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August
24, 2002
Hello to Karl:
I wrote to you some time ago about germanium and how
Nature's Sunshine had a high quality germanium and
you responded back that I should ask them where they
get it from and if they were honest, they'd tell me.
Well, it took me awhile, but this is the response
I got. I didn't want to leave this open-ended
with you and I thank you for being concerned enough
to write back. If you hvae any other comments,
I'd be glad to hear them.
A
Subj:
RE: Answer Long Overdue
Date: 8/24/02 4:19:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Questions@natr.com
File: ATT44614.gif (43 bytes) DL Time (TCP/IP): <
1 minute
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Good afternoon,
Thank you for your question. Karl Loren's claim
that "there is no germanium
being manufactured in the United States" is not
true.
Our germanium is manufactured in the United States
and our vendor has made germanium for 16
years.
In that time they have produced 15 metric tons of
bis carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide. This
germanium compound as developed by Dr. Asai is not
a patented compound. The process that he used
to produce sesquioxide may be patented. Our
vendor uses a proprietary process to produce bis carboxyethyl
germanium sesquioxide.
It is true that there is currently a FDA import ban
for this compound.
According to our vendor, the reason that the FDA has
imposed this ban is due to germanium dioxide contamination.
Germanium dioxide is responsible for kidney damage
associated with germanium. The FDA found that
imported germanium was prone to contamination and
many foreign vendors were passing
off germanium dioxide as sesquioxide.
It is sometimes difficult to determine contamination.
With the proper testing equipment germanium
dioxide can be detected. Our vendor
can detect down to .001% dioxide.
I hope that this information will be helpful to you.
You can be assured that NSP uses the safest, highest
quality raw materials available and we do not obtain
any of our raw materials illegally. If you have
further
questions contact Customer Service at (800) 223-8225
or email questions@natr.com
<mailto:questions@natr.com
> .
Best wishes,
Sarah Eliason
NSP Scientist
Health Sciences department
August 24,
2002
Dear A.
This
same claim was made years ago.
I was even sued for slander
on this issue, and the guys who sued me were never
willing to give the court, or me, an address for this
so-called US factory. The guy who sued me was Dr.
Levin, of Allergy Research, then the largest seller
of germanium in the US -- still sells it. He
never won his law suit against me -- the lawyers for
him offered to withdraw their complaint. We agreed
that each of us would issue a favorable press release
about the other. We did that, and that ended the legal
matter.
The US factory? You note
that they do not tell you where it is, or the name.
It does not exist.
One ton per year? Not
believable. Back in the early days it sold for
$9,000 per KG.
When the only honest supplier
from Japan finally gave up on the US market (Tokai
Sangyo) the price had dropped to $2,000 per kg.
I was the exclusive agent for Tokai, but they quit
the market because they were having to compete with
smuggled Ge, being made in Taiwan and China.
Tokai started selling again
and I, Karl Loren, Vibrant Life, am now the exclusive
distributor for the only authentic form of germanium
sold in the US today. The only remaining
source for honest Ge is the Asai Research Institute,
and they do not export out of Japan.
These people undoubtedly buy
the cheap Chinese stuff, and claim that it is US made.
Karl Loren
I'd like that taken off that site because I did
NOT get permission from the person at NSP to have
it put on another website.
I
have been with them for almost 15 years and been
very satisfied and I am really uncomfortable with
this out on the net.
However, I will send them your reply and await another
answer, telling them that it will be put on your
website, so if you would remove it until then, I
will get their permission to let it be put on your
website along with their next answer in response
to yours.
I
think this is only fair.
Sincerely,
A
August
24, 2002
Dear A,
It appears, A, that you
are selling for a corrupt company.
I do not ask permission from
corrupt people to expose their corruption.
I will publish this, and whatever
else they care to provide in the way of response.
Now that you have roused my
interest, I will also make a point of finding other
examples, if they exist, for Nature's Sunshine products
to need some light of honest day.
HERE for instance is a reference to Nature's
Sunshine selling a worthless oral chelation formula.
For instance,
HERE I have a honest explanation of how the
bark of the Taheebo tree should be processed to
make a concentrate or extract product.
Here is a current section
of a page by a Nature's Sunshine distributor, offering
Taheebo.
|
Pau d Arco/Taheebo Tea (7oz) |
Immune:Nature's
Sunshine's pau d'arco comes from Brazil. It
is available in a variety of forms, including
capsules, bulk for tea, liquid extract and
soothing, softening lotion. Each capsule contains
500 mg pau d'arco. Five capsules equal two
cups of Taheebo tea. Take two capsules with
a meal three times daily. Liquid, take 1/2
teaspoon with water three times daily. Lotion
is for external use only. |
$21.15 |
$14.25 |
Like
many fraudulent companies, this description is vague.
If, as the text above suggests, they are selling
a capsule of the bark of the Taheebo Tea, then swallowing
that capsule is a worthless activity -- a fraud.
The bark is wood, cellulose, and cannot be digested
in the human stomach. So, this capsule may
well be filled with sawdust from the Taheebo Bark.
This text was from:
http://www.wholesaleherbs.com/bulk.html
Here is another
web page:
1.
Natures Sunshine Colon Cleansing Products
•••
We accept the following credit cards:
Natures Sunshine Bulk Herbs Welcome to
betterherbs.com Customer Service Toll-Free:
1-888-300-6242 Simply the...
...Pau D'Arco/Taheebo Tea ( Immune System )
Traditional Use: Immune system, yeast, fungus, virus.
Pau D'Arco Bark comes from a tree that makes its
habitat...
...areas. The trees grow as tall as 30 meters, and
are also known by the name taheebo. Unlike
other trees in the area, pau d'arco does not develop
fungus...
...smooth and silky. Relieves itching and pain.
Five capsules equal two cups of Taheebo tea
,take as desired. Liquid, take 1/2 tsp with water
three times...
61% Sun,
23 Jun 2002 15:54:12 GMT http://www.betterherbs.com/nspbulkherbs.html
Again, it appears
that they are selling a capsule containing 500 mg
of ground up bark. That would be NOT illegal, but
it would be worthless.
Here is another
Nature's Sunshine distributor -- selling worthless
Taheebo Bark.
Pau D’Arco [Immune] bark comes from
a tree that makes its habitat predominantly in Argentina
and Brazil, but which also grows in other tropical
areas. The tree grows as tall as 30 meters and is
known by the name taheebo. Unlike other trees in
the area, pau d’arco does not develop fungus growth.
The tree bark was one of the major plants used to
promote health and immunity among the Incas, and
its use has continued among the Callawaya tribe
in South America.
Pau d’arco contains a chemical called
lapachol, which may provide nutritional support
to the immune system. The bark is stripped by hand
vertically from the ground up about 6 or 7 feet,
leaving enough bark intact to ensure the life of
the tree. Nature’s Sunshine’s pau d’arco comes from
Brazil. It is available in a variety of forms, including
capsules, bulk for tea, liquid extract and soothing,
softening lotion.
Each capsule contains 500
mg pau d’arco. Five capsules equal two cups of Taheebo
tea. Take 2 capsules with a meal three times daily.
Liquid, take 1/2 teaspoon with water three times
daily. Lotion is for external use only.
Source
MLM companies are
the dogs of the vitamin industry. Invariably
their prices are far, far higher than the same product
purchased through some other channel.
Since their prices
have to be so high, to provide the profits for dozens
of distributors, they have two alternatives to stay
in business.
They mix up some
combination of ingredients that you cannot compare
elsewhere -- so you can't detect their extremely
high prices.
Or,
They cheapen the
product enough so that they can take advantage of
the prices of honest products, compare with them,
deliver something worthless, and still make a profit.
Generally these
are not illegal activities -- just deceptive. The
consumer pays, the distributors profit.
I do sell a couple
MLM products, but very reluctantly. I only get involved
in some MLM when it appears that theyhave a truly
proprietary product -- a patent-protected profit,
for instance.
I would not buy
anything from a company that refuses to tell where
their germanium is manufactured or that sells ground
up tree bark, which cannot be digested, as a useful
product.
I also have an expose
of MLM vitamins from one company
HERE.
Karl Loren
August 25, 2002
Dear Karl
I
understand that you have your response published
on the same webpage, but until I get permission
from that lady to use her letter (since it was sent
to me privately), I'd appreciate it if you'd take
it off for now. Once I get an answer or lack
thereof, I'll let you know and you can put it back
on then.
A
Dear A.
As before, I have
published your entire message, and this response,
on my web site. I assume you understand the
legalities here. Once you send me any message,
I have every legal right to publish it, unless I
may have agreed to not publish.
I am surprised that
you would want to stand in the way of the public
knowing the truth of this matter!
Have you considered
the harm to the many customers of Nature's Sunshine
who purchase germanium and think that it is genuine
and legitimate?
You see, it may
be. I don't know. I only know that Dr.
Asai did the original research on this form of germanium,
and that he got a patent on it in Japan. He
then formed the Asai Research Institute to carry
on his research and to hold the patent. The Asai
Research Institute then obtained a patent for this
form of germanium in the United States.
I went to Japan
for many days of research on germanium, and also
visited the factory of Tokai Sangyo -- the only
company legally authorized by the Japanese Government
to export germanium. Any other source is probably
fake.
On my web site describing
germanium I have literally hundreds of pages and
make references to more than 100 patents involving
the word "germanium."
I am not an expert
on germanium, but I have spent hundreds of hours
researching it. I traveled to Japan and visited
with people from the Asai Research Institute.
I visited an actual factory which was making germanium
under the Asai patent. I didn't know it at
the time, but I also visited a second Japanese factory
where the owner, through an interpreter, assured
me that HE was also making germanium. He may
or may not have been making it, but I soon learned
that he had no license to make it from Asai.
I later traveled
to Belgium and spent some days in a pharmaceutical
plant that was importing germanium from the only
licensed manufacturer in Japan (Tokai Sangyo) and
taking the bulk germanium and making it into vials
for injection -- a regular medical product.
There is much more.
I wrote the book in the US. I have Dr. Asai's
book on my web -- it was out of print more than
10 years ago.
So, I am no slouch
when it comes to germanium.
It angers me when
I see "my" industry (vitamins) sullied
by unethical people. Perhaps Nature's Sunshine
sells honest and real organic germanium. If
they do, they should be willing to identify their
source of supply. The letter from them doesn't even
claim that they buy from the actual manufacturer,
but only that they buy from a "vendor"
who assures them that he gets his germanium from
a US manufacturer.
How flimsy can you
get?
Society needs honesty
in its sources of help for health issues.
So far I see no evidence of honesty, but I see subterfuge.
Cordially,
Karl Loren
Notice
that this source of germanium does NOT claim that
they buy germanium from the Asai Research Institute,
but only that they buy from a source that uses the
same manufacturing process as used by Asai.
Since the original Asai patent on the process of
manufacturer has expired, it would certainly be
true that anyone could use that process, but is
also true that anyone can claim to use it and that
the actual factory from which the below germanium
might be obtained is NOT identified. Chinese
germanium is being offered. It might be OK,
but I would not recommend it. Karl Loren
Source
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Available in 2 oz. and 4 oz. liquid & 150mg.
Capsules in 30 count.
|
Call Toll Free
800.893.7467
custserv@inponline.com
Germanium is a remarkable substance
that has become known as a valuable
nutrient. Japanese scientist Dr. Kazuhiko
Asai discovered the oxygen enriching
biologic value of "Organic Germanium
Complex", also called Ge-132, and
founded the Asai Research Institute and
Clinic in Tokyo, Japan to conduct clinical
trials. Dr Asai studied Germanium's effect
on a wide range of conditions, including
liver disfunction, chronic hepatitis,
diseases of the eye, heart disease and
conditions of the immune system, all with
excellent results. When asked to
characterize the compound, Dr. Asai states
that he does not regard Germanium or its
synthesized version, Germanium Sesquioxide,
as a drug. "I would rather call it a
health-giving substance." Innovative
Natural Products® is proud to offer
both a Liquid Germanium Ge-132
supplement and Germanium Sesquioxide
Ge-132 capsules.
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Honesty
and full disclosure -- there are too many vitamin
companies, particularly MLMs that cheat the public.
Let me know if you wish,
whatever it is that they wish to say.
Karl
Dear Karl:
Thank-you for your inquiry
and interest in our products. Germanium
Sesquioxide is a naturally occurring mineral.
My understanding is that ours comes from a domestic
source.
Sincerely,
Mark Kusick
--
Mark Kusick
Customer Service Representative
Innovative Natural Products
2140 Enterprise St
Escondido Ca 92029
760-738-7890
760-740-9264 Fax
www.inponline.com
September 9, 2002
Dear Mark,
I have probably
studied germanium more than any other in the US, have
written a book on it.
I can assure you that
germanium sesquioxide occurs, for instance, in coal,
in such tiny amounts and bound to other particles,
that it is completely impossible to extract it from
that source, or any other. It is manufactured
artificially. Dr. Asai got a patent on how to
do that.
I can assure you that
there is no US domestic factory making germanium
sesquioxide.
Germanium is made
legitimately by Asai Research Institute, Japan,
because they had the research and patent from Dr.
Asai.
I visited Japan on my
research for my book -- talked with the Asai people.
There is stuff being
made in many other countries, including China, being
claimed as Ge 132 (which name was invented by Dr.
Levin, by the way).
Your product
undoubtedly comes from China -- they sell very cheap
stuff.
Unfortunately, you
either don't know the actual source of your
germanium, or you are hiding it.
Regards,
Karl Loren
Here is another fraud.
You see how they make false claims to convince you to
buy their stuff. These people make the false claim that
whatever might be added to a capsule, besides "pure
germanium" will prevent the good stuff from working.
That is pure bosh!
Also, like
all the others so far examined -- no source of where
their Ge comes from.
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Germanium ( A New Approach to immunity ) - by Betty
Kamen, Ph.D. |
 |
Why must germanium be taken in powder
form?:
With germanium its purity is
extremely important.
This is because products that come in capsules
or tablets in general are not only lacking in
purity and content, but are also not easily
digested and absorbed within the body,
so most of what is taken is wasted and
desirable results cannot be expected.
But with powder, not only is it simple to take
(as is, with a glass of water), but it is also
easily ingested and absorbed so that nothing is
wasted, and therefore desirable results can be
expected.
For the past 15 years at
Wellness Way Inc., we have steadfastly and
honestly been manufacturing and selling 100%
pure germanium, only in powder form, whose
germanium content is 100%.
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Organic germanium compound is indeed the "new
nutrition kid on the block," a landmark development
in nutritional medicine. If you want to include it in
food sources, here area few nutrition notes:
Garlic. This pungent herb enhances the flavor of many
cooked dishes as well as cold salads. Cloves of
garlic may be cut into slivers or crushed before
being added to hearty stews or grain dishes. (To
minimize the smell of garlic after eating it, chew a
sprig or two of parsley, or sprinkle chlorella
granules into some water, and use as a rinse before
swallowing the mixture.)
Ginseng. Ginseng is used occasionally as seasoning;
it is more commonly made into a tea. Soviet
cosmonauts have been issued pieces of ginseng to take
on missions into space as a preventive against
ailments.
Comfrey. Similar to spinach in preparation and taste,
comfrey offers excellent nutrient value served raw
and is delicious when lightly steamed and buttered.
Chlorella. Chlorella granules may be added to a
variety of recipes such as salads and soups. My
favorite company hors d'ouvre is something I call
"Green-Marine Taco Spread": 2 tablespoons chlorella
granules; 2 tablespoons plain yogurt; 1 clove minced
garlic; 1 cube bouillon; 2 tablespoons tamari; 1/2
cup tofu; ground pepper; 4 tablespoons sesame seeds.
Combine all ingredients and blend well.
A Chlorella Smoothie can be mixed by adding 1/2
tablespoon of chlorella granules to 8 ounces of apple
juice, 1 or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and a few
dashes of cinnamon.
Watercress. This is a popular salad garnish with a
mild but peppery flavor. In addition to adding
watercress leaves to your salads, try chopping them
finely to use as seasoning. Or simply place a bunch
of watercress in a bowl of water, leave it on your
kitchen counter, and nibble the leaves through the
day.
Purists who eat meat seek only organic meat products.
The health-oriented may soon be able to purchase
germanium-raised organic meat in the near future. One
organic rancher in Nebraska has started using
germanium in animal feed. He claims that organic
germanium has the same effect as the antibiotics (the
animals grow fatter faster, and so on), but with the
use of germanium, his animals remain healthy, if not
healthier. Since organic germanium helps
detoxification, these animals have fewer toxins.
Organic-germanium beef may be one solution to the
degredation of our foodways. The Nebraska rancher
believes he can stop the cancer in the meat chain.
One company bottles and sells water from Utah's
inland sea, the Great Salt Lake, because it contains
a significant quantity of germanium. Another company
grows vegetable products hydroponically (in water) in
a germanium medium to build up the germanium
concentration to 800 parts per million. A patent for
barley sprouts grown with germanium has been obtained
in Japan.
Although germanium is believed to be absorbed more
efficiently in food form, the quantities found in
food may be too limited for therapy. Small amounts
can, however, serve for prevention.
Germanium as a Supplement
Because germanium occurs in such small
quantities in plants, and because its synthesis
involves a difficult process, the cost of
supplemental organic germanium may appear to be high
when compared with some other supplements. Needless
to say, you could never get large quantities in food.
And like so many other nutrients, germanium is lost
when foods are grown in tired soils, or when they are
processed or overcooked. Germanium is present, for
example in a whole grain, but not in refined flours.
The stability of organic germanium, described in
Chapter 6, offers many advantages. Like vitamin C,
the effective dose spans a wide spectrum. It can be
helpful in microgram amounts, yet an optimal quantity
for cancer or serious infections is 5 or 6 grams,
administered by a physician. And, like vitamin C, it
is not stored in your body, but is cleared rapidly.
As a preventive measure, 25 or 30 milligrams a day is
usually recommended. For minor problems, 50 to 100
milligrams daily is more effective. For relief of
severe pain or for achieving an overall "good"
feeling, a gram or gram and a half a day may be
prescribed. And for those who are seriously ill, a
few grams a day may be recommended by the physician.
(Larger amounts should never be taken without
consulting a physician.) As stated, Dr. Asai never
used more than 2 or 2 1/2 grams, and even reported
success with 500 milligrams a day. If he could not
cure malignancy with these amounts, at least the pain
of advanced cancer was dramatically reduced.
Serafina Corsello, M.D., of the Corsello Centers in
Huntington, New York, says, "Because germanium is a
powerful stimulator of the immune system, I allow a
'cooling off period for very ill patients. This
prevents a 'die-off effect. An alternating protocol
gives the system an opportunity to unwind before the
next stimulation phase. The recommendation is five
days on and two days off. (Take organic germanium
from Monday to Friday, and none on the weekend.) The
sicker the person, the greater the response. A sick
patient may even get a rash, but the cooling down
period usually prevents both the die-off effect and
other symptoms.
"Work up to prescribed dosages gradually. Very ill
people those who experience severe fatigue and
petrochemical sensitivity - require from 150 to 500
milligrams daily.
"It is also advisable to check the adrenals. If the
adrenals are not functioning properly, you are
beating a dead horse."
Although sometimes administered intramuscularly and
intravenously, organic germanium is very successful
when taken orally. The absorption rate is even higher
when taken sublingually (under the tongue), quickly
affecting your lymph and circulatory systems.
This method increases absorption by 15 to 20 percent.
Nasal application (sniffing) is also an efficient
method, but some may find that this manner of
absorption irritates nasal passages.
Smaller amounts of organic germanium are used for
lung cancer because of the rapid circulation and
metabolism of that organ. Only 15 milligrams daily
have been demonstrated to help those with candida. It
has an energizing effect at equally small dosages.
For more serious illness, frequent and smaller
quantities appear to be better than larger amounts
taken less often.
In Conclusion
These are the first facts about life-sustaining
organic germanium, common denominator in renowned
remedies.
Nutritional supplementation has been accepted as a
therapeutic measure in treating vitamin-dependency
syndromes. Supplementary oxidant/antioxidant
administration may be just as therapeutic in
providing protection against free radicals and oxygen
deficiencies.
Unfortunately, we cannot always control many factors
in our environment. We can, however, control the
quality and quantity of our nutrition. As the organic
germanium story continues to unfold, we look ahead to
more knowledge and uses for "the new nutrition kid on
the block" -organic germanium.
APPENDIX A
Food Substances Containing Significant Quantities
of Germanium
|
Herbs
Shelf fungus
Ginseng
Sanzukon
Angelica
Waternut
Boxthorn seed
Wisteria knob
Pearl barley
Age-old Remedies
Garlic
Aloe
Comfrey
Chlorella
|
Parts per million
800 - 2000 ppm
250 - 320 ppm
257 ppm
262 ppm
239 ppm
124 ppm
108 ppm
50 PPM
754 ppm
77 ppm
152 ppm
76 ppm |
* Shelf fungus has a history of being an effective
treatment for cancer. This was cited by Nobel Prize
winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn in Cancer Ward.
|
Another Seller of Germanium --
Who Hides His Source And His Prices
Source
This company claims that US manufactured Ge is available. I believe
that is not true.
There is no where on their web page, or below, that they say anything about
the source of their supply.
Karl Loren
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Dietary Benefit
Organic Germanium (Ge-132) can stimulate
the b o d y ’s natural immune defenses [1,2,3] and protect
against viral infection [4]. Ge-132 is powerful gamma
interferon inducer [2,5], and studies indicate that
it displays anti-tumor activity [6] in relation to l
i v e r, lung, thyroid, and urinary bladder carcinogene-sis
[7].
Dosage
E ffective dosage is 100-500 mg daily.
Oral adminis-tration seems to provide the best protection
[8].
Product Overview
Ge-132 has been used for more than half
a century in Chinese herbal medicine. Patents for Ge-132
describe this compound as an orally effective antihy-pertensive
[9], and interferon inducer [4].
Scientists at the Tohoku University
Research Institute for Tuberculosis and Cancer describe
Ge-132 as an anti-tumor and antimetastatic agent [2].
Stability
Ge-132 is light and temperature stable.
No degrada-tion has ever been reported in liquid or
solid form.
Regulatory Status
Ge-132 is a dietary supplement under
provisions of US Dietary Supplement Health and Education
Act of 1994 (DSHEA). Gross contamination in early Asian
material led to import restrictions that occasionally
prevent this compound from being brought into the US.
US manufactured Ge-132 is available.
Alternate Names
Bis (2-carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide),
Mu-trioxo-bis [betacarboxyethyl] germanic anhydride,
Ge-132, propagermanium
Classification
O rganic germanium CAS Registry Numbers
[12758-40-6] and [27031-3 1 - 8 ]
Warning
While Ge-132 is safe in its pure form,
product contaminated with germanium dioxide (GeO 2 )
may cause acute renal failure.
References
1 . K. Asai et al., 1974 U.S. .Patent
3, 793, 455.
2 . N. Kumano, et al., 1985 Tohoku J.
Exp. Med., 146, 94-104.
3 . Shoji Y., Sakagami A., Mizushima
Y., 1985 Int.. J. Immunother. 1: 215.
4 . V. F. Mironov, et al. 1967 Zh. Obshch.
Khim. 37, 962, (911-912 in English trans).
5 . Ishida N. et al. 1984, U.S. Patent
4, 473, 581.
6 . G. Suzuki, et al., 1984 J. Interferon
Research 4, 223-33.
7 . Jang J.J. et al. 1991 Carcinogenesis
12: no4, 691-695
8 . Suzuki F., et al. 1986 Chemotherapy,
Tokyo 34:448.
9 . U.S. Patent 1974; 3, 793, 455.
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