Various studies provide clear evidence, partly produced here in South Africa (as reviewed by Professor Jo Lorentzen from HSRC in his excellent report from 2006), that humic and fulvic substances are non-toxic, non-mutagenic, and non-teratogenic. They stimulate the cell-mediated immune system, inhibit inflammatory reactions, inactivate the growth of certain viruses, and protect against environmental toxins.

They prove their efficacy and selectivity for the treatment of diseases associated with viral and other opportunistic infections as well as inflammatory conditions such as autoimmune diseases and allergies. These are among the most common diseases on earth, they afflict large numbers of people in Africa and, if treated successfully, would improve livelihoods and enhance economic development more generally.

Researchers based in Germany first showed the anti-HIV activity of humic acid in cell culture (Schneider et al. 1993 and 1996). Further test results showed that humic and fulvic acids have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects (e.g. Jooné et al. 2001, 2003; van Rensburg et al. 2002).

For example, the administration of humic acid in animal trials led to the suppression of the rejection of cell transplants by the immune system of the host. It also suppressed a contact hypersensitivity reaction. The same effects were seen on isolated phagocytes in that there was a decrease in adhesion molecules associated with the inflammation. At the same time, however, lymphocytes isolated from blood drawn from HIV positive patients that had been treated with humic acid for two weeks showed an increase in proliferation when stimulated with a non-specific stimulant. In other words, the cell-mediated immune system, greatly compromised in HIV positive patients, was stimulated while the phagocyte part associated with the inflammation was suppressed.

Our own South African clinical trial undertaken in 1999 at Kalafong, an academic clinic in Gauteng, was limited to two weeks’ duration by The Medicines Control Council (MCC) out of concern that the HIV might develop resistance. Hence it was not possible to fully assess efficacy because the viral load does not sufficiently decrease in such a short period of time. What the trial did show, however, was that humic acid was non-toxic.

In addition, patients put on weight and their general condition appeared to improve significantly, including WHO performance status. These results were presented to an international peer audience and also published (Botes et al. 2000, 2002; Van Rensburg 2000, Van Rensburg et al. 1999, Van Rensburg et al. 2001).

Research and development of humic and fulvic acid based medicines for HIV / AIDS was highly politicised in South Africa and all but halted in the aftermath of the embarrassment of Virodene, a highly toxic industrial solvent punted as HIV / AIDS cure. But humic and fulvic acids still remain exceptional natural substances providing excellent support in many chronic conditions plaguing humanity, HIV / AIDS including.

Below is a list of research papers on the role of humic and fulvic acids in HIV / AIDS treatment and general support. The list is by no means exhaustive but gives a representative view on the direction of research and the promise they hold.

Oxihumate and Oxifulvate, referred to in some publications below, describe products of a process which essentially reverses the process by which coal is formed – instead of humic and fulvic substances losing oxygen that over millions of years created coal, the coal is oxidised back to humic and fulvic acid. FulvicForce fulvic acid product is just such oxifulvate. Fulvic acid is a sub-class of humic acids, typically richer in oxygen content and with lighter molecular weight.

FulvicForce is South Africa’s one and only fulvic acid product extracted from coal according to a patented process. FulvicForce product is literally an organic extract from plants, which lived hundreds of millions years ago, thus carrying their mineral, nutritional and remedial value, concentrated through a slow natural refinement process of transforming ancient plant matter into coal.