Some of you may already be familiar with the connective tissue component of skin called collagen.  However, are you aware of just how vital collagen is to the integrity and longevity your skin?  The collagen proteins are the beauty secret I am referring to.  Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals and makes up about 25-30% of the whole body protein content.  Our epidermis is our outer layer of skin, while collagen forms large bundles that weave together in a continuous layer under our epidermis.  Collagen is not just in the skin, but is found all throughout our tissues, strengthening our tissue matrix as a whole structure.  It is also found in our glands, organs, tendons, and ligaments.  I suppose you could say that collagen basically helps hold our bodies together.  It is the foundation for what allows us to maintain (or fail to maintain) firm and beautiful skin and tissues.

Collagen is a family of extra-cellular proteins that give the skin its ability to move, stretch and rebound its shape.  With this information you can imagine how healthy collagen assists in resisting the aging process and maintaining tight and firm skin.  Collagen helps us to avoid the development of wrinkles and fine-lines, as well as prevent the decline of our musculature and vital organs.

There is one member in the collagen protein family that is the driving force for aging well and looking young.  That protein is elastin.  Our skin, arteries, lungs and ligaments contain the most elastin found in our bodies.  It has been said that elastin represents, more than any other substance, the molecular Fountain of Youth.

Elastin is made to last.  It is produced naturally by your body during puberty and during other periods of rapid growth.  Hormones and growth factors facilitate the manufacturing of elastin which is why it is produced during potent hormonal growing phases.

If our bodies only have the ability to naturally produce elastin while experiencing significant hormonal changes and growth during adolescence, how can we rebuild, regenerate, and strengthen our elastin now that we are beyond our adolescent years?  The answer is to consume foods and supplements that contain elastin.  SurThrival has one of the few supplements in todays marketplace that actually contains these collagen proteins, including elastin.

Now, you are probably wondering what natural supplement can supply the elastin that cansupport the integrity of our skin.  What is the source of this natural elastin that supports beautiful skin and resistance to the aging process?

It is our Elk Antler Velvet extraction, which contains elastin and five other collagen proteins.  One of the active extracellular matrix components of Elk Antler Velvet is the collagen proteins, which include specifically, concentrations of elastin.

Collagen aids in the development of the Elk’s antler, where it acts as a structural molecule.  At SurThrival, we humanely harvest the “living tips” of these velvet stage antlers, for the production of our Immortal Velvet.

Many of you may already be familiar with the fact that Elk Antler Velvet contains a wide array of growth factors, including the well-known and researched, IGF-1.  IGF-1 and IGF-2 have been known to increase lean body mass, reduce fat deposition, build bone, muscle, and nerves, all the while assisting in glucose metabolism.  It has also been known to stimulate hormone production.  Thus, IGF growth factors could facilitate the breeding grounds for the development of elastin.  This means the consumption of our Immortal Velvet Elk Antler has the potential to stimulate the healthy production of elastin when it is a part of our everyday diet.

This means, supplementing your diet with Immortal Velvet Elk Antler may assist in the maintenance of beautiful skin, strong organs, healthy flexibility; all while approaching and moving through the aging process gracefully and easily!

Colostrum is Mother Natures perfectly formed natural Nano-technology for balancing the body and helping with Rejuvenation, Regeneration and Immune Enhancement & Regulation.  The four corners of colostrum are the Anti-Aging factors, Immune Factors, Essential Factors, Basics and Metabolic Factors, in their whole food forms!

For centuries, colostrum, the first milk of all mammals, has been utilized for anti-aging and immune-support purposes. It is loaded with natural growth, immune, essential and metabolic factors to keep the newborn healthy and protected; not only during the first few days of life but for the rest of their lives. As a matter of fact research has shown that without that first “food” you may be prone to diseases such as, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and more.

Colostrum is highly regarded worldwide by public health experts as a safe and effective means of immune and antiaging support. Colostrum can help both the overactive and underactive immune system.

This substance is intuitive, thanks to its proline-rich peptides. As a matter of fact, I have been working with top researchers at major educational diagnostics labs on this little piece and I am about to release a new product which will have a major beneficial impact on auto-immune situations like;

Lupus, Diabetes, Cancer, Crohn’s, Aids, HIV, Allergies, Leaky Gut, Irritable Bowel, Congestive Heart Failure, Fibromyalgia, Hepatitis, Herpes, ITP Disease, H. Pylori, E. Coli, Influenza, Autism, Arthritis, Anti-fungal

Bulk Colostrum is here!

. . . just to name a few!!

It is safe for all ages and species and is also a fantastic training aid for athletes at all levels because it is rich in natural growth factors necessary for muscle, tissue and cellular repair. For this same reason, it is widely used in anti-aging medicine.

Let’s take a look at something you may not even be aware of, “Thymus Gland”. This little gland is the seat of our immune system; it directs how we respond to bacteria, viruses and all kinds of nastiness, including disease.

The issue is that it shrinks from the size of a small navel orange (Birth to just after puberty) to the size of a pea by the time we are age 45 and to a strand of tissue by the time we are 55.

Why is this important? If the seat of our immune system isn’t functional ask yourself this question, “Do I have the same protection as I once did?”!

The answer is a resounding, “NO”!

Do we have to sit idly by and do nothing? Again, the answer is a resounding, “NO”!

Within “True” colostrum there is a combination given to us by Mother Nature which has been shown to regenerate the Thymus to a normal functional state. What are the three factors; the Captain of the ship, naturally occurring, IGF-1 and Thymosin Alfa and Beta.

It is critical to realize, however, that not all colostrum is the same. Some brands may call their products “colostrum” but may come from milkings other than the very first milking within six to eight hours after birth. Some take the second and even third milkings, which is “transitional milk.” Any dairy farmer or even nursing mother can tell you there is a huge difference between the substance produced at the first milking and the milk produced over the next few days. That initial colostrum is essential in protecting the newborn.

Dr. Don Lein, professor emeritus at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Laboratory and Expert witness in several court cases, which were won based on his science, has performed numerous tests that substantiate significant differences between true colostrum and transitional milk claiming to be colostrum. Always ask for 3^rd party validation, not in-house validation.

~Dr. Anthony Kleinsmith~

Surthrival is an Immune Tree Certified preferred Vendor

The so-called growth factors in colostrum, growth hormone (GH) and the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), are not mutually exclusive in terms of their effects. It is well documented that the influence of growth hormone on the proliferation of new cells in the body occurs primarily through what is known as the GH/IGF axis wherein the presence of GH triggers and enhances the many effects of the IGFs.

There are very small quantities of growth hormone in complete first milking colostrum, but GH is an extremely potent hormone and, thus, not much is required. It directly affects almost every cell in the body and significantly influences the development of new cells, causing them to generate at a more rapid rate when a sufficient quantity of the hormone is present. Scientific studies have shown that one of the benefits of ingesting even small amounts of GH is limitation of the deterioration of cells associated with the aging process. In addition, more recent studies have shown that small doses of GH can accelerate repair of the muscle damage associated with congestive heart failure and much more. This is a case where it is believed that the benefit occurs through the GH/IGF axis.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its closely related counterpart insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) are potent hormones that are found in association with almost every cell in the body. IGF-1 is the most potent and best described of this pair. These molecules are present in all mammals and, in every case, have a very similar chemical structure regardless of the species. IGF-1 is absolutely necessary for normal cell growth and for the development of the fetus in the uterus. Both IGF-1 and growth hormone are also required for normal development outside of the uterus and that is why they are both present in colostrum. The chemical structure of the IGFs is very similar to insulin and that is where their name comes from.

Scientific knowledge about the IGFs, what they do and how they act on cells in the body has developed very quickly during the last few years. It is now known that there are specific sites, called receptors, on almost all cells in the body capable of interacting with IGF-1. These sites have a structure that fits perfectly with part of the IGF molecule and this interaction triggers a series of chemical events within the cell. There are also 6 different proteins present inside the cell and on the surface of the cell that react to the attachment of IGF-1 to its receptor. These are called insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) and they control the actions of IGF-1 on the cell. In addition, inside the cell there are at least 87 other related proteins either capable of binding to IGF-1, altering its actions, or influencing the effects of the IGFBPs. These are called insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related proteins (IGFBP-rPs). The entire collection of these proteins is referred to as the Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein (IGFBP) Superfamily. The key event that triggers the effects of any of these proteins appears to be the interaction of IGF-1 with its specific cell-surface receptor, an event that some of these proteins regulate. 

The multitude of available IGF-1binding proteins and related proteins available in the cell is indicative of the many potential effects that the binding of IGF-1 to its specific cell-surface receptor can have on cells. To keep these many effects under control, some of the binding proteins act as checks and balances, allowing the secondary chemical switches in a cell to be turned on and then turning them off when it is appropriate. Therefore, IGF-1 is like the captain of a ship. When it binds to its specific receptor, the ship can move forward, but there are all kinds of systems in place to keep it moving at the right speed and in the right direction.

The main triggered events include activation of the process by which the cell grows and reproduces itself and maintenance of the metabolic pathways by which the cell converts glucose into glycogen and uses amino acids to create proteins. The actual pathway by which the cell uses glucose and converts it to glycogen is first switched on by the binding of insulin to its specific cell surface receptors. Glycogen is stored in the liver and muscles and is the reserve source of readily available energy when the muscles are exercised. The IGFBP Superfamily also has a direct role in how the cell uses amino acids to build proteins. As we age, the ability of our body to create an adequate supply of IGF-1 is diminished. Thus, by eating a well-balanced diet and maintaining a constant supply of IGF-1 in our body, we can keep the ship moving at the right speed and in the right direction. And when we exercise this becomes even more critical since there is an increased demand for glycogen to provide energy to our muscles and the preference is to build more muscle protein. Even more importantly, as we age the cells in our body do not reproduce themselves as well and, since IGF-1 is a primary factor, along with growth hormone, in the ability of cells to grow and reproduce, it is highly desirable to have an appropriate level of IGF-1 in the circulation through dietary supplementation to limit the ever increasing rate of cell death.

From the above, we can conclude that making sure that we have sufficient quantities of IGF-1 in the bloodstream, as would occur by dietary supplementation with a high quality first milking colostrum, means assurance of more effective regulation of protein, carbohydrate and fat metabolism. When this is coupled with a well-balanced diet and exercise, the end result will be more muscle and less fat – a leaner body mass. This becomes even more important as we age since metabolism increasingly slows naturally over the years.

There have been several published studies that reflect an increase in IGF-1 levels in the circulation as a result of supplementation with a source of IGF-1. Most have been conducted in athletes since this could be an important consideration.  Our colostrum contains 2200 – 2300 ng per gram of IGF-1, this has been verified through independent testing at Cornell University.  

You should also be aware that a high quality first milking colostrum contains several vitamin and mineral carrier proteins that will assist in the more effective utilization of such substances when they are obtained through dietary supplementation.

It is also very, very important to recognize that all colostrum products are not the same and, despite the claims made by their manufacturers, they do not all contain every beneficial component at an optimum concentration and, in many cases, they have been manipulated and may be missing some of the essential components. When choosing a colostrum product, you should be certain that it is made from only first milking bovine colostrum collected within 6-8 hours after birth of the calf and that the colostrum is “complete” and that none of the components have been removed, including the fat.

This article has been published with special permission by Dr. Anthony Kleinsmith