FDBusiness.com

A recently-published research study found that supplementation with larch arabinogalactan, provided in the study as Lonza’s proprietary immune support ingredient ResistAid, was associated with a statistically significant reduction (-23%) of the number of cold episodes in comparison with a placebo.

In addition, the percentage of study days that participants did not suffer from any cold symptoms was significantly higher in the group taking larch arabinogalactan (91.2%) compared to the placebo group (88.5%). The study, conducted by analyze & realize in Germany, has been published online in Current Medical Research and Opinion.

In the multi-centre, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised clinical trial, researchers measured the effect of supplementation with ResistAid on naturally acquired common cold episodes and its effect on cold symptoms was compared to a placebo.

Lonza notes that susceptibility to common colds is often related to a weak immune status or a lack of strong immune defence. Thus, the common cold was used as a model system to determine the effect of larch arabinogalactan on the human system against invading pathogens.

In the study, 199 healthy adults aged 18-70 with a self-reported rate of cold incidences of at least three in the prior six months were divided into two groups, taking either a daily larch arabinogalactan supplement of 4.5 grams or a placebo for 12 weeks. The participants documented each common cold episode in a diary and rated 10 predefined infection symptoms on a four-point rating scale during the infection period, resulting in an infection score. In addition to three prescheduled study visits, each common cold episode was confirmed by medical doctors.