As winter approaches, the chance of catching a cold increases. Ever wondered if there was something that you could do to prevent this? To help you out, I've done an extensive literature search to find out what has worked and what has failed in clinical trials.
Looking at the literature published for human clinical trials, I sought out immune boosters with clinical evidence for the prevention of respiratory illnesses. Supplements were included when there was evidence that a cold could be prevented or become less severe. Prioritization of the supplements is based on the number of successful studies, the robustness of the data and the safety of the supplement.
Here's what the research indicated:
1. Probiotics
Hands down, probiotics are the most investigated and most promising of the supplements researched for the prevention of respiratory illness. More than 80% of the studies that I found had positive results. A variety of bacterial strains were used in these studies, but the majority were Lactobacillus species. Therefore, a good quality probiotic supplement should be enough to see an effect.
2. Ginseng
These studies looked at North American ginseng, not Siberian ginseng. In nursing home residents, it was found to lower the incidence of respiratory infection. A second study in healthy adults confirmed these findings, and in 2006, a ginseng product, "COLD-fX," was also found to be effective in the elderly.
3. Vitamin C
The third in this line-up is good, old vitamin C. In a clinical trial with 168 subjects taking vitamin C daily, there were significantly less colds and a reduced cold duration. In a study using twins, the twin taking vitamin C had the same frequency of colds as the untreated sibling; however, the length of the cold was reduced 19%.
4. Garlic
Another safe immune booster is garlic. In a two preventative studies, volunteers taking aged garlic each day had less frequent and less severe cold symptoms than those taking the placebo.
5. Yeast
Like probiotic bacteria, some yeast species have the ability to beneficially interact with the immune system. In a 2010 clinical trial, a yeast fermentation product was given daily to adults at risk for respiratory illness. The supplement reduced the incidence of cold and flu. More recently, another baker's yeast derived supplement was given daily to women with moderate stress. The supplement reduced respiratory symptoms and even improved mood.
6. Green Tea
Green tea is made from Camellia sinensis and is known to be full of healthful flavonoids. A study using green tea flavonoids found that supplementation could be protective against influenza. Another study using capsules of green tea had similar results.
7. Vitamin D
Although the health benefits of vitamin D are well-known, vitamin D falls lower on my list because it looks like you need to be deficient in vitamin D to see benefits. This was illustrated in 2010, when it was noted that vitamin D protected children from influenza, especially in those already taking less of the vitamin. This would suggest that a well-nourished individual would not see such a huge benefit.
8. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is well-studied, and the early literature indicates benefits. Unfortunately, there is also evidence that suggest that vitamin A should be used with care. A recent study demonstrates the body does not efficiently absorb vitamin A during a respiratory infection. Children with high infection rates had less protective benefits. Furthermore in underweight children, this vitamin increased lower respiratory tract infections.
9. Zinc
There's a lot of positive evidence for zinc use, but there is also conflicting data. Preventative zinc supplementation in children does seem to reduce the incidence of respiratory infection and even limit symptom severity. But in another study, children had more acute lower respiratory infections when taking zinc for 14 days.
10. Vitamin E
In a single clinical study in the elderly, daily supplementation seemed to help against the common cold.
Don't Forget Your Lifestyle
This article focuses on supplementation; trials looking at lifestyle changes weren't investigated. Despite that, a good recommendation for improving the immune system would be to improve general health through diet, exercise, relaxation and sleep. Supplements are helpful, but having healthy habits are essential.
Before embarking on a new health regimen, always first consult your doctor for guidance.
Thanks for reading my article! For a more in depth look at these supplements, please visit my blog post about the prevention and treatment of respiratory illness at http://theibdimmunologist.com/immunity-boosters. If you'd like to learn more about probiotics, please visit http://beneficialbacteria.net
Mary E. Morgan has fifteen years of research experience in immunology, intestinal disease and probiotics. She currently works as a medical communications specialist.
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