Could there be a natural substance with wide ranging health benefits and no side effects? Watching the television commercials for drugs of all kinds and hearing them list side effects that sound worse then what they’re being used to treat, makes one wonder.

That’s why when Poulsbo International principals Gene Hallum and Marion Sluys, who’s best known for creating world famous breads and pastries, first heard of a plan to embark on such a venture they were somewhat cynical before deciding to invest in the creation of a new product known as “Maximin.”

The pair originally learned about the technology needed to make the supplement from some Croatian businessmen in 1996. The Croations came here seeking money to get their business up and running. Sluys and Hallum agreed to help, and Poulsbo International was formed with $1 million in seed money.

The firm currently manufactures the product in Southern California, but Hallum said the group has plans to open a research, manufacturing and processing facility in Kitsap sometime this year.

According to Hallum, the M-2 technology the firm developed is a mechanical process to physically alters the microscopic structure of zeolite, the clay silicate mineral used in Maximin. The results he says, are astounding.

“It actually absorbs waste and stimulates activity as it passes through the body,” he said. He added that Poulsbo International expects the product to become the new paradigm in the field of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements. “We intend to make this product as common as aspirin,” Hallum added.

Hallum discussed the fact the supplement was first tested on animals, then re-tested on humans. What researchers found was that while the benefits were wide-ranging, there were no side effects — something unusual in this type of research.

Hallum enthusiastically noted that in test cases, Maximin displayed excellent results in helping ease the side effects of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. “We’re marketing it as an immune system booster,” he commented, adding that it also helped reduce tumors and had “good success” with people suffering from Hepatitis C — a condition with no known cure.

“This technology has applications in other areas as well,” Hallum noted, saying that Maximin has about 300 practical uses. The fine mineral powder used in it can even improve the healing of wounds or increase the shelf life of bread products — something that could come in very handy for Sluys.

Currently, Maximin is being marketed as an all-natural super-antioxidant and an immune system booster that aids digestion, revitalizes organs, reduces free radicals, improves cell-to-cell communication and eases the side effects of cancer treatment.

The product is available at the company’s offices in Poulsbo and online at www.maximins.com.