This is the response by Seagate to a customer’s inquiry regarding the possible use of shark cartilage for their joint issues. On occasion, the explanations we provide to important customer questions are important enough that they should be available for viewing by all customers.
Dear Ron:
We shipped a 300-cap bottle of the shark cartilage on Friday. You should receive it early next week. This is a supplement not a medicine, so it is perfectly safe and you cannot overdose. The theory on why it seems to work so well came from our friends at UCSD Medical School’s specialists in Rheumatoid Arthritis. So this is not heresy. It is just the different approach from “conventional” pharmaceutical practice. The conventional approach is just to prescribe pain relievers or give cortisone shots, which treat the symptoms but not the cause of the problem. The Seagate alternative approach is to find the cause of the problem and see if it can be stopped, rather than just treating ongoing symptoms.
The Theory-
What these researchers at UCSD found in the mid 1990’s is that it is the body’s own immune system by way of its own antibodies or”T” cells) that are attacking our joints. In many cases, there is no outside infection doing all of this joint damage. With people who have damaged/deteriorating joints, the cells lining the joints secrete several substances into the nearby tissues area. One of these substances is a simple protein, a peptide, which happens to coincidentally have a similar shape and appearance as the E. Coli bacteria … but it is not a bacteria, nor is it harmful. It is just a protein.
People who are predisposed to having rheumatoid arthritis have a compromised immune system. So, their immune system cannot distinguish that these peptides really are not bacteria and that their body does not therefore have any infection. The immune system mistakenly responds to this perceived infection, and sends the T-cells to the areas of greatest concentration of the suspect peptides — which happens to be the area in and around the irritated joint. The T-cells then attack the peptides and also attack the cells lining the joint that are secreting the peptide … causing them to be further irritated and therefore to continue to secrete more of this peptide. So the cycle repeats and gets worse, eventually completely destroying the joint and leaving the person in severe pain and possibly immobile. (sound familiar?)
Now along comes shark cartilage, which just happens to reduce down after digestion into several components including a very similar peptide to the one given off by the irritated joint. What then happens is a mechanism that is very similar to what goes on with vaccines. The peptide from the shark cartilage is now circulating throughout the body as a food, rather than being concentrated in and around the irritated joint. So the first thing that happens is the mistaken immuno-assault on the specific joints is diverted to chase after this food peptide. The affected joints suddenly get a chance to rest, no longer secreting more peptides from their cells, and therefore no more T-Cells congregating there and attacking the joint. The first result is that the affected joints’ cells slowly become less and less irritated. The second thing going on is that the body is now so exposed to this peptide, that the immune system will eventually lose its sensitivity to it and eventually will not react to the original peptide secreted by the irritated joint cells. This effect can takes months to occur. However, initially within 2-3 weeks, you should start feeling a definite noticeable improvement in the affected joint.
The good news is that the worse joint problems show the most dramatic results and resolution. In minor cases, such as intermittent pain in a finger, for example, only before a rainstorm, the results are less consistent because these folks don’t seem to remember to use the shark cartilage on a regular basis, because they forget. People having constant and severe joint pain, usually keep to the plan.
So keep in mind that this is not a painkiller. It takes a little while for it to kick in. Since 1993 when we first began processing shark cartilage, we have had very few cases of customers reporting back that they did not have good results. So it likely will help you … if you just stick with it. It is very important during the initial 2-3 weeks to use approximately 3-5 capsules three times a day … and don’t forget the middle of the day application. It needs to keep circulating in your body throughout the day. Later on after you are feeling better, you will be able to reduce the use and to drop down to some “maintenance” level. Don’t think about conserving it by cutting back to a capsule or 2 each dose. It won’t work that way and would just waste those few capsules you are taking.
So good luck with it. Let us know how it goes.
Sincerely,
Seagate Customer Service
Thanks for explaining how the process works. I am definitely more interested in decreasing the joint pain altogether than just temporarily relieving it.
Taking painkiller would actually be more expensive over time. If you just cover the problem you will have to continue coming back to it but if it is addressed then you are better off.
seagate has been doing these studies since 1993 and has backing from ucsd. that’s pretty impressive and shows the product has a success rate.
Arthritis runs in my family consistently and my older relatives have been using this product and have noticed positive results. I’m so relieved they don’t have to keep taking painkiller because I know it will just get worse!
Due to a lot of arthritis and other health issues, my neighbors and I would like to try your products of Omega 3 & Shark Liver Oil, Shark Cartilage, Lemon Powder, Lemon Cap, Carrot Powder, Artichoke, Marine Protein. Unfortunately, all of seniors are the type with small soc sec checks instead of hefty ones nor do we have any investment income therefore we thought that as a group we would buy when these products came on BOGO but we were do disappointed not to see them this month nor in the last few months. Would you consider putting these on BOGO so that we can try to give them a good trial without us having to wait several months? We want to see if adding these supplements may reduce some of our arthritis & other health issues to the point that we may be able to reduce or eliminate the prescriptions which are giving us a lot of side effects? Would you consider putting those products on BOGO every 2 or 3 months so that seniors with low soc sec income checks may be able stay on the products instead of just trying them once? Thank you – it would be most appreciated.
Hi Ginger – We rotate through our monthly specials. Some of the products you were interested in have recently been on buy 1 get 1 free. Unfortunately we cannot adjust a bunch of products at once because we lose money on most of these monthly deals. Also, specifically focusing on the one you have most interest in – the shark cartilage – please note that the price for that one (as is the case for most of our products) has not changed since we began processing it in 1993. Holding that prices steady for 26 years when every other cost of ours has increased is essentially having a sale price. Not many companies can do that. I understand the dilemma of seniors since I will be 68 soon. However, we also have requests for donations, hardship cases, sickness, and from people who just want to try products for free. We do the best we can and still squeeze out make a small profit. It takes a lot of $ to run farms, fishing boats, the factory, cover labor, electricity, maintenance etc. etc. and still be profitable while holding prices steady. Thank you for your understanding. Richard