GcMAF Yogurt — Can It Actually Supercharge Your Immune System?
Martha Carlin
| Jul 29, 2024 |
6 minute read
A healthy immune system is vital for clearing cellular debris, fighting infections, and healing. As your body goes through everyday wear and tear, your immune system may benefit from a little TLC to maintain good health. Probiotics (beneficial bacteria) and fermented foods like yogurt are being increasingly studied for their numerous health benefits, including their effect on the immune system.
GcMAF, a modified protein, first became known for its anti-cancer activity in Nobutu Yamamoto’s research in the late 1980s. For clinical use, GcMAF was refined from parent molecules found in the blood, but research suggests dietary GcMAF or GcMAF yogurt can be a delightful way to boost your immune system and enjoy the benefits of probiotics.
Let's dive into the potential health benefits of adding group-specific component macrophage activating factor aka GcMAF yogurt into your daily diet. Whether you're a health enthusiast or someone curious about alternative dietary options, prepare to discover how GcMAF yogurt might just be the missing piece in your quest for optimal health.
What is the Gc- Macrophage activating factor (GcMAF)? And what does it do?
GcMAF or group-specific component macrophage activating factor is a fragment of vitamin D binding protein (DBP) found in the blood. GcMAF has intrigued researchers for decades for its potential in cancer management, as it primes immune cells (macrophages) to potentially fight against the spread of cancer.
From vitamin D binding protein to GcMAF
Vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) is produced in the liver and can be found in the blood, colostrum, and milk. Its functions include storing and carrying vitamin D metabolites and releasing them as needed, scavenging actin (a cellular waste product), and acting as the parent protein to GcMAF, a potent immune system activator.
Macrophages are a type of white blood cells that perform the surveillance and clearance functions of the immune system. Macrophages help clear out cellular and pathogenic debris by engulfing and digesting them, presenting fragments of these foreign particles (antigens) to other immune cells (T cells and B cells) for further action. They also produce signaling molecules (cytokines) to recruit immune cells to help stop the spread of infection.
Upon immune activation (via inflammation or infection), immune cells break VDBP into a smaller fragment (GcMAF) with the help of two enzymes β-galactosidase and sialidase, turning vitamin D binding protein into a macrophage activating factor, enhancing macrophage phagocytic (cell eating) activity.
Research indicates that optimum levels of vitamin D facilitate GcMAF activity in the body. In addition to impacting GcMAF activity, vitamin D can also help prevent osteoporosis, maintain innate and adaptive immunity, and support gut barrier integrity.
GcMAF and cancer — What’s the association?
Cancer cells can grow unchecked by tricking the immune system into letting them proliferate. They can mask any identifying marks, limiting the immune system from detecting abnormalities; release signals that suppress locally present immune cells, and convert them into allies (Tumor-associated macrophages or TAMs) that support tumor growth.
Research suggests that GcMAF may potentially switch macrophages from their tumor-supportive state (M2) to an antitumor state (M1), allowing macrophages to attack and clear out cancer cells, instead of protecting them.
GcMAF has been linked with anticancer activities like macrophage activation, anti-angiogenesis (limiting the formation of new blood vessels that supply blood to the tumor), and antitumor activity. Additionally, GcMAF activity has been associated with potentially benefiting neurodevelopmental conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
GcMAF Yogurt Starter Culture
Yogurt is a high protein, probiotics-rich fermented food that has been associated with several health benefits like improved gut, bone, and mental health, and improvements in blood pressure, total cholesterol, and glucose levels.
While commercially available yogurts may seem like the easier option, they are typically high in sugar, and may not always come with active beneficial bacteria that confer the desired protective effects on your health. Homemade GcMAF yogurt comes packed with the potential immune-boosting effects of GcMAF and the numerous health benefits associated with probiotics and fermented foods.
A yogurt starter culture helps start the fermentation process that converts raw milk to yogurt. Beneficial microorganisms (lactic acid bacteria) turn raw milk into yogurt by breaking down milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid and other flavor compounds.
Different yogurt cultures may contain separate probiotic strains and can be used to make yogurt at home. To make GcMAF yogurt, you would need a yogurt starter culture that contains probiotic strains that generate the enzymes, β-galactosidase, and sialidase, to help convert VBDP into GcMAF, a source of VBDP (bovine colostrum), and raw milk.
Role of Colostrum and beneficial microorganisms in GcMAF yogurt
Bovine colostrum is the first milk produced by bovines right before and after calving. Along with VBDP (the parent protein for GcMAF), colostrum is rich in several immune-boosting nutrients like immunoglobulins (antibodies) that confer a protective effect against pathogens, help in the development of innate immunity, and have an immunomodulatory effect. Research suggests dietary GcMAF may help activate gut immune centers (GALT) and enhance the phagocytic activity of immune cells, similar to serum GcMAF.
Specific probiotic strains generate enzymes that help them break down complex carbohydrates. β-galactosidase (also known as lactase) and sialidase (also known as neuraminidase), generated by species like L. reuteri among others, may help convert VBDP into GcMAF during the fermentation process.
Potential health benefits of GcMAF yogurt
GcMAF yogurt comes packed with numerous health benefits as it not only contains the goodness of GcMAF, probiotics, and postbiotics but also the immune-boosting benefits of colostrum.
Health benefits of colostrum
Colostrum is different from mature milk as it is lower in lactose and high in nutrients like amino acids, fatty acids, complex carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins like calcium, phosphorus, b vitamins, vitamin A, and vitamin D.
Colostrum also contains bioactive molecules like antibodies (IgA, IgE, etc.), antimicrobial peptides like lactoferrin, and growth factors like TGF-β that support repair and healing. Lactoferrin has been widely linked with antiviral, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory activity.
Interestingly, colostrum from older cows is of higher quality compared to younger cows, as they have had more exposure and better conditioned immune systems.
Rich in prebiotics and probiotics
Bovine colostrum oligosaccharides are prebiotics that support the growth of beneficial bacteria like B. longum which has been associated with reducing intestinal inflammation and enhancing gut barrier integrity.
Both colostrum and yogurt have been shown to reduce levels of low-density lipopolysaccharides (LDL) and total cholesterol and help maintain blood glucose levels. Additionally, the presence of leptin and IGF-1 in colostrum has been associated with muscle repair.
A systematic review of 10 clinical trials on the effect of yogurt consumption on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes reports health benefits like improved metabolism and decreased rate of preterm births.
Digestive health and improved immune function
Individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes may have lower IGF-1 levels due to genetics, and both bovine colostrum (a rich source of IGF-1) and yogurt have been suggested to improve glucose levels.
Colostrum growth factors may help regulate thymus function, which produces T cells that play a role in regulating the immune system and managing respiratory infections. Additionally, yogurt has been linked with improvements in blood pressure, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and the health of the gut epithelial cells. Gut wall dysfunction can lead to the onset of several metabolic conditions, and probiotic yogurt and colostrum have both been linked with improved gut epithelial cell function.
Probiotics in GcMAF yogurt like Lactobacillus plantarum (TBC LP-36™), Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Bifidobacterium bifidum have been linked with many health benefits. Probiotic health benefits include improvements in glucose homeostasis, enhanced antimicrobial activity, improved gut health, and improvements in symptoms of metabolic conditions such as type-2 diabetes and chronic inflammation.
Anti-angiogenesis and antitumor activity
Angiogenesis refers to the formation of new blood vessels. Cancer cells send out chemical signals that trigger the formation of new blood vessels to help the tumor grow and spread to nearby tissue. Studies in human breast cancer cells and mice suggest that GcMAF may inhibit angiogenesis and tumor growth.
In addition to GcMAF, studies also suggest sufficient levels of vitamin C and vitamin D may support optimal immune performance. Research links postbiotics from probiotic-rich yogurts with a cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. Additionally, data from a study in Iran including just over 4000 subjects proposes a correlation between probiotic yogurt consumption and a decreased risk of colorectal cancer.
Make GcMAF Yogurt at home
You can try different milk-to-colostrum ratios (100%, 90:10 to 50:50) for your preferred sensory experience. Just remember, 100% bovine colostrum is high in protein and antimicrobial compounds, which tends to slow fermentation by probiotic strains of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. The addition of whole-fat raw milk and a probiotic yogurt starter culture will help kickstart the fermentation process to help you achieve a probiotic-rich GcMAF yogurt at home.
Our Sugar Shift® Starter Culture comes packed with probiotic strains that break down milk sugar and milk proteins and enhance the antimicrobial properties of bioactive molecules present in milk and colostrum. This includes Leuconostoc mesenteroides (TBC LM-37TM), Pediococcus acidilactici (TBC PA-68TM), Lactobacillus plantarum (TBC LP-36TM), Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus reuteri (PCR07), Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidum longum, and Bacillus subtilis (DE111® by Deerland).
Learn more about the various benefits of yogurt and how you can make probiotic yogurt at home with this recipe!
With gratitude,
Martha Carlin, is a “Citizen Scientist”,
systems thinker, wife of Parkinson’s warrior, John Carlin, and founder of The BioCollective , a microbiome company expanding
the reach of science and BiotiQuest, the first of it’s kind probiotic line. Since John’s diagnosis in 2002,
Martha began learning the science of agriculture, nutrition, environment, infectious disease, Parkinson’s
pathology and much more. In 2014, when the first research was published showing a connection between the gut
bacteria and the two phenotypes of Parkinson’s, Martha quit her former career as a business turnaround expert
and founded The BioCollective to accelerate the discovery of the impact of gut health on all human disease. Martha was a speaker at the White House 2016 Microbiome Initiative launch, challenging the scientific
community to “think in a broader context”. Her systems thinking background and experience has led to collaborations
across the scientific spectrum from neuroscience to engineering to infectious disease. She is a respected out of the
box problem solver in the microbiome field and brings a unique perspective to helping others understand the
connections from the soil to the food to our guts and our brains.
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