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Lee Swanson Research Update
Larch Bark Extract May Enhance Immune System
October 2010
Supplements containing an arabinogalactan extract may enhance the body’s response to a pneumonia vaccine, according to a new pilot study that supports the immune-boosting properties of the ingredient.
Using Lonza’s proprietary ResistAid™ ingredient, scientists from California’s Medicus Research and UCLA report that the arabinogalactan extract increased the antibody response to the vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae, compared with placebo. The study was funded by Lonza, Inc.
Writing in the Nutrition Journal, Dr. Jay Udani, MD, CPI, and his co-workers note that vaccination studies of this type are used to study general immune function. "The results of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study demonstrate the ability of ResistAid to selectively enhance the antibody response to the pneumococcal vaccine," said Dr. Udani, CEO of Medicus Research.
"Modulating the immune system in direct response to antigenic stimulation rather than nonspecific augmentation represents a more physiologic approach to immune enhancement," he added.
Dr. Udani and his co-workers recruited 45 healthy individuals with an average age of 35.9. They were randomly assigned to consume either daily doses of the arabinogalactan extract (4.5 grams) or placebo for 72 days. After 30 days of intervention, all participants received the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine.
In response to the vaccine, the immune system showed adaptations, as measured by levels of certain types of pneumococcal IgG in two antibody subtypes (18C and 23F), compared with placebo and with levels at the start of the study.
"This is the first human study to demonstrate an effect by Larch arabinogalactan on immunoglobulin levels," wrote the researchers. "The suggestion that arabinogalactan might have a selective effect on the immune system is preliminary but promising," wrote Dr. Udani and his co-workers.
Nutrition Journal Published online ahead of print.
