fooling myself with. I need to step up to the plate and just DO IT! Today I am putting it in the perspective that suffering is required for great change, and that in the near future I will wish that the only "suffering" I had to endure is a cold shower everyday!