Transfer Factor capsules and their digestion

A question from a client: Unfortunately, I had to go to the toilet an hour after taking the Transfer Factor supplement. Could this situation affect the absorption of the preparation?

Most of 4Life Research's Transfer Factors are offered in the form of a hard gelatin capsule, e.g. Transfer Factor Classic, Transfer Factor Tri-Factor or Transfer Factor Plus Tri-Factor.

If such a capsule is taken with a glass of water (250 ml) on an empty stomach, it can pass through the stomach without stopping after 8 minutes (source: Quantification of Gastrointestinal Liquid Volumes and Distribution Following a 240 mL Dose of Water in the Fasted State, Deanna M. Mudie et al. ) and immediately enters the duodenum (the initial segment of the small intestine), where it dissolves and releases its ingredients.

If, on the other hand, capsules are taken with or after eating, then they remain in the stomach as long as the food ingested requires it.

As reported by scientific sources (source: Physiological Pharmaceutics: Barriers to Drug Absorption, Neena Washington et al. ), a hard gelatin capsule dissolves in the stomach in as little as 6 minutes if it contains ingredients that are easily soluble in water.

In the case of Transfer Factors in a hard gelatin capsule, they contain only water-soluble ingredients in the form of peptides (Transfer Factor) and possible additives: mainly herbal extracts, vitamins and minerals. As water-soluble ingredients, they should therefore be released from the capsule in the stomach within a few minutes. Then, depending on whether the capsule was swallowed with or without a meal, its ingredients pass through the digestive system to be absorbed in the small intestine.

Importantly: The Transfer Factor itself is not damaged (decomposed) in the stomach or intestines (source: Chongbi Li, Tianqi Fang, Jingqiu Zhang, et al: Immunologic Activity of Transfer Factor in oral and injecting administration in vitro and in vivo. J Chinese Bioproducts 1997, 10: 91-934.). As small molecules weighing less than 10,000 daltons, after being released from the capsule and dispersed in the intestinal contents, they are immediately absorbed by the mucosa.

Therefore, bearing in mind the specificity of the digestive process, in our opinion, you should not be afraid that anything has been wasted an hour after taking Transfer Factors :)

Author: Alicja Krzywańska-Podermańska / Copyright © Primanatura 2016-