The apparent versatility of Organic Germanium (Ge-Oxy 132)
in normalizing health and alleviating major human diseases
suggests that it acts at a fundamental level of life
function. The known biological and clinical effects of
Organic Germanium (Ge-Oxy 132) are consistent with Dr.
Asai's suggestion that it can, at least partially,
substitute for or supplement oxygenation in tissues; this is
a critical contribution to maintenance of health and
prevention of disease (26). Organic Germanium's (Ge-Oxy 132)
unique chemical structure may strongly attract and absorb
("delocalize"😉 electrons. In this manner, it may facilitate
energy generation from high-energy electrons; this is
analogous to the well-understood role of oxygen as an
"electron sink" essential for energy-yielding electron
transfer processes (29). In cells which cannot utilize
oxygen (for example, cancer cells in solid tumors which
appear to be oxygen-sensitive), it is predictable that
organic Germanium's (Ge-Oxy 132) presence as an "oxygen-
catalyst" could have deleterious effects on malignant cells
and may, therefore, demonstrate therapeutic value (30). The
fact that Organic Germanium (Ge-Oxy 132) has
immunostimulating effects is not surprising since it has
known efficacy as an oxygenation enhancer, and oxygen plays
a pivotal role in immune functions (26). This breakthrough
in understanding of the role of Organic Germanium (Ge-Oxy
132) stems from
Dr. Asai's initial finding that Organic Germanium (Ge-Oxy
132tm) occurs in high concentrations in medicinal
plants. It thus appears that Dr. Asai identified one of
the main active principles responsible for the
therapeutic action of many age old, natural remedies.
Ds. Asai did not regard Organic Germanium (Ge-Oxy 132) as a
drug. He stated, "I would rather call it a health-giving
substance - it restores health to those afflicted with
disease and sustains health in those who are healthy....
Where body cells lack oxygen, indispensable to life, a
gradual decline in function is inevitable and the fire
of life will reduce until it is extinguished" (1).
Organic Germanium (Ge-Oxy 132) Is Essentially "Non toxic"
Initial acute and chronic toxicity studies were conducted by
Dr. Asai and his co-workers using his Organic Germanium
Complex" (Ge-Oxy 132) or biscarboxyethylgermanium
sesquioxide. The Organic Germanium was fed to various
species of experimental animals in high doses, equivalent to
several grams per day for a human. The compound was found to
be essentially nontoxic even at the highest dosages (1).
Additional toxicological and pharmacokinetic studies have
revealed that Ge-Oxy 132 is of low toxicity. An equivalent
in humans of many grams per day of "Organic Germanium", the
pure Asai material (9,10), produced no observable toxicity
in laboratory animals.
Chemistry of Germanium
The element germanium (Ge), atomic number 32, atomic weight
72.6, tends to pack into a lattice-like structure and
displays the electrical conductivity of a semi-conductor.
Since the elements of similar atomic number are biologically-
essential trace elements (e.g; selenium), germanium may also
play an essential role in human nutrition and metabolism.
Germanium occurs naturally in peat and coal deposits,
apparently having accumulated to levels as high as 10 ppm
from the remains of once-living organisms (1). In its
appearance, germanium is like a metal, although technically
it is classified as a semi metal. Chemically, it resembles
silicon in its behavior as a semiconductor - its electrical
conductivity varies with temperature, pressure, and
bioelectric charge gradients. In the 1950s and 1960s, a
number of researchers (2-8) investigated the biological
activity of germanium and its occurrence in biomaterials.
From these early studies, it became generally accepted that
germanium had little known biological significance. However,
more recent reports by Dr. Asai and his colleagues indicate
that germanium occurs in high concentrations in certain
medicinal plants and that its organic derivative appears to
have significant clinical efficacy. This new information has
reopened the question of germanium's biological essentiality
(1). The research and clinical work by Dr. Asai is
summarized in his book Miracle Cure: Organic Germanium (1).
The concentrations of germanium he found in foods and other
biomaterials range from 0.1 to 1 ppm, corresponding to 0.1 -
1. microgram of germanium per gram of food material. Since
humans consume about 2 pounds of food per day (wet
weight), adults might expect to consume 100 to 1000
micrograms (1 milligram) of germanium per day. Dr. Asai
reported that the levels of germanium in medicinal plants
range as high as 2000 ppm (roughly 1000 milligrams per
pound). These findings by Dr. Asai have sparked
considerable renewed interest in the nutritional and
health promoting effects of this Organic Germanium
Complex (Ge-Oxy 132tm).