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> Nutritional and Dietary Supplements > Glandular Extracts
GLANDULAR EXTRACTSView Our Related Product Sections:
What does it do? A gland is defined as a secretory organ (i.e., an organ that secretes substances into the bloodstream or elsewhere in the body). The internal secretory organs of the body are called endocrine glands. These ductless glands secrete hormones directly into the blood stream. The glands that are known to have endocrine function include the pineal, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, adrenal, pancreas, and gonads (testes and ovaries). Although not technically glands, other organs of the body are commonly referred to as “glandulars” when they are taken as supplements. For example, tissue extracts of the heart, spleen, prostate, uterus, brain, and other tissues are often used in so-called “glandular therapy.” Glandular therapy refers to the use of animal tissues to try to enhance the function of, or mimic the effect of, the corresponding human tissue. There are two basic concepts upon which glandular therapy is based. The first is that “like heals like.” For example, feeding prostate tissue might, in theory, help the body’s prostate gland heal or function better. The second concept is that ingestion of certain glandular tissues will provide the body with hormones or other biologically active substances that are normally secreted by that gland. For almost as long as historic records have been kept, glandular therapy has been an important form of medicine. While ancient glandular therapy usually involved the use of fresh, whole glands, modern glandular therapy primarily involves the use of concentrated glandular extracts. While it is well established that some glandular preparations may be effective orally because of active hormone or enzyme content (e.g., thyroid and pancreatic-enzyme preparations), the effects of other commercially available glandular products are not known as they have not been sufficiently studied. Detractors of glandular therapy often claim that when a glandular product is consumed, its potentially active components are destroyed by digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract before they can be absorbed into the body. Therefore, orally administered glandular products cannot be effective. However, there is now much evidence that, under normal conditions, some proteins, enzymes, and other large molecules can and do pass intact from the human gut into the bloodstream.1 2 3 4 Where is it found? Most glandular products are derived from beef (bovine) sources, with the exception of pancreatic extracts, which are most often derived from pork (porcine). The four most widely known methods of processing are the azeotrophic method, salt precipitation, freeze-drying, and predigestion. The azeotrophic method begins by quick-freezing the material at well below 0 degrees F, and then washing the material with a powerful solvent (ethylene dichloride) to remove the fatty tissue. The solvent is then distilled off and the material is dried and ground into a powder so that it can be placed in tablets or capsules. Although the azeotrophic method aids in the removal of fat-stored toxins (like pesticides) and toxic heavy metals, it also removes fat-soluble hormones, enzymes, essential fatty acids, and other potentially beneficial materials. The salt precipitation method involves the maceration of fresh glandular material in a salt and water solution. Like the azeotrophic method, this process also allows the fat-soluble material to be separated out. The benefit of the salt precipitation method is that no toxic solvents are used to remove the fatty material. The down side is that the salt content can be very high, and that some of the potentially beneficial constituents may be removed. The freeze-drying process involves quickly freezing the glandular material at temperatures 40 to 60 degrees below 0 degrees F and then placing the material into a vacuum chamber, which removes the water by direct vaporization from its frozen state—hence the term freeze-drying. The benefits of freeze-drying are that it preserves more of the unaltered protein and enzymes as well as all of the fat-soluble components. Since the fat is not removed, potentially harmful contaminants that accumulate in fat tissue may remain in the product. It is therefore critical that the glands be derived from livestock that have grazed on open ranges that are not sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. The animals should also be free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and infection. The predigestion method employs the aid of plant and animal enzymes to partially digest or hydrolyze the glandular material. The partially digested material is then passed through a series of filtrations to separate out fat-soluble and large molecules. The purified material is then freeze-dried. This method of extraction is thought to be ideal for certain glandulars, such as liver and thymus, where the polypeptide (small proteins) and other water-soluble fractions are desired.  Who is likely to be deficient? As glandulars are not essential nutrients, no deficiency states exist. How much is usually taken? The recommended amount may vary according to the potency and method of preparation of the particular product. Please consult the label on the specific glandular product. References:  1. Gardner MLG. Gastrointestinal absorption of intact proteins. Annu Rev Nutr 1988;8:329–50. 2. Udall JN, Walker WA. The physiologic and pathologic basis for the transport of macromolecules across the intestinal tract. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1982;1:295–301. 3. Kleine MW, Stauder GM, Beese EW. The intestinal absorption of orally administered hydrolytic enzymes and their effects in the treatment of acute herpes zoster as compared with those of oral acyclovir therapy. Phytomedicine 1995;2:7–15. 4. Hemmings WA, Williams EW. Transport of large breakdown products of dietary protein through the gut wall. Gut 1986;27:715–23. |
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