Your first and last line of defense is a healthy, strong immune system and more than ever a proper foundation for your immune system is critical. The Immune Pill is the result of thousands of years of experimental data on supporting and maintaining the human immunity process. Blended from four herbs and mushrooms from around the world, it is designed to prepare you for the world!

The Immune Pill Story

The scouts spotted something hiding up ahead. Sure-footed, they crept up close enough to observe it wasn’t one of their tribe. Silently, a scout pounced on the invader while others ran back to alert the village that a protective war party was needed. Quickly such a party formed of several warriors. Most were primed to attack and destroy the invaders, a few were leaders to direct the battle, some were there to study the enemy’s weaknesses so future attacks could respond more quickly, and the last were messengers who’s purpose was to race back and send more warriors if needed. In this case, the battle was over quickly. Only a few enemies had crossed into the tribe’s land and were easily defeated. The tribe was successful, the human in which they lived remained healthy.

The human immune system is a complex organization of multiple proteins and cell types. When it’s functioning at optimal power it can destroy many bacterial, fungal, and viral invaders. Unfortunately, may things can weaken or suppress it, giving the enemy an upper hand. This is the same now as it was at the dawn of humankind. Supporting the immune system became one of the primary jobs of the tribe’s medicine man and thousands of years of testing reveled assorted beneficial plants and mushrooms. In a way, the medicine man was the tribe’s most fierce warrior, responsible for saving the community by slaying uncountable billions of microscopic but deadly foes.

These medicine men didn’t know of cells, proteins, viruses, and other microbes. They just knew that when certain symptoms occurred, the application of things like elderberry, echinacea, cordyceps mushrooms, and even pine needles brought benefit. Crouched by a fire, creating assorted powders and infusions passed to a worried mother of a feverish child or elderly member whose wisdom was needed but was wracked by coughing fits, the medicine man knew how to help.

A change occurred several hundred years ago. Scientists arrived and decided they could make something better than what nature provided. From their labs came strange molecules to replace the plants and mushrooms of the ancestors. There were some amazing creations…and many that would be considered failures when judged correctly. During this age of scientific hubris, some of the scientists rejected the new and devoted their studies to the old, the ancient. The plants that had once healed the tribe were carefully teased apart, studying the powers of the individual molecules they contained, studying the miracles of which they were capable. In this quest for understanding the components a universal truth was discovered…alone is weak, together is strong. No one molecule could be found that when used alone gave the benefit of using the entire leaf, flower, or root.

• DIVERSE SUPPORT: Different herbs are known to offer strong immune support using differing underlying mechanisms. This diversity, without be so little of each plant/mushroom as to be meaningless, is the secret to The Immune Pill’s success.

• ELDERBERRY: Used in Europe since ancient times, research has shown elderberry both increases the reaction speed of your immune system but also helps block viruses from entering cells.* Our elderberry is raised organically but still check by 3^rd party labs for purity.

• CORDYCEPS MUSHROOM: First recognized by Asian practitioners, this mysterious mushroom modulates the functioning of the immune system, boosting it when needed but also lowering activity if inflammations begin to occur.*

• SELF HEAL (PRUNELLA VULGARIS): This mint is found around the world where every culture that encountered it harnessed its immune supportive properties. Compounds in Self Heal stimulate the production of white blood cells whose job is to clean foreign bodies from the blood and cellular tissues.*

• ECHINACEA: The North American Native’s preferred immunity supporting herb. This wildflower, leaves, and roots have been shown to support the white blood cells’ functioning so they can do their job as quick as possible.*

• VITAMIN C: This compound is the “trigger molecule” that sends the immune system into battle. The human body can’t make or store vitamin C, it needs a dose every day. This blend offer just the right daily amount for modern humans.*

• ETHNOBOTANY & CHEMISTRY COMBINED: Designed by Ph.D. chemist and prominent medicinal plant forager Dr. Mark Merriwether Vorderbruggen, this blend taps the experiences of the ancient herbalists while also being supported by modern research.

• TRUSTED QUALITY: Responsibly sourced and harvested, non-GMO, 3rd Party tested for pesticides and heavy metals, minimally processed using cGMP standards to maintain the integrity of compounds. MM Plant Co. is 100% confident in The Immune Pill. If for any reason at all you're not satisfied, simply contact us and we'll make it right.

The history of humanity is proof that adversity creates strength. With nothing but some sticks, rocks, and each other we conquered a harsh and unforgiving planet. Your ancestors lived under extremely tough conditions, often lacked proper foods, and likely never had enough sleep. And yet, these very stresses strengthened their bodies in useful ways with changes down to the level of cellular chemistry.

Repeated exposure to the cold increased their endogenous production of catalase and glutathione enzymes. These are extremely powerful antioxidants that prevent stress-induced oxidative damage to the brain and other organs. The strong tribal bonds led to increases plasma levels of oxytocin (OT), beta endorphin (β-End), and interlukin-6 (IL-6) which improved happiness and helped fight infections. Carrying heavily loads, whether it be water for the family, a large game animal, or a wounded tribe member, gave them exceptional musculature and core strength but may have also increased CD4+ and CD8 T-lymphocyte levels, key immune system white blood cells. The world was tough, and it made us tougher.

One of the ancient secrets of many cultures was their knowledge of infection-fighting plants and mushrooms. A break in the skin is one of the main ways infectious microbes can get into the body and warriors suffered many such wounds. If you can’t defend against the small you can’t defend against the big. We are constantly under assault from bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It doesn’t matter if you can lift 250 lbs and run five miles. Once a microbe overruns your immune system you will be in a weakened state. If some other emergency occurs, you may not be able to respond with the full power needed.

Over the course of modern life, an average person misses ~165 hours of work due to illness but worse, even more free time is lost. Sickness causes you to put off doing something fun with family or friends even if you still go to work.  Luckily, there are many lifestyle things you can do to maintain your immune system. Getting enough sleep is a big one, along with exercise, sunlight for vitamin D, and a proper diet to give your bodies the nutrition it needs. But…do you really take proper care of yourself 100% of the time? Most do not and so modern science is quite happy to pump you full of synthetic chemicals to try and fight infections. Modern society has trained you this is the only solution.

That’s wrong. You evolved to be heathy, even in an unhealthy world!

To keep going, the ancients needed powerful immune systems to fight the small enemies so they could focus on their big enemies.

Everyone has a friend or coworker who always seems sick, weak, and unable to pull their share of the load. They may have good points but the extra work they make for you breeds frustration. Watching them, you take more and more notice of their unhealthy eating, sleeping, and activity habits. Thinking about it, you know that like you, their ancestors fought their way across a hard and inhospitable world, fighting for survival and winning! Yet eventually this mess of a person was the result. What happened?!

There are some that seem invulnerable. While everyone around them falls to sickness they continue unscathed and undamaged by the invisible enemy that stopped everyone else. They don’t go out of their way to avoid risk. They just know they won’t be hit. It gives them a special shine of attractive confidence and reliability. Since they aren’t knocked down, they end up travelling further faster than anyone else, reaping the benefits that come from quick climbing of life’s ladder. Genetics plays a role, but science has shown controllable lifestyle choices is the main actor in a strong immune system.

Immunity from infection arises from two distinct systems that work together. The innate immune system is a series of passive, non-specific defenses which includes skin and mucus membranes, special cells that eat anything they don’t recognize as you, and even fevers. Meanwhile, the adaptive immune system responds to threats that overwhelm the passive defenses and are keyed in to destroy a specific infectious microbe or virus. Both systems are very complex with many mechanisms. As with any complex system, it is prone to mistakes, failures, or too slow of a response. The more help you can give it, the better it will respond.

Proper amounts of sleep, vitamins C &D, zinc, magnesium, an exercise go a long way to help but science has confirmed the plants and mushrooms used by our ancestors truly did pump up our immune system to a higher level. Otzi the Iceman, a 5,000 year old skeleton found frozen in an Alps-mountain glacier had both Fomes fomentarius and Piptoporus betulinus mushrooms on him. Science has confirmed the array of glucan and triterpenoid molecules in these mushrooms have antibacterial, anti-parasitic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective, and immunomodulating abilities! Your ancestors had been using those and other natural products far longer than 5,000 years. More like 50,000 years…and these plants/mushrooms changed us at the most fundamental level…our very DNA, itself.

Everyone has a different genetic code which means their biochemistry is also somewhat different. This is why synthetic, pharmaceutical drugs, consisting of a single active molecule, works for some but not for others. Roman legions, Mongolian hordes, Zulu warriors, Japanese samurai, and Native American Comanche are just some of those who knew the key was using multiple plants/mushrooms to maintain their immune system. This blending of plants/fungi delivered a multitude of active compounds, greatly increasing the likelihood of giving the warrior the compounds that worked best for their body.

Over the centuries, those that responded best to these natural products were the most likely to survive and reproduce. Not just the warriors but anyone under the medicine man’s care whose genes matched what the plants gave. This beneficial genetic response evolved humans to be predisposed medicinal plants and mushrooms. The development of the human race’s magnificent genetic code was influenced by our use nature medicines! And then we walked away from those compounds that are intertwined with our DNA, thinking we could make better ones ourselves.

But these compounds are still available in The Immune Pill. It is time to return to its special plants and mushrooms, unearthed by the ancients, that allowed you to be here today. And as your medicine man, I won’t just dispense these pills but will also work with you in changing your lifestyle to a healthier, earlier form. What you take into your body helps but what you do with your body is just as crucial. Many modern problems stem from our “caveman” bodies not being adjusted to our modern lifestyles.

Writings on black elder (Sambucus nigra) can be found as far back as one of the earliest known “doctors”, Hippocrates, who considered this tree to be “his medicine chest. This small tree thrived across Russia, Europe, and North America while other members of the elder family can be found in Asia, Australia, and South America. Strangely, Africa seems to lack any native elderberry. Wherever this genus grew early healers figured out the almost miraculous power its flowers and ripe berries in fighting viral and bacterial infections.* The presence of elderberry meant the tribe had a powerful ally in the battle against disease, which traditionally have been the #1 cause of death throughout history. Modern sciences supports the ancient preventative and healing properties.*
The berries are teaming with thousands of different compounds which assist the scouts, leaders, and fighters of the immune system.* Chemists have categorized these chemicals based on their primary structural features. Testing of these different molecules revealed assorted mechanisms by which they aid the body beyond just supporting the immune system.

Flavonoids: Research has shown quercetin can act as an anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory agent, as well as attenuating lipid peroxidation, platelet aggregation and capillary permeability.* Kaempferol has been reported to modulate signal transduction pathways responsible for apoptosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, and metastasis of cancer cells.* Rutin’s secondary powers support the brain as protector against neuro-inflammation, guardian against convulsions, antidepressant mood lifter, return of motor control after a stroke, and reduce the uncontrolled movements caused by Alzheimer’s.*

Phenolic Acids: Caffeic, chlorogenic, p-coumaric, ferulic, gallic, and syringic acids are powerful antioxidants which help rid the body of free radicals.* Free radicals are highly reactive types of chemicals that damage the body at a cellular level, even down to your DNA. Such attacks on the DNA can lead to cellular mutations resulting in some forms of cancer.

In addition to these protective powers, phenolic acids also have secondary abilities. Chlorogenic acids have been found to reduce blood sugar levels.* P-Coumaric acid helps fight inflammation.* Ferulic acid may help with a variety of issues including Alzheimer’s, hardening of the arteries, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, menopause symptoms, and osteoporosis.* Gallic acid is a potent antimicrobial compound and recent research shows it may help against Parkinson’s disease.* Syringic acid benefits include use in prevention of diabetes, CVDs, cancer, cerebral ischemia; as well as it possessing antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiendotoxic, neuro and hepatoprotective activities.*

Sterols: B-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol are the primary sterols in elderberry. The amazing effects of B-sitosterol may include reducing enlarged prostate glands, blocking the body’s absorption of bad cholesterols, and of course, fighting infections.* An interesting detail of its disease fighting is that it does this job even better in athletes compared to more stationary people.* Meanwhile, campesterol is working behind the scenes to both try and kill cancer cells as well as reduce inflammations.* Stigmasterol helps reduce LDL-induced proinflammatory cytokine secretion and so may help reduce the chance of the immune system over-respond with a dangerous cytokine cascade.*

Anthocyanins: Brightly colored cyanidin 3- glucoside and cyanidin 3-sambubioside are a sub-class of flavonoids and are generally considered to be very powerful antioxidants.* As usual, nature likes to multitask resulting in additional anthocyanin powers including maintaining the integrity of DNA, estrogenic action that reduces some hormone-dependent issues, reducing inflammations, and strengthening capillary walls. Anthocyanins also increase cytokine production, telling the body produce to produce more warrior cells to destroy infectious microbes.* In elderberries, cyanidin 3- glucoside and cyanidin 3-sambubioside are the most common anthocyanins.

There’s wonderful diversity of plants across the American Great Plains, many of which were used medicinally by the Native Americans of that land. Of these different plants the echinacea was held in highest regard by many tribes. The Pawnees, Omahas, Poncas, Lakota, Dakotas, Kiowas, Cheyannes, Mesquakies, Assiniboins, Hidatsa, Choctaws, Comanches, Meskawakis, Fox, Apaches, Kickapoos, and Potawatomis relied on it to maintain the health of their people by supporting their immune systems.*

Innate immunity is enhanced by echinacea by a combination of mechanisms such as activation of the neutrophils, macrophages, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), and natural killer (NK) cells making it a strong antiviral and antibacterial herb.* Additionally, research shows it has anti-inflammatory, antianxiety, and anticancer compounds.*

Alkamides: This class of chemicals function as part of the human body’s cannabinoid receptor system, which plays a role in activation of the immune system, prepping it for action by increasing the available amounts of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases, and c-Jun N-terminal kinases. In addition, this stimulation of the cannabinoid system by echinacea has been shown to reduce anxiety.* Research also suggests these molecules activate the immune system’s B-cells whose job is to produce the antibodies used to tag invaders.* Echinacea’s alkamides may be immunomodulators which maintain the proper scale of response by the immune system, increasing it if needed, decreasing it if the response became big enough to damage the body’s own cells.* At the same time it is a super-stimulator of interleukin-10, one of the body’s primary anti-inflammation agents.* Along with the interleukin-10 it also stimulates production of nitric oxide which helps with both inflammation as well as relaxing blood vessel walls allowing the heart to pump more blood at lower pressures.*

Polysaccharides: This class of echinacea compounds reportedly increases production of interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and TNF-α which respond strongly against bacteria including Candida albicans and Listeria monocytogenes.* Cytotoxicity against certain colon cancer and leukemic cells in another benefit of echinacea polysaccharides.*

Ancient Tibetan and Sikkim medical texts talk about the powers of this strange mushroom. Traditionally it was used to support the blood, liver, endocrine system, heart & circulation, immune system, sexual & endurance activities, and to fight cancers, all of which have been confirmed by Western science.*

Cordyceps mushrooms have a bidirectional modulatory effect on the immune system, similar to echinacea’s alkamides. When needed, the fungi will speed the formation and action of the immune system’s scout, director, and warrior cells. However, in the case autoimmune disorders, inflammations, or other situations where the body has begun attacking itself cordyceps can “dial down” the response, reducing this self-damage.* This dialing down of the immune system has led to its use reducing the effects of autoimmune diseases such as Lupus as well as suppressing the immune system of organ transplant patients.* It increases cytokine production as needed to respond to infections without triggering a cytokine cascade.* The dialing up of the immune system is particularly active in the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth (including tonsils and adenoids) to all the way down through intestines.*

In addition to raising/lowering immune system responses cordyceps are also potent anti-inflammatory agents.* The general mechanism is to increase the body’s production of nitric oxide which interferes with inflammation response.* This increased nitric oxide also improves overall endurance by improving blood flow which increase delivery of oxygen to and removal of work-produced waste products from muscles during strenuous activities.* 

Blood sugar control is another power of cordyceps. This mushroom increases rate of whole-body glucose disposal in healthy recipients and lowering fasting glucose levels in those with diabetes mellitus.*Equally important, cordyceps offer liver and kidney-protecting properties, protecting these organ from chronic chemical damage and increasing overall function.*
All these properties come from a huge assortment of chemical compounds produced by this fungi. Nucleosides such as adenosine, cytidine, cytosine, guanine, guanosine, uracil, uridine, hypoxanthine, inosine, thymine, thymidine, and more; sterols including ergosterol, H1-A, Δ3ergosterol, ergosterol peroxide, ergosteryl-3-0-β- D-glucopyranoside, cereisterol, β-sitosterol, daucosterol, cholesterol, 22, 23-dihydroergosteryl-3- O-β-D-glucopyranoside, cholesteryl palmitate, campesterol, and dihydrobrassicasterol; the fatty acids lauric acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitoleic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, docosanoic acid, and lignoceric acid; and of course a high concentration of beneficial polysaccharides.

This common mint is found all around the world. Every culture that encountered it, from Japanese samurai to Celtic druids to Native American warriors, have harnessed self heal’s properties. Its traditional uses include treating viral infections, pinkeye and other internal & external bacterial infections, anti-cancer, fevers, weak hearts, malfunctioning livers, thyroid issues, poorly healing wounds, diabetes, kidney issues, headaches, skin irritations, swollen lymph nodes, and assorted inflammations.* Modern science has confirmed the triterenoids, saponins, phenolic acids, sterols, glycosides, flavonoids, and organic acids function as antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anti-oxidative, anti-tumor, antihypertensive and hypoglycemic functions.*

Like most mints, self heal is loaded with assorted chemical compounds including rosmaric acid, rutin, delphinidin, oleanolic acid, betulinic acid, camphor, tannins, and even manganese. Somewhat unusual, it’s also a rich source of polysaccharides. These polysaccharides are one of the key sources of self heal’s immune system stimulation, having been shown to trigger a more vigorous response of T and B type white blood cells, who’s purpose is to seek out and destroy invaders.*
The key to Self Heal’s properties comes from this combination of its different compounds. Research has shown that its mixture of triterpenes, phenolics, and polysaccharides work together to fight lung, breast, gastric, and liver cancers.* The mechanism seems to be enhanced production of TNF-α cytokine cells. These specialized cells of the immune system are known to enhance the effectiveness of anticancer drugs, target and slow the growth of tumor vascular epithelial cells, weaken the blood vessels inside tumors, and selectively increase the rate of cancer cell death.*

Everyone knows vitamin C is important, but few know why it’s important. The human body can’t make or store this critical nutrient, so it needs a daily dose of approximately 150mg. Once in the body its special ability to donate electrons makes it a necessary cofactor all sorts of different biochemical enzymatic reactions. Its work in the immune system begins at the skin, maintaining it as a strong barrier against infectious invaders.* It serves a similar purpose inside the lungs, helping them resist entrance into the body of microbes and viruses.* One class of immune system “warrior” cells uses vitamin C to biodegrade the foreign materials these phagocytic cells consume. Vitamin C is also the signal molecule used by director cells to signal the production levels of B-type and T-type immunity cells.

The combination of elderberry, echinacea, cordyceps, self heal, and vitamin C work together in The Immune Pill to support multiple aspects of the immune system.* The doses of the individual components were set to give your body enough of the plants & mushroom to get the proper effect without excess or under-representation. Ancient wisdom and modern science come together, unearthing the ancestral secrets used to maintain the tribe’s health. You are part of this tribe!

Science

The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11399518/

Anti-influenza virus effects of elderberry juice and its fractions: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22972323/

Elderberry ( Sambucus nigra L.) Fruit Extract Alleviates Oxidative Stress, Insulin Resistance, and Inflammation in Hypertrophied 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and Activated RAW 264.7 Macrophages: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31398785/

Applications of the phytomedicine Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) in infectious diseases: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22131823/

Enhancement of innate and adaptive immune functions by multiple Echinacea species: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17887935/

Effects of Prunella vulgaris on the mice immune function: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24204816/

Cordyceps spp.: A Review on Its Immune-Stimulatory and Other Biological Potentials: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33628175/

Immunomodulatory effects of a mycelium extract of Cordyceps (Paecilomyces hepiali; CBG-CS-2): a randomized and double-blind clinical trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30925876/

Interactions

The Immune Pill may interact with certain medications. It may interfere with the effects of immunosuppressant drugs, used to prevent organ rejection or treat autoimmune diseases, due to its immune-stimulating effects. It may also have diuretic effects, which could interact with medications used for high blood pressure. Furthermore, the product may lower blood sugar levels, which could enhance the effects of diabetes medications and lead to hypoglycemia. Lastly, it may have anticoagulant effects, which could interact with blood-thinning medications. Medical consultation is recommended before taking The Immune Pill in combination with any medication.

 *FDA Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.