World champion chess player Gary Kasparov noted that chess computers look at millions of positions per second, weighing each one to find the mathematically best moves. And yet a human, seeing just two or three positions per second, but guided by intuition and experience, is able to compete with the mighty machines. Such is the story behind ImmunoLin®, an immunoglobulin protein isolate, developed by Proliant Health Ingredients based here, that reduced cholesterol in a new study to be published in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005 81 (4) p 792).

The six-week study, conducted by the Dallas, TX-based Cooper Institute, found that men and women with moderately high cholesterol—210 to 270 total count—had a 6% drop in total cholesterol after just three weeks. More importantly, LDL cholesterol—the “bad” cholesterol most closely associated with heart disease—decreased by 7% while HDL, the “good” cholesterol, remained constant.

Inspiration for the study came when researchers at the company observed that two studies in the 1990s showed milk from immunized cows had higher immunoglobulin content than did milk from non-immunized cows, and appeared to lower cholesterol in those who drank it. The researchers surmised that the immunoglobulin, a protein fraction in whey protein, was responsible for the effect.  Although this cholesterol-lowering effect was unusual for an oral protein, researchers decided to test their theory with a one-week pilot study conducted in-house. The positive results led to the full-blown clinical study.

“ImmunoLin seems to have correctly targeted LDL cholesterol,” according to Cooper Institute lead researcher, Conrad Earnest, PhD, Director of Human Performance and Nutrition Research. Earnest continued, “Unlike many natural products, ImmunoLin was effective almost immediately, showing benefits in less than one month,” and added, “It’s nice to see a natural products company step up and do the research on their own product, rather than use ‘borrowed science’,”—that is, the research of others.

Over the course of the study, participants took the 5 gram daily dose just 74% of the time, suggesting even greater benefit with full compliance.
“This was the first human trial of ImmunoLin, and I would be curious to see what happens in a longer trial, where we could improve compliance,” Earnest stated. Proliant believes that the ideal delivery system for ImmunoLin is a beverage or nutrition bar, which would make compliance easy, and help ensure the maximum cholesterol benefit.

In addition to the new cholesterol study, Proliant has over 50 studies, some conducted by Iowa State University, showing ImmunoLin supports the immune response in animals. Several branded natural products companies already use ImmunoLin in their formulations, albeit for its immune-enhancing effects, including NOW Foods ImmunAdvantage, Ergo Pharm GF-Pro, Swanson Health Products' Swanson Ultra IgG Concentrate, and Weider Nutrition Schiff ImmunAssure.

Proliant Health Ingredients is owned by Lauridsen Group, Inc. (LGI, Inc.) and is a leading innovator in applied protein science.  Proliant Health Ingredients serves the human health and nutrition industry, including the dietary supplement, clinical nutrition, consumer health and functional food markets.  For more information about Proliant Health Ingredients, visit www.proliantinc.com or call 800-369-2672.

Stauber Performance Ingredients, Inc. is our exclusive distributor in the U.S. of ingredients to dietary supplement and food manufacturers.  For more information please call Stauber Performance Ingredients at 714-441-3900.

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Contact:   
Lori Stevenson, Vice-President – Sales
515-289-7621 (direct)
800-369-2672