Overview

Glandular therapy is based on the concept that consuming glandular material from a specific animal's gland can enhance the functioning of the corresponding human gland. This results in a broad improvement in glandular function, ultimately leading to better health. This approach has its roots in traditional oriental therapy.

Glandular extracts, particularly thymus and spleen extracts, have proven useful in cases of immune system deficiencies and infections. Glandular therapy is also commonly used in the treatment of cancer and AIDS.

Historical Background

Before the 1940s, glandular extracts were widely used globally, including in Western medicine. Extensive research supported their use. However, the rise of antibiotics and modern pharmaceuticals shifted the focus away from glandular therapy. This decline in clinical research does not diminish the therapy's value. Glandular therapy remains a cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine and India's Ayurvedic Medicine. Glandular therapy is now rekindling interest as a treatment for cancer.

What Is Glandular Therapy?

Glandular therapy employs purified extracts from animals' endocrine glands to restore overall metabolism. Key glandular extracts include those from the thyroid, thymus, and adrenal glands.

Glandular and organ extracts are typically derived from animals and are known as protomorphogens. These extracts provide both short-term and long-term nutritional benefits. They contain nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, enzymes, and other substances. Glandular therapy can address specific hormone imbalances and strengthen weakened or diseased organs, making it a recognized and effective treatment.

Common glandular and organ extracts are taken from:

• Pituitary gland
• Thyroid gland
• Adrenal glands
• Pancreas
• Heart
• Liver
• Kidneys
• Thymus gland
• Other glands and organs

Glandular extracts are particularly valuable when an individual's endocrine system under-produces or under-secretes a specific hormone or when an organ is weakened or diseased, as is often the case with cancer patients.

Benefits of Glandular Therapy

Glandular and organ extracts offer three primary nutritional benefits:

1. Active Components: Glands and organs in animals and humans are similar in terms of biochemical substances, given their similar functions. These extracts can "substitute" for endogenous deficiencies by supplying necessary compounds.
2. Associated Nutritional Factors: Glandular tissues are rich in various nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and more, making them an efficient source of essential nutrition.
3. Adaptogenic Effect: Glandular therapy provides raw materials needed for tissue cells to repair or regenerate, encouraging the process of regeneration.

For instance, the thyroid gland plays a crucial role in metabolism. Administering thyroid extract can help cells remove waste and expedite restorative functions. A healthy thyroid is essential for a robust immune system.

Thymus Extracts

Oral administration of calf thymus extracts has proven effective in restoring and enhancing immune function. It results in a broad-spectrum improvement in the immune system. This enhancement is attributed to improved thymus gland activity after administering thymus extracts.

Thymus extracts offer a potential solution for chronic viral infections and low immune function. Studies on children with recurrent respiratory infections showed that oral thymus extracts effectively eliminated infections and significantly reduced the number of respiratory infections and improved immune parameters.

Thymus extract has also been shown to normalize the ratio of T helper cells to suppressor cells, whether the ratio is low (as in AIDS or cancer) or high (as in allergies or rheumatoid arthritis).

Spleen Extracts

Spleen Extracts

Pharmaceutical grade bovine spleen extracts have shown efficacy in treating infectious conditions and acting as an immune-enhancing agent, particularly in the context of cancer. These benefits are attributed to small-molecular-weight proteins, such as tuftsin and splenopentin, which stimulate macrophages in the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.

Macrophages are large cells responsible for engulfing and eliminating foreign particles, including bacteria, cancer cells, and cellular debris. They play a vital role in defending the body against microbial invasions and cancer. Tuftsin also aids in mobilizing other white blood cells to combat infections and cancer. A deficiency of tuftsin is associated with symptoms of recurrent infections.

Splenopentin, another small-molecular-weight protein, enhances the immune system's response to regulating compounds known as colony-stimulating factors. These factors promote the production of white blood cells. Splenopentin has also demonstrated an ability to boost natural killer cell activity.

The primary application of spleen extracts is after a splenectomy, the surgical removal of the spleen. Spleen removal is associated with an elevated risk of bacterial infections. Spleen extracts can be beneficial in such cases.

Spleen extracts are also valuable in the treatment of low white blood cell counts, bacterial infections, and as a supplementary therapy for cancer.