Re: Primal Defense - is it really a good product?

February 16, 2008

Hi April,

That's an interesting link and valid in that there hasn't been long-

term research on PD. I came across an article or post several months

ago that was similar stating that PD is not good for those with leaky

gut and in fact is dangerous for the same reasons stated in your

link. I just tried googling it and I can't find it now! When I saw

it months ago, I dismissed it because I read many more recovery

stories from using PD and thought I'd try it.

I personally feel no different when I'm on it or off of it. It does

help keep me regular. It's insanely expensive though! As far as

helping me, I know I need probiotics, I'm just not sure which

strain. I use it mostly because everyone raves about it helping

them. I seem to do well with Enzymedica Pearls but they don't have

as many strains. I hear conflicting info on whether we need more

strains or just a good healthy colony of lacto and bifido.

I wish I knew what to tell you (and tell myself as well)! I think

it's one of those things we just have to weigh the risks for

ourselves, try things out if it feels right and try to assess the

results. It's so hard!! Hardest thing I've ever had to do! I no

longer suffer from gut issues but I can't really say I know

definitively what worked because I tried so many things. I still

think I have leaky gut though based on my thyroid antibodies, brain

fog, headaches, fatigue, etc. but KNOW I'm healing.

Also, thanks for the article on the Oat Beta Glucan product the other

day. Sounds great. If you try it, let us know how it works! How

have you been feeling since explant? Love, PH

>

> I was considering trying PD, but after doing some research I'm not

so

> sure. I know a lot of you use it, how have your results been?

I've

> read some posts on CureZone from people who say that they did well

on

> it at first, but after they stopped using it were worse off than

> before. This would correlate with what this article says about

> spores. Have any of you had a bad reaction to PD?

>

> I'd like your opinions on these articles:

>

> http://www.raysahelian.com/soilorganisms.html

>

> Another one:

>

> DO NOT USE BACTERIAL SOIL ORGANISMS

>

> On page 108 of THE IBD REMISSION DIET, I suggest that readers may

> want to try a product called Primal Defense after they've been

> completely healed for 3-6 months. I learned of this product from

> numerous readers who wrote in to let me know how well it's worked

for

> them. Since I couldn't try the product myself (I've been pregnant

or

> breastfeeding for 4 years and counting), I questioned numerous

> respected naturopaths, microbiology professors and

> gastroenterologists for their opinion on the product and all said

it

> looked fine.

>

> However, since meeting the founder and president of Natren Inc.

(top

> quality probiotic manufacturer), Natasha Trenev, I must change my

> opinion of bacterial soil organisms. Natasha is a world-renowned

> expert on microorganisms and maintains one of the largest research

> libraries on that topic in the world. She has sent me an entire CD-

> ROM of articles, research, clinical data and other scientific

studies

> (most done outside of North America) outlining why it is not

> considered safe to consume bacterial soil organisms (like those

> contained in Primal Defense and numerous other products).

>

> To summarize the research briefly, soil organisms (SO) are spore-

> formers, so they make good competitors for yeast, fungus and other

> pathogens. This is why many people taking soil organisms will

> initially experience very favorable results. However, these spores

> are extremely difficult to kill, surviving commercial sterilants,

> disinfectants, acceleration forces, heat, pressure, radiation and

> many antibiotics. Strong antibiotics - like Vancomycin - can

suppress

> certain spores.

>

> Spores are so persistent in the intestines that another round of

> germination may occur after the drug is stopped. Soil organisms can

> also adapt loose genetic material and incorporate it into their

> cellular structure – the ramifications of which are as yet unknown.

> Various soil organisms can produce harmful peptides, affecting

> hemoglobin in the blood. It's important to keep in mind that

> virtually all antibiotic drugs were initially developed from soil

> organisms and as antibiotics become more potent, they cause more

> damage to the host, not just in the immediate gut environment, but

> systemically as well.

>

> In the EU (European Union) the use of soil organisms in animal feed

> is being stringently controlled and questioned at this time. There

> are simply too many questions and unknowns to sanction the use of

> soil organisms for human consumption and one certainly cannot

qualify

> them as `safe' at this time. Traditional probiotics (like L.

> acidophilus, B. bifidum etc.) have been used by humans for

thousands

> of years and therefore have a VERY long-term record of safety for

> human consumption. If you consume bacterial soil organisms, please

be

> aware that this therapy is highly experimental - there is no long-

> term record of safety for human use. Maybe soil organisms will

> eventually be proven safe for human use, maybe not. The point is,

> that at this juncture, we do not know.

>

> I'm very sorry for any confusion this may have caused you. To be

> honest, this is the very first time I've recommended a product that

I

> have not tried and tested extensively myself – I admit I was swayed

> by good recommendations from readers. Rest assured that I will not

do

> so again! You should also know that since originally receiving

these

> recommendations, some of these same readers have contacted me again

> to let me know that they have since had bad flares, or, the lower

> right quadrant of their colon has become very swollen and tender -

> whether this is connected to the soil organism consumption, or not,

I

> have no idea.

> My sincerest apologies,

> Jini Patel

>

February 16, 2008