"A teaspoon of hydrangea root or raw nuts or safe peanut butter supplies the organic germanium." Hulda Clark, PHD, 2009.
" I was further surprised to find that the plants containing unusually large quantities of germanium were without exception those valued as Chinese medicinal herbs." Kazuhiko Asai, MD, 1980.
EDITORS' NOTE
EDITORS' NOTE: PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SIDE EFFECTS REPORTED IN THE USE OF SYNTHETIC GERMANIUM COMPOUNDS. THERE IS NO NEED TO TAKE THESE SYNTHESIZED ORGANIC GERMANIUM COMPOUNDS. GERMANIUM IS FOUND SAFELY IN FOODS!
WHAT IS GERMANIUM'S PURPORTED BENEFIT? "The organic germanium compound increases the oxygen supply in a living body. The compound leads to the cure of various diseases and produces health sustaining effects by serving as a substitute for oxygen in combining with hydrogen ions and other waste substances in the body ... In the blood, it is believed that germanium combines mostly with red blood cells, a theory which can be deduced from the fact that red blood cells, which are negative charge carriers and have properties permitting penetration by negative ions. have an electrochemical structure closely akin to the germanium compound. Thus, it appears that germanium combines with the red blood cells together with hemoglobin." (See Dr Kazuhiko Asai, in his out-of-print book, Miracle Cure Organic Germanium, http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/content.asp?id=440.)
ORGANIC GERMANIUM IN PLANTS Dr. Kazuhiko Asai measured the germanium content in plants reputed to have some benefit for cancer. Here are a few examples: "Shelf fungus (Trametes cinnabarina Fr.) 800-2000 ppm, Ginseng (from Shimane Prefecture, Japan) 250 ppm, and Ginseng (from Shinano district, Japan) 320 ppm ... Shelf fungus, heading the list above, for centuries has been reputed to be effective in the treatment of cancer, and Nobel Prize winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn has even referred to this remarkable herb in his book, Cancer Ward." In addition, some other tested items include Aloe 77 ppm, Comfrey (Symphytum Peregimum) 152 ppm, and Chlorella 76 ppm." .(See Dr Kazuhiko Asai, in his out-of-print book, Miracle Cure Organic Germanium, http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/content.asp?id=440.)
GERMANIUM IN REAL FOOD SAMPLES - ALOE VERA, GINSENG, GINGER, POTATO, GARLIC, CARROT, AND SOYA MINCE
In the McMahon M et al. 2006 study, the researchers sought to determine the amount of germanium there is in real food samples using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy. "The samples chosen for analysis (for germanium) included vegetables, fruit juices, Chinese herbal remedies and over the counter formulations."
Results? "It was found that the aloe vera tablet, ginseng tablet, and ginger tablet contained 20.83, 5.48 and 9.96 μg/g. Other foods found to contain germanium were potato, garlic and carrot, having 1.85, 2.79 and 0.60 μg/g of germanium. The food found to contain the highest concentration of germanium was Soya mince having 9.39 μg/g." (See McMahon M et al., The Determination of Total Germanium in Real Food Samples Including Chinese Herbal Remedies Using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, Food Chemistry, 2006.) SYNTHESIZED GERMANIUM COMPOUND - GE-132 Dr. Kazuhiko Asai and his team synthesized a water soluble germanium compound that is known as Ge-132. "Technically termed car boxy ethyl sesquioxide of germanium (GeCH2CH- "C00H)202... it features three oxygen atoms affixed to each germanium atom." (See Dr Kazuhiko Asai, in his out-of-print book, Miracle Cure Organic Germanium, http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/content.asp?id=440.) (EDITORS' NOTE: To reiterate, most of the germanium studies are conducted using a synthetic germanium compound. There are reports that there may be side effects from these compounds. As always, the EDITORS strongly urge the reader to take the whole herb, or in this case, the whole food stuffs to safely derive all of the nutrients.) And, in the case of germanium, here are Dr. Hulda Clark's recommendations:
GE-132 SYNTHETIC GERMANIUM COMPOUND AND IMMUNE SYSTEM - GE-132 INDUCES INTERFERON IN THERMALLY INJURED MICE
In the Suzuki F and Pollard R 1984 study, the researchers explored whether mice could produce interferon after being given Ge-132 and interferon inducers.
What is interferon?
"Interferons are a group of signaling proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, or tumor cells. In a typical scenario, a virus-infected cell will release interferons causing nearby cells to heighten their anti-viral defenses." (See wikipedia.org.)
Results in Ge-132 treated mice: Interferon is decreased in thermally-injured mice and in mouse spleen cells following interferon-inducer stimulation. What happens after Ge-132 is introduced? Here, the researchers found that thermally-injured mice that had decreased levels of gamma interferon production, upon being treated with Ge-132, "produced IFN (interferon) following stimulation with IFN-y inducers. The level of IFN activity in the sera of the mice "approximated that of the controls (without the Ge-132)."
Results in spleen cells: When spleen cells were taken from the thermally-injured mice and transplanted into normal mice, there was a suppression of IFN production in the normal mice when stimulated with interferon inducers. .But, the "transfer of spleen cells derived from the Ge-132 treated mice did not induce suppression of IFN production in the normal mice."
Conclusion: Mononuclear cells taken from normal mice had induced IFN production when co-cultured with macrophages taken from the spleens of Ge-132 treated mice. "These results suggest that the generation of suppressor macrophages in thermally injured mice may be altered by the administration of Ge-132." (See Suzuki F and Pollard R, Prevention of Suppressed Interferon Gamma Production in Thermally Injured Mice by Administration of a Novel Organogermanium Compound, Ge-132, Journal of Interferon Research, 1984.)
GE-132 SYNTHETIC GERMANIUM COMPOUND AND IMMUNE SYSTEM INDUCING INTERFERON, NK CELLS, AND MACROPHAGES IN MICE
In the 1985 Aso H et al. study, the researchers tested Ge-132 in the amount of 300 mg/kg in mice to see if it would induce interferon.
Indeed, " ... A significant level of interferon activity was detected in the sera of mice at 20 hours, and it reached a maximum ... at 24 hours."
At 24 hours, the natural killer (NK) cells were increased in the spleen cells.
By 48 hours, cytotoxic macrophages were induced in the peritoneal cavity.
Conclusion: " ... Both the augmentation of the NK activity and activation of the macrophages in mice after oral administration of Ge-132 are mediated by the induced interferon." (See Aso H et al., Induction of Interferon and Activation of NK Cells and Macrophages in Mice by Oral Administration of Ge-132, an Organic Germanium Compound, Microbiology and Immunology, 1985.)
GE-132 SYNTHETIC GERMANIUM COMPOUND AND IMMUNE SYSTEM - GE-132 ELEVATES ALPHA -TOCOPHEROL IN PLASMA, MODULATES LIVER GENE EXPRESSION, PROMOTES IMMUNE ACTIVATION IN MICE
In their 2014 study, Nakamura T et al. state that GE-132 synthetic germanium compounds "exhibit activities related to immune responses and antioxidant induction".
To conduct their experiment, they gave three groups of mice a Ge-132 containing diet for either 0, 1, or 4 days and evaluated changes in alpha-tocopherol (a type of vitamin E) and liver gene expression.
Alpha-Tocopherol Result: The plasma alpha-tocopherol (α-tocopherol) concentration increased from 6.85 to 9.60 μg/ml after 4 days of Ge-132 intake.
Hepatic Gene Expression Result: After one day on a Ge-132-containing diet, "1,220 genes with with altered expression levels greater than 1.5-fold (increased or decreased)". Note that alpha-tocopherol transper protein gene expression increased 1.62-fold. How much alpha-tocopherol is in the blood depends on the liver, which, after absorbing all forms of vitamin E, re-secretes exclusively alpha-tocopherol into the blood via this alpha-tocopherol transfer protein. ((See http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/.)
Immune Activation Result: "Ge-132 affected genes in clusters related to ATP production (22 gene ontology (GO) term biological processes (BPs), 21 genes), lipid metabolism (4 GO term BPs, 38 genes) and apoptosis (5 GO term BPs). Many GO term BPs containing these categories were significantly affected by the Ge-132 intake."
Conclusion: "Oral Ge-132 intake may therefore have increased plasma αlpha-tocopherol levels by up-regulating αlpha-tocopherol transfer protein gene expression.." (See Nakamura T et al., The Oral Intake of Organic Germanium, Ge-132, Elevates Alpha-Tocopherol Levels in the Plasma and Modulates Hepatic Gene Expression Profiles to Ppromote Immune Activation in Mice, Int J Vitam Nutr Res, 2014.)
In 1985, the Suzuki and Pollard research team sought to determine if the synthetic germanium extract, Ge-132, would have an antitumor effect against ascites tumors in mice.
Indeed, Ge-132 did have an antitumor effect, and it was the sera that was obtained 24 hours after giving the GE-132 to the mice that had the greatest antitumor effect.
Why?
Interferon! "The maximum antitumor activity of the serum was observed at the time of the highest serum IFN (interferon) titer 24 hours after Ge-132 administration."
Interestingly enough, there was no protective effect seen in the blood at 12, 36, or 48 hours after the mice were given the Ge-132. At all of these hours, there was NO interferon detected in the serum.
Conclusion: "The antitumor activity of the Ge-132 appeared to be expressed through the induction of lymphokine(s), such as IFN y (lymphokines are produced by T lymphocytes)." Since, "Lymphokines or IFN-y can activate macrophages to become tumoricidal, this suggests that lymphokine(s) such as IFN y induced by the compound, may activate macrophages to become tumoricidal and mediate the antitumor activity observed in mice treated with Ge-132." (See Suzuki F and Pollard R, Ability of Sera From Mice Treated With GE-132, An Organic Germanium Compound, To inhibit Experimental Murine Ascites Tumors, Br J Cancer, 1985.)
CHRYSIN-ORGANOGERMANIUM AND BREAST CANCER CELLS - SiGNIFICANT ANTIPROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITIES IN BREAST CANCER CELLS
In the Yang F et al. 2013 study, the researchers devised and tested a chrysin-organogermanium(IV) complex on breast cancer cells.
Chrysin (from plants, honey, and propolis) was complexed with germanium to increase the antitumor cancer effects.
In the breast cancer cell study, while the chrysin-germanium complex "had significant inhibition effects on the proliferation of breast cancer cells" the healthy breast cells were not affected.
Specifically, the breast cancer cells' nuclei "represented a total fragmented morphology and a disorganized cytoskeletal network". In addition, there was a "decrease of cell rigidity and adhesion force of the breast cancer cells, suggesting that membrane toxicity might be one of the targets of chrysin-germanium in breast cancer cells. Moreover, ... chrysin-germanium could induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells in the ROS-dependent mitochondrial pathway."
Conclusion: "All results collectively showed that chrysin-germanium could be as a promising anticancer drug for cancer therapy." (See Yang F et al., Anti-Tumor Activity Evaluation of Novel Chrysin-Organogermanium (IV) Compex in MCF-7 Cells, Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 2013.)
THE EDITORS WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE READER THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SIDE EFFECTS REPORTED IN THE USE OF SYNTHETIC GERMANIUM COMPOUNDS. THERE IS NO NEED TO TAKE THESE SYNTHESIZED ORGANIC GERMANIUM COMPOUNDS. GERMANIUM IS FOUND SAFELY IN FOODS!
THE EDITORS INVITE YOU TO JOIN THEM WITH A CUP OF HYDRANGEA ROOT TEA!