Supreme Nutrition Products has decided to add several glandulars to its product line. Our first is freeze dried, 100% grass fed, ovine (sheep) thymus from young sheep raised in New Zealand. As with all of our products, there are no fillers, binders, flow agents or any other ingredients other than the capsule. Our thymus glandular product contains various peptides, hormones, etc. (i.e. example -thymosin, thymopoietin, and serum thymic factor). These components, like herbal adaptogens, help modulate, normalize, and optimize immune function. We decided with our glandulars to use ovine as opposed to bovine (cow) sources. Ovine is one of the most hypoallergenic foods as well as one of the cleanest domesticated animals. Also ovine is generally harvested at a younger age vs bovine.
Supreme Nutrition Products has an amazing array of herbs with antimicrobial properties that also have immune modulating properties to normalize immune function. We look at this glandular as being a perfect complement to these, further helping in acute and subacute microbial issues both therapeutically and preventatively.
Thymus tissue has been used both in immune deficiency states as well as having the potential to help those with overactive or autoimmune conditions.
Thymus tissue historically has been used in the treatment of bronchitis, allergies (including hay fever) and sensitivities, recurrent infections, asthma, and also hepatitis B & C (1,2,3).
The concept of glandular therapy is that oral ingestion of certain animal-gland material will strengthen the corresponding gland in humans (“like treats like” as it will have all the enzymes, hormones and co-factors the gland needs for proper functioning). As with most organ glandulars, other than brain and intestines, it can contain a significant amount of various vitamins and minerals, especially B vitamins.
One double blinded placebo controlled study conducted on children with frequent respiratory infections found that treatment with thymus extract reduced the rate of infection (4).
Thymus glandulars were also shown be useful for food allergies in one study (5) as well as various dermatological conditions including eczema (6,7,8) and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (9). It has been used in the treatment of childhood asthma.
Thymus extracts have been shown to modulate the production, maturation and activation of T lymphocytes (10) and to stimulate conversion of immature thymocytes (T6 cells) to non-dedicated T cells (T3 cells) in human bone marrow. In the more mature T cells, thymic extracts have been shown to effectively increase the number and function of T helper/inducer lymphocytes (T4 cells) and of suppressor cells (T8 cells) (10).
Thymus extracts have also been shown to reduce post-surgical infections, decrease the damage of chemotherapy and radiation, and have been used as adjuncts to mainstream therapy for treatment of neoplasms. Clinical studies have shown it useful for herpes simplex and herpes zoster, psoriasis, etc. (10).
Dosage: 2-3 capsules once per day for general wellbeing. Can increase to 2-3 times per day as needed.*
Contraindications: No side effects or contraindications for thymus gland have been reported.
Sources:
1. Civeira MP, Castilla A, Morte S, et al. A pilot study of thymus extract in chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. Aliment Pharmacol Therap . 1989;3:395-401.
2. Galli M, Crocchiolo P, Negri C, et al. Attempt to treat acute type B hepatitis with an orally administered thymic extract (thymomodulin): preliminary results. Drugs Exp Clin Res . 1985;11:665-669.
3. Raymond RS, Fallon MB, Abrams GA. Oral thymic extract for chronic hepatitis C in patients previously treated with interferon. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med .1998;129:797-800.
4. Fiocchi A, Borella E, Riva E, et al. A double-blind clinical trial for the evaluation of the therapeutical effectiveness of a calf thymus derivative (Thymomodulin) in children with recurrent respiratory infections. Thymus. 1986;8:331-339.
Cavagni G, Piscopo E, Rigoli E, et al. Food allergy in children: an attempt to improve the effects of the elimination diet with an immunomodulating agent (thymomodulin). A double-blind clinical trial. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol . 1989;11:131-142.
5. Leung DY, Hirsch RL, Schneider L, et al. Thymopentin therapy reduces the clinical severity of atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol . 1990;85:927-933.
6. Fiocchi A, Grasso U, Travaglini P, et al. A double blind clinical trials on the effectiveness of a thymic derivative (Thymomodulin) in the treatment of children with atopic dermatitis. Int J Immunother 1987;3:279-284.
7. Harper JI, Mason UA, White TR, et al. A double-blind placebo-controlled study of thymostimulin (TP-1) for the treatment of atopic eczema. Br J Dermatol. 1991;125:368-372.
8. Malaise M, Franchimont P, Hauwaert C, et al. Confirmative study of the effectiveness of thymopentin in active rheumatoid arthritis. Surv Immunol Res . 1985;4(Suppl 1):87-93.
9. Genova R, Guerra A. A thymus extract (thymomodulin) in the prevention of childhood asthma. Pediatr Med Chir 1983;5:395-402.
10. Kouttab NM, Prada M, Cazzola P. Thymomodulin: biological properties and clinical applications. Medical Oncology & Tumor Pharmacotherapy. 1989, 6(1):5.