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SPV-30 Shown To Boost Immune Function

It is no accident that the current corporatization of medicine coincides with the enormous growth of the herbal and nutritional supplement industries. Not content to be left feeling powerless, patients are, in staggering numbers, taking control of their health by utilizing non-prescription, alternative treatments to bolster their immune systems against everything from the common cold to seasonal allergies. By adding herbs and nutritional supplements to complement their physician-prescribed treatments, patients have a hand in restoring their own health. They are becoming empowered rather than powerless.

Those in the CFIDS community know all too well the importance of healthy immunity; tests that result in low and abnormal immune system function are frequently a factor in the diagnosis of CFIDS. Those with CFIDS who employ the aid of non-prescription immune boosters are familiar with suggested standards like echinacea, garlic, vitamin C, and beta carotene. Perhaps less known but no less powerful a non-prescription treatment is SPV-30.

Derived from the European Boxwood Evergreen, Buxus Semperviren, SPV-30's herbal extract contains alkaloids and flavonoids that demonstrate strong antioxidant activity. Antioxidants function in the body to keep large numbers of free radicals "in check". It is important to note that not all free radicals are bad; some function to kill viruses and bacteria while others help produce energy. However, when larger numbers of free radicals are present in the body, they can alter protein synthesis, causing the body to react to this altered protein and try to destroy it. These mutated proteins can eventually damage the immune system and lead to certain types of cancer and other diseases. This information is crucial for CFIDS patients who demonstrate significant free radical formation and whose treatment should routinely include antioxidants. SPV-30's botanical approach to the free radical fight and its overall immune-boosting properties began to generate enthusiasm nearly 50 years ago.

The Merck Pharmaceutical Company patented the Boxwood extract in 1954 as a treatment for Tuberculosis. More recent studies confirm that SPV-30 is effective in treating Mycobacterium Tuberculosis; however, the Boxwood extract began to attract international attention around 1991, when researchers in France began using it to treat HIV positive patients.

In France, SPV-30 was classified as a potential antiretroviral drug for a phase II trial in 1995, advised by Dr. Luc Montagnier, the co-discoverer of the HIV virus. Concurrent to the French study, Arkopharma, SPV-30's manufacturer, released SPV-30 (free of charge) to 400 HIV positive patients in the United States, in exchange for those patients' informal study findings. SPV-30 study participants showed marked improvement in immune function, relief from diarrhea and skin conditions, and specific gains in the areas of memory, concentration, energy, appetite, and overall well-being. Specifically, a study conducted at Twelve Oaks Hospital in Houston, Texas showed that 63% of the 173 HIV-positive patients given SPV-30 showed a marked improvement in viral count; some improving more than 50%. Critical to these findings was that the participants had very few side affects from supplementation with SPV-30, with impressive positive results.

"A lot of my [HIV] patients have been telling me their energy level is better. Some of them say they think better. We haven't done any formal concentration studies, but they report that their memory and concentration and just their overall sense of well-being improves. They just feel better on it," says Patricia Salvato, M.D., one of the doctors who conducted the Twelve Oaks study. Dr. Salvato is a well-known Houston physician who specializes in the treatment of HIV and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

After noticing that her HIV positive patients taking SPV-30 had improved energy and concentration, and recognizing the similarity in some of the symptoms of those with HIV and CFIDS, Dr. Salvato began to use it to treat her chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Approximately 40 of her CFIDS patients rated over 20 therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome, these therapies included prescription and non-prescription treatments, alternative treatments, lifestyle changes, counseling and medical care and benefits. Combining the categories of "Major Benefit" and "Enormous Benefit" on the patient survey, Dr. Salvato's patients ranked SPV-30 fourth. The three uppermost rankings were 1) "Glutathione/ATP injections" 2) "Therapy/Counseling"; and 3) "Successfully obtaining disability benefits". After eliminating the two non-supplement or prescription related choices, SVP-30 ranked second in treatment efficacy with major and enormous results. The SPV-30 ranking is landmark - it "outrated" such CFIDS standard treatments as Ampligen, Sinequan, DHEA, Zoloft, Coenzyme Q10, and Prozac. In fact, when isolating the results of the "Enormous Benefit" ranking alone, SPV-30 ranked first.

Dr. Salvato's study results with SPV-30 and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as well as earlier research with tuberculosis patients, suggest that it has enormous benefit to support the immune system and deliver an array of health benefits. To those who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, who often have a laundry list of tried but not-quite-true treatments, SPV-30 holds tested and proven promise.

Sources:
"An Interview With Dr. Patricia Salvato Regarding Her Experience with SPV-30." Uptown Express. October/November, 1995.

Balch, James F. M.D., Balch, Phyllis A. C.N.C. Prescription for Nutritional Healing. New York: Avery Publishing Group, 1997.