1st Line – A remarkable new weapon to fight everyday infection
The rise and fall of antibiotics
Since their discovery during the 20th century antibiotics have changed the face of medicine and have substantially reduced the threat posed by infectious diseases. Combined with improvements in sanitation, housing, and nutrition, and the advent of wide-spread immunization programmes, the use of antibiotics has heralded an unprecedented decline in the incidence of diseases that were previously widespread, untreatable, and frequently fatal. Over the years, antibiotics have saved the lives and eased the suffering of millions of people.
But there is a problem looming and it’s one that could have catastrophic consequences. Once believed to be the universal answer to the problem of infectious disease, we now know that antibiotics are not the panacea for all our ills and that yet again Mother Nature appears to be one step ahead. It’s a problem that will affect us all and has the experts worried. As far back as 1995 the American Medical Association (AMA) concluded that “the global increase in resistance to antimicrobial drugs, including the emergence of bacterial strains that are resistant to all available antibacterial agents, has created a public health problem of potentially crisis proportions”. This is a pretty alarmist view from such a respected organization and unfortunately one that many experts would agree upon.
The problem, as mentioned above, is one of resistance. It now appears that each antibiotic that is developed has in effect a “use by” date - it may prove to be successful for a while until the bacteria that it is being used against become resistant to it. As far as the bacteria are concerned, it’s all down to evolution and the survival of the fittest. Whenever bacteria are exposed to an antibiotic, they come under pressure from natural selection so that ultimately only the most resistant forms survive and reproduce.
And once resistance has developed, all the offspring of that particular bacterium have it. This means that everyone who is infected with the resistant strain will experience resistance problems when they use the antibiotics that have previously been prescribed to treat non-resistant strains. To compound matters further, the adapted bacteria then pick up further resistance to other drugs which simply serves to make matters even worse.
Add to this the fact that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it’s the bacterial infections that contribute most to human disease such as diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory tract infections and hospital-acquired infections, in which antibiotic resistance is most evident; it’s easy to see why the experts are worried.
You may be forgiven for thinking that the adaptation and evolution of resistant strains must take many years to occur. But you would be wrong. The build-up of resistance and the development of resistant strains of bacteria happen remarkably quickly (at least in evolutionary terms). It also happens in parallel with the use of antibiotics. For example, in an 11-year study of Swiss cancer patients no strains of the bacteria Escherichia coli resisted any of the fluroquinolone antibiotics used against them during the period 1983 and 1990. However, in the following three years 28% of the Escherichia coli strains became resistant to all fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The development of this resistance occurred at the same time as the use of the fluroquinolone antibiotics rose from 1.4% of patients being treated with them to a staggering 45% of patients receiving fluroquinolone therapy1.
So just how did we allow the ever increasing rise in the number of antibiotic resistant bacteria to happen?
The answer to this question is not of course straight-forward and no single cause can be identified. But what is clear is that we have become complacent in our use of antibiotics. Their very success in treating disease may represent their downfall.
Many people are quite happy to take antibiotics even when they are not really necessary and this has created a tendency for overuse and misuse:
- Some people use antibiotics to fight minor ailments that do not require such treatment for a patient to effectively recover
- It’s not uncommon to find antibiotics being used to fight viral infections even though antibiotics are ineffective against viruses
- They are used as “props” when alternative methods of infection control might be preferable (consider the use of quarantine or sterile equipment). Certainly the prophylactic use of antibiotics during surgery can lead to overuse. Surgeons perhaps feel that their patients may be at risk if such treatment regimes are not followed. And yet a sterile operating theatre should mean that infection should not occur.
Inadequate use of appropriately prescribed antibiotics may also be adding to the problem. Although we are prescribed a course of antibiotic with the instruction to complete the course, this doesn’t always happen. Perhaps you feel better before the medication has run out so you stop taking the antibiotics without completing the full course. Or perhaps the antibiotics were causing unwelcome side effects so you halt treatment early. Whatever the reason, there is an argument for suggesting that infections become more resilient if treatment is stopped early. And because the bacteria were not completely over-powered the first time around, subsequent infection is less responsive to antibiotic treatment.
The increasing mobility of populations also aggravates the situation. Resistant strains can become widespread very quickly. Take the emergence of resistant tuberculosis - thanks in part to modern jet travel, it quickly spread from New York to Denver, Florida, Nevada and Paris.
Whatever the cause for the over-use or misuse of antibiotics, the end result is the same in that we have ended up with far too many antibiotics in the community. And given the speed at which bacteria appear to be able to respond to such widespread antibiotic use, our actions are simply serving to accelerate the evolution of resistant bacterial strains. As a consequence, we are left with a situation where the pharmaceutical industry simply cannot keep pace with Mother Nature.
What does the body do when it first comes under attack?
The most obvious place to look for the answer to this must be the first point of contact that the body has with unwanted invaders such as the skin and airways (the nose, ears, throat etc). This is where the body launches its first line of attack.
Examination of the secretions in these first battle grounds has revealed the presence of a naturally occurring molecule known as hypothiocyanate (sometimes referred to as oxythiocyanate or just thiocyanates). For ease of reference we will use the term thiocyanates hereinafter although in reality it is actually hypothiocyanate ions that do the defensive work. Ions are atoms with either extra electrons or missing electrons and are inherently chemically unstable.
Thiocyanates are known to have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, being active against not only both gram negative and gram positive bacteria but also viruses, yeasts and fungi none of which are responsive to antibiotics.
And it’s thiocyanates that are found in 1st Line.
What is 1st Line?
1st Line is a refreshingly new and unique weapon to help us fight infection in our ever resistant world. It consists of a four part enzymatic kit that provides 25 mg of thiocyanates ions in half a litre of water.
As mentioned above thiocyanates are inherently unstable. But not only are they unstable, they are also short lived. This has meant that in the past any solution containing thiocyanates would have had to have been made up and consumed immediately - not the most practical form of supplementation as it would necessarily have had to have relied upon appropriate professional supervision to ensure that the thiocyanate solution was made up correctly and also consumed promptly. So while the benefits of thiocyanates in protecting us against infection may have been understood, the actual method by which you could easily provide supplementation has stood in the way of thiocyanate supplements reaching the market place.
Fortunately, a British chemist by the name of Richard Stead has been able to overcome these issues - and the result is 1st Line. By using Richard Stead’s patented technology, the 1st Line kit allows the four individual elements that go to make up the thiocyanate solution to be stable at room temperature for up to 2 years. When required, using 1st Line is simplicity itself. All that is required is for these four ingredients to be mixed into water and the resulting almost tasteless solution to be drunk within 2-hours of preparation.
The order that the elements are mixed in to the water is crucially important but the 1st Line kit provides you with easy to follow instructions so that you can be assured that, if followed correctly, you will be able to give yourself an unmitigated boost to your thiocyanate levels.
So just how do thiocyanates work?
Their role is to play a critical part in the immune response that leads to the destruction of pathogens such as bacteria.
As mentioned above, they are naturally occurring molecules manufactured in the body. In technical terms it is an enzyme known as lactoperoxidase that catalyses the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with thiocyanate in order to produce hypothiocyanate2. The production process results in hypothiocyanate ions and it is these ions that are responsible for the protective attributes of thiocyanates.
The hypothiocyanate ions are capable of entering cells and once inside they inhibit glycolysis. Glycolysis is the anaerobic catabolism of glucose. Catabolism refers to the metabolic breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones (in this case glucose molecules) which results in the release of energy. Hypothiocyanate ions also inhibit the NAD and NADH reactions which relate to electron transfer reactions. In simple terms, hypothiocyanate ions enter pathogenic cells and, through their inhibitory actions, infections are effectively killed off because they have their access to energy and growth and repair mediums restricted.
Unlike antibiotics, thiocyanates are also effective against viruses. Viruses have sulfhydryl groups on their coating. Thiocyanates work to oxidise this coating and in doing so the structure of the virus is destroyed.
Given its broad spectrum, the number of pathogens against which thiocyanates are effective against is pretty impressive and includes some of the most common global infections such as:
- Staphylococcus aureus; sometimes called golden staph. Common infections caused by s. Aureus include boils and sores and impetigo. It can also cause more serious infections such as meningitis, endocarditis, pneumonia and osteomyelitis. S. aureus infections can sometimes prove fatal
- Campylobacter jejuni; One of the most common causes of human gastroenteritis worldwide
- Candida albicans; Causes yeast infections such as thrush
- Escherichia coli; Causes gastric problems such as stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea
- Haemophilus influenzae; Responsible for a wide range of diseases including pneumonia, acute bacterial meningitis, Cellulitis and osteomyelitis
- Herpes simplex virus; Oral herpes causes cold sores around the mouth or face. Genital herpes affects the genitals, buttocks or anal area
- Listeria monocytogenes; Causes listeriosis, a particular nasty form of food poisoning that can be fatal
- Salmonella; Responsible for food borne salmonella that typically affect the intestines, causing vomiting and fever
- Streptococcus mutans; Found in the mouth, this bacterium contributes significantly to tooth decay
If further proof were needed regarding thiocyanates protective role, you only have to look at the constitution of human breast milk. It is well known that a mother’s breast milk offers protection to her baby. It should, therefore, come as no surprise to learn that thiocyanates are known to play an important part in the control of microorganisms in breast milk.
How safe is it to take thiocyanates as supplied by 1st Line?
Thiocyanates are considered to be bioidentical because they are naturally produced in the body. Therefore, as long as doses are kept with normal levels, they can be considered safe to use (see dosage instructions below).
For many people antibiotics can have side effects such as intestinal problems. This is because antibiotics not only attack unwanted bacteria but can also attack healthy cells such as those found in the flora of the intestines. This can leave the patient in a weakened state of immunity for several weeks until their healthy gut flora has had a chance to repopulate itself. Thiocyanates, on the other hand, do not attack normal healthy cells or healthy bacteria - they only attack unwanted invaders. So the problems that may accompany antibiotics are not relevant when taking thiocyanates. This only serves to enhance thiocyanates profile when considering a safe and healthy way to boost your own immunity.
When should 1st Line be used?
1st Line can be used in a number of different ways, the choice of which will depend upon your personal circumstances:
- Whilst you are feeling well it can be beneficial to use 1st Line to give your immunity an occasional boost. By doing this not only do you boost your immune system, but you also lower burdens on your body which, together, can lead to increased energy levels and enhanced well being. If this is why you are taking 1st Line, you may find that you only need to take it from anywhere between once a month to once every three months - it all depends upon your own personal need. To determine your need, ask yourself how susceptible you are to infections/colds? The more susceptible you are, then the more frequent your dose of 1st Line should be
- At the first signs of cold/flu like symptoms, take a 1st Line kit. If significant symptoms are still present the next day, take a second kit. In the majority of cases there will be no need to consume any further doses
- For those with severely compromised immunity (which includes patients with HIV and MS) or in the face of known high risk infections, 1st Line kits may be consumed at the rate of once a day up to once a week
Dosage
Given that the average healthy human will produce 50-100mg of thiocyanate ions per day, it has been determined that an appropriate therapeutic dose is 25mg per day.
1st Line comes in kit form from which you make up a drink that will provide you with thiocyanates. Easy to follow instructions are provided in the kit which, if followed, make preparation of the drink very straight forward. The steps are as follows:
- First add the powdered lactoperoxidase in the sachet to half a litre of water
- Then add the enzymes in the bottles marked 2, 3 and 4 in the correct order one at a time. Stir each in for a couple of minutes
- Allow mixture to settle for 20 minutes
- Drain off clear liquid and drink
References
- New England Journal of Medicine – 28th April 1994
- Ratner AJ, Prince A. Lactoperoxidase New Recognition of an "Old" Enzyme in Airway Defenses. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., Volume 22, Number 6, June 2000 642-644
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