Natural Th1 immune boosters

I recently ran out of a supplement called ImmunoStim that I've written about many times.  I believe it works in conjunction with Equilibrant as a natural immune modulator, shifting the immune system toward Th1.  Unfortunately, the supplier of this product keeps revising the forumla.  They recently tried doubling the number of ingredients, adding at least one harmful herb, and almost doubling the price.

When I complained, (and I assume others did too) they backtracked and said they would go back to the original formula.  I pointed out in an email that the new formulation contained greed tea extract, which stimulates Th2 -- the exact opposite of what we want.  To their credit, they emailed back and said they were aware of the issue and were fixing it.  They said they are going to return to the original formula, but now, because of all the chaos these changes have created, they're saying they can't fulfill any more orders until January or February.  This is frustrating.

The last time I couldn't get ImmunoStim for a while (about 1 month) my health definitely deteriorated.  It will be interesting to see if it happens again.

In the meantime, I'm trying to track down many of the ingredients contained in ImmunStim so that I can take them separately if I start to go downhill again.  My research on that front brought me to this nice summary of natural Th1 boosters and suppressors, which I wanted to pass along:


There are many natural agents available to help restore balance in an underactive Th1 arm. These include:

Omega-3 fatty acids, monounsaturated fats found in olive and hazelnut oils, vitamin A cod liver oil, l-Glutamine, Silica, digestive enzymes, friendly intestinal flora or soil based organisms (SBOs), ginseng (Red Korean or concentrated Siberian Ginseng extract), chlorella (spirulina and some other sea vegetables may have similar benefits),thyroid hormones, garlic (raw or aged extract), l-Glutathione (or products that raise levels), DHEA or AED (androstendiol), UV-A light, vitamin E, transfer factor (antigenspecific) - protein immunomodulators extracted from colostrum, colostrum, low dose naltrexone, IP6, lentinian and certain other mushrooms, Thymus extracts, licorice root, dong quai, beta 1,3-glucan, noni, neem, gingko biloba, exercise, water (to aid detoxification), a positive attitude and prayer, the ability to forgive and be compassionate, and having long-term goals.

Factors that induce Th2 cytokines and suppress cell-mediated immunity. 

Processed, heated vegetable oils high in trans-fatty acids and linoleic acid (safflower, soy, canola, corn and sunflower), glucose (white sugar), asbestos, lead, mercury and other heavy metals, pesticides, air and water pollutants, progesterone, prednisone, morphine, tobacco, cortisol (in high doses), HIV, candida albicans, HCV, E coli and many other pathogens, continuous stress, thalidomide, UV-B light, pregnancy, melatonin(conflicting research suggests that high levels induce Th2 cytokines while very small amounts induce Th1 cytokines), alcohol (animals studies show that ethanol definitely suppresses Th1 cytokines and induces Th2; beer was not tested and there are some indications it may help), streptococcus thermophilis (sometimes found in yoghurt),candidiasis, circulating immune complexes (CICs - caused by a combination of leaky gut syndrome and poor digestion of proteins due to a lack or HCl and digestive enzymes), sedentary lifestyle, negative attitudes, low body temperature, acid saliva pH, chronic insomnia, inability to dream, weight lifting, and steroids (for muscle gain).

Source: http://www.diagnose-me.com/symptoms-of/immune-system-imbalance-TH2-dominance.html