
PROCAINE VITAMIN H3
by Robert Koch, DSc.
Chemically procaine is the PABA ester of the amino alcohol DEAE. PABA (p-amino-benzoic acid), is a "B" vitamin. DEAE, (n,n diethylaminoethanol) is a biologically active precursor of the "B" vitamin choline. Procaine is usually used in the form of the hydrochloride salt (procaine HCl) because it is highly water soluble. Procaine hydrochloride, when taken orally, enters the body by being mainly absorbed through the villi in the small intestine. Experiments show that the bulk of the procaine HCl enters the bloodstream molecularly intact. In the blood stream procaine HCl is rapidly hydrolyzed by the enzyme pseudo-cholinesterase into PABA and DEAE the two components of the procaine molecule.
RESEARCH AND SPECULATION ON POSSIBLE BENEFITS of
Gerovital GH-3
MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT ARE THE KNOWN ACTIONS OF GH3?
As with many health products, the pharmacologic action of Gerovital H3 is not entirely understood. However, 32 years of laboratory research and clinical investigation have been compiled. Therein we can identify three main areas of health maintenance in which GH3 is reported to have empiric or practical benefits:
BALANCE
Balance among the complex and interactive systems of the human body is a key to health. Imbalances can lead to breakdown or disease. There are three major bodily systems in which Gerovital appears to have an unusual ability to facilitate balance.
(1)The first area of balance is the circulatory system. Dr. Aslan coordinated a two- year control study of 15,000 subjects. She observed that more than 80% in the GH3 treated groups experienced improvement toward blood pressure normalization. Both hypertension and hypotension showed desirable adjustments. More than 90% of the GH3 treated subjects in this same study also recorded a normalization of heart rate. Both tachycardia and bradycardia responded favorably.
(2)The second major area of balance with regards to GH3 is the endocrine system. Dr. Sidney Cohen of the University of California at Los Angeles18 and Dr. Aslan and associates19 conducted lengthy scientific studies on this subject. They concluded that the product can facilitate a functional balance in the endocrine system and can normalize hormone levels. Dr. Cohen was struck by the elevated emotional tone in most of his GH3 treated subjects. He theorized that this uplift reverberated on the neuroendocrine system, thus prolonging vigor and health.
(3)The third major area of balance is the nervous system. Dr. Aslan and her associates decided that Gerovital tends to restore a functional balance in the central nervous system. A 1965 study by Gordon, Fudema and Abrams concluded that GH3 increased the nervous conduction speed. The conduction rate tends to decrease with age. It can account for some of the “slowing” of aging people. Functional adjustments on the vegetative nervous system also have been reported with subjects on GH3. Lung capacity often increases, or at least maintains with advancing age.
CIRCULATION
Circulation is the second major area of health maintenance believed to be improved by GH3. Studies show that Gerovital tends gently to dilate and cleanse blood vessels.23 Obviously, many conditions of decaying health accompany a reduction in circulation. In some cases, cardiac patients may improve from the vasodilating action of GH3. Gerovital also can increase the oxygen supply through coronary vasodilation.24 Improved circulation may lead to a cleansing of toxins from the body, partly because of increased organ function.25 Importantly, the vasodilating properties of the product are mild.
Blood of course acts as a messenger in the body by communicating nutrients, oxygen, hormones and other healing factors throughout the system. It also facilitates the excretion of toxins which otherwise could damage the cells. GH3 may speed these functions by increasing circulation to all parts of the body.
Other conditions such as senility also may improve from Gerovital. It generally is believed that a majority of senility symptoms arise from arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis in the brain capillaries. If these tiny passages become hard or clogged, blood flow may decrease. Activity in those parts of the brain then may decline. GH3 experiments suggest that it is effective in alleviating senility symptoms by reversing this trend in many instances.26
ENZYME ACTION
The third major area of health maintenance involves the vital enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO). It plays important roles in blood pressure equilibrium, liver function and nervous system activity. Though MAO is necessary, it also can become a problem. Age 45 often marks the beginning of a rise in MAO levels in the blood and brain, although this may occur sooner. MAO is a dominant substance and tends to displace factors related to youth and vitality.
Many gerontologists theorize that a rise in MAO level can be seen as a biological law of aging. As MAO goes up, youth and vitality go down.27 Individuals with high MAO level thus may experience pessimism, depression, fatigue, irritability, fluctuating moods and reduced interest in life. These changes define aging with respect to emotion and mental status.
More than any other area of balance, GH3 shows itself to have beneficial effects on MAO level. It is believed to inhibit excess MAO and push the level toward normal.28,29,30,31 This one property may have much to do with its reduction of aging symptoms.
WHAT WILL GEROVITAL DO FOR . . .
Since it is a nutrient, the exact improvements are not predictable for any one person. It works at a cellular level and therefore the action is general rather than specific. The changes arising from GH3 can be subtle. Individuals used to the dramatic effects of synthetic drugs may not notice any difference day to day. In assessing the benefits, experience shows that it is preferable to look back over a few months. Changes in physical and mental status then can be evaluated.