To TLE:
 
>Lymph-Spleen Complex #412-30A (Enzymatic Therapy, Inc) - While at the
>health food store I discovered this product. It contains Lympph-spleen
>complex (predigested soluble concentrate) 250 mg and Multi-glandular
>complex (raw liver, lung, pancreas, heart, kidney, spleen, brain) (YUCK)
>100 mg.  Will this help our little ones?
 
    Troy Lynn -
 
    I certainly don't want to be one to disparage the use of alternative
therapies, as long as they don't pose any health problems.  However, I'm not
sure what the claim of this product is.  My thoughts are as follows:
 
    1)  It would probably contain a fair amount of protein and vitamins
(especially with the raw liver in it).
    2) Any claims that it contains helpful enzymes are largely
exaggerations.  Let's think a minute.  The only enzymes or hormones, or any
other substances that would work in a ferret would have to come from a
ferret due to species specificity.  I doubt that they are using ferrets to
produce this - most liley it is a byproduct of pigs or cattle during the
slaughter process.  Very little goes to waste today.
    3)  Whle some compounds may retain some activity across species
lines (such as insulin does), the freeze-drying process would further
decrease their efficacy.
 
        Bottom line- I'd be very cynical when it came to any claims that
"enzymes" in this product had any effect on our ferrets health.
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP
Dept. of Vet Path, AFIP
[log in to unmask]  OR
Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
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[Posted in FML issue 1297]