John E. Lewis, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is the associate director of the Medical Wellness Center.  He is also a scientific investigator at the Corporación de Lucha Contra el SIDA and the Fundación Valle del Lili in Cali, Colombia. Dr. Lewis is the principal investigator of several health, nutrition, and exercise studies, including  aloe vera and other micronutrients on Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis; food sensitivity testing study on disease-specific symptoms in weight loss, headaches, and stomach problems;) gingko biloba, grape seed and green tea extract, and other micronutrients on cognition in healthy, elderly adults; combined aerobic and strengthening exercise training study on metabolic syndrome variables in HIV; comparing bio-electrical impedance to a standardized assessment on cardiac output and body composition; methylated vitamin B complex on depression; rice bran and Shiitake mushroom on immune system functioning in healthy adults; vitamin D on inflammation, bone mineral density, and quality of life in elderly adults; pulsed electromagnetic frequency device on chronic knee pain; and  magnesium sulfate on treatment-resistant depression. Dr. Lewis has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, has been an invited speaker at multiple international and national conferences, and has mentored many undergraduate, graduate, and medical students in exercise, nutrition and health promotion. Most recently he was involved a study investigating the immunomodulatory effect of Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound (RBAC).
 
Health E-Insights: Why are you a proponent of RBAC?
 
Dr. Lewis: Our just completed and published study shows that RBAC is an effective immunomodulator in healthy adults according to the responses we saw in natural killer cell cytotoxicity and in 9 of 12 different cytokines and growth factors. Other investigators have observed similar findings in tissues, animals, and patients with different diseases, so the evidence is compelling that this product is effective.
 
Health E-Insights: What was the criteria used to determine healthy subjects?
 
Dr. Lewis: We had a number of criteria to exclude the subjects for our study, including: less than 18 years of age; currently enrolled in another nutritional or immunomodulatory research trial; pregnant women; medical complications, such as heart attack, stroke, or chronic kidney disease; currently taking immunomodulatory medication, such as Interferon; currently taking other medications thought to have an impact on immune system functioning, including chemotherapeutic agents; known allergy to rice, rice bran, or related food products; known allergy to mushrooms or related food products; history of malignancies related to the natural killer (NK) cell line, including – NK cell leukemias and T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemias, NK cell lymphoproliferative disease of granular lymphocytes, and NK cell lymphomas, such as nasal and nasal-like NK/T-cell lymphomas; and current smoker.
 
Health E-Insights: What are the key study results that confirm RBAC is a modulator?
 
Dr. Lewis: Essentially, we have shown that the short term rise in natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) and in 9 of 12 cytokines and growth factors are evident that RBAC is a potent immunomodulator.
 
Health E-Insights: Why do you feel the results are consistent?
 
Dr. Lewis: Our results are valid based on the statistical analysis that we performed in the study. Our results appear to be consistent with the findings of other investigators as well.
 
Health E-Insights: At the end of the day why do you feel this is an important study?
 
Dr. Lewis: This study represents a first step for us in testing this product in healthy adults. We showed that the product is safe according to protein, bilirubin, and liver function tests, and we showed that RBAC is capable of true immunomodulation, not stimulation or suppression. In other words, the immune factors that we analyzed showed bi-directional, transient responses in people who were healthy without chronic disease.
 
Health E-Insights: Anything else you want to add about the study or RBAC?
 
Dr. Lewis: We are very encouraged and excited by the results our study in healthy adults. We hope to extend our research in patients with cancer, HIV and other immune-compromised conditions.
 
 
Sheldon Baker is well-known for creating nutraceutical brand marketing and public relations campaigns. For Health E-Insights interview consideration, contact him at [email protected]. And follow him on Twitter @NutraInk.