A new understanding of immune regulation is growing this supplement category exponentially.
According to a 2018 published study in ISME Journal, approximately 800 billion viruses are swept up and land per each 11 square feet (one square meter) on the planet each day.
It’s true: we are all under attack from a daily virus deluge. Other researchers have theorized that this may be the reason why the Spanish Flu epidemic began on the same day in both Boston and Bombay (modern day Mumbai), India.
Immune support clearly is no longer just a winter concern or category, and it appears that more consumers are getting that message. Although “the most common immune system questions we are asked at the store are cold/flu related,” said retailer Julie Sasanika, store manager of Mountain Mama Natural Foods of Colorado, “People definitely don’t think about immune as much in the summer as they do during the school season.”
Sasanika encourages customers to consider immune health all the time, and not just taking vitamin C. “I advise our customers to improve their overall immune wellness by eating properly, drinking plenty of water, getting good sleep, and then adding supplementation. My favorite immune building products are Host Defense Stamets 7 and MyCommunity, Gaia’s Whole Body Defense, and Honey Garden Elderberry Syrup. Also, an immune probiotic is highly beneficial. Finally, MegaFood’s Immune Defense (formerly Acute Defense) is the most amazing product for when you feel a cold or flu coming on.”
The category has been bustling and growing as any trade media and tradeshow floor show, as new immune-support supplements and beverages appear at a rapid rate. It’s so much more than vitamin C and zinc as a prophylactic.
Chris Oswald, education content manager, Nature’s Way Brands, Wisconsin noted that awareness continues to increase in this space as consumers understand there are many more options today than just echinacea, vitamin C and zinc for immune support. The impact of digestive health and its connection to immune health is becoming more evident in research, expanding the ability for brands to formulate immune-support products with probiotics, for example.
Cheryl Myers, chief of scientific affairs and education at Terry Naturally/EuroPharma, Inc. in Wisconsin said that ensuring immune health is more than a seasonal concern. “When the immune system is activated, it isn’t always because of bacterial or viral infections,” she explained. Causes can be high stress, microbiota imbalance or immune dysfunctions (ie, autoimmune disorders) that create conditions for rheumatoid arthritis or ulcerative colitis.
As more is understood about how natural ingredients affect the immune system, as well as how they affect aforementioned causes of immune strife, the industry has kept up with product refinements and new immune-boosting launches.
Evolving Category
Mushrooms are one example, noted Mark J. Kaylor, founder of the not-for-profit Radiant Health Project (Georgia) and consultant to Mushroom Wisdom of New Jersey. “Mushrooms have been a strong category in the natural products industry as long as I have been a part of it dating back several decades,” he related. “In the beginning it was all about echinacea. Today, though, the number of immune supporting products and ingredients has grown exponentially, and research supporting these constituents has increased concurrently with the number of products.”
From a larger perspective, he added, there is an increasing amount of research supporting a more holistic point of view of how the immune system affects a much wider array of systems and health issues; an example Kaylor pointed to is the recognition that immune function plays a fundamental role in brain health. “This is at least in part exemplified by the actions and benefits we see with the use of the lion’s mane maitake and reishi mushrooms—long thought of in our industry as ‘immune only’ mushrooms—which have now been shown in research to provide promising benefits for overall brain health and function, particularly for the aging brain.”
Sasanika is a self-professed “huge fan” of medicinal mushrooms and their ability to support a healthy functioning immune system. She said she likes to recommend to her customers to take mushrooms—along with probiotics all year long—“medicinal mushrooms are leading the pack with new research and information all the time. And I think we all are very intrigued by the ever-evolving gut/microbiome association with every system in the body,” she commented.
There has been an increasing focus on probiotics to support immunity in recent years, observed Hannah Braye, registered nutritionist (DipCNM, BANT, CNHC), senior technical advisor for Florida-based ADM Protexin/Bio-Kult. “This is perhaps unsurprising given that we now know that over 70 percent of immune cells are located in the gut.”
She elaborated that the gut microbiome is a complex and dynamic system that is necessary for the development and maturation of systemic and mucosal immune responses, and this relationship is central to regulating and maintaining immune homeostasis. More research is showing that modifications to the gut microbiota (such as through dietary and lifestyle factors), can trigger factors that regulate the development and/or progression of immune related diseases.
“Probiotics have been shown to directly and indirectly affect both the innate and acquired immune systems,” Braye explained. Research suggests probiotics can activate regulatory immune cells that release anti-inflammatory compounds. Probiotics also reinforce the intestinal lining, which controls what enters the blood stream, helping to maintain immune tolerance. Further, probiotics have also been shown to suppress the growth of potential pathogenic micro-organisms in the gut.
“As a result of the increasing understanding of the role of the microbiome in immune regulation, many brands have entered the gut health/probiotic market,” said Braye. “As different bacterial strains have individual beneficial effects and work in different areas of the gut, multi-strain probiotic products are believed to have more positive benefits overall, supporting the immune system in a variety of ways.”
In agreement is Michael Modjeski, vice president, sales & marketing for California-based Wakunaga of America, who confirmed, “The science supports the use of probiotics for immune health since 70 percent of the body’s immune cells reside in the gut.”
As an example, he said, a cold can last up to 10 days but research shows consuming a probiotic can minimize the amount of time one feels sick by at least two days, reducing symptoms by 34 percent. A recent meta-analysis of 20 published trials concluded that Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotics can cut the duration and severity of cold symptoms and lead to fewer missed days at work or school.
Meanwhile, in the silver segment of immune support, Robert MacCuspie, PhD, director of science, Natural Immunogenics, Florida, said that research has continued to validate two key findings: that the smallest silver particles exert more bioactivity, and that positively charged silver ions give a positive effect. These two findings are related, he noted, as the science shows the conversion of silver particles that releases the bioactive silver ions occurs at the surface of the silver particles.
“This science has shown formulations like a bioactive silver hydrosol, with greater than 98 percent bioactive silver, can provide more benefits at a lower ppm concentration than other formulations that must use much higher amounts of silver to achieve similar levels of bioactivity,” MacCuspie described. By using a silver hydrosol, he maintained, a lower amount like 10 ppm gives more bioactivity and a greater margin of safety. “In this case, less is more,” he said.
Perhaps that is true in the case of bioactive silver hydrosol—but in availability of appropriate immune health supplements, more is more. Availability of brands and formulas abound, and can blanket all customer needs.
In general, observed Kim Shafer, founder and CEO, Michigan-based Daily Body Restore, LLC, consumers of immune supplements can be divided into two broad categories: people with lifestyle or physical stressors who are motivated to use supplements to ward off getting sick, and to increase or maintain their productivity and energy levels (eg, athletes); and elderly individuals who are concerned about chronic illnesses and longevity.
“Consumers are interested in immune supplements in part due to the high costs of health care and their desire to stay out of the health care system,” she stated. This desire is also a driving force encouraging customers seeking preventative self-health care, including supplements.
Boosting Immune Inventory
Beyond those of weight loss and energy, the category of immune support is inarguably the hottest and is more increasingly serving as the gateway for new customers. And there’s a lot you can offer.
Nature’s Way’s Sambucus line, said Oswald, is now available in a variety of formats including gummies, syrups, gel caps and powdered drink mixes. Nature’s Way Sambucus contains elderberries that are known to be rich in anthocyanins, specialized flavonoids believed to be one of the primary benefit driving parts of the elderberry fruit.
Beyond Sambucus, Oswald added, Nature’s Way offers the homeopathic Umcka line which shortens duration and reduces severity of nasal and bronchial irritations, congestion, sore throat and cough. The primary ingredient in Umcka, Pelargonium sidoides 1x, has been the subject of over 20 clinical studies looking at more than 9,000 patients, he added.
Natural Immunogenics manufactures two brands, Sovereign Silver and Argentyn23 with flagship products including Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol, a dietary supplement for immune support and Silver First Aid Gel, homeopathic medicine for topical use, according to Kristin Scheurer, brand and new product development manager. The company’s Sovereign Silver, she noted, has 64 percent market share in the natural products retail space.
Sovereign Silver Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol contains only two ingredients, pure silver in the form of greater than 98 percent bio-active silver ions and silver nanoclusters and pharmaceutical-grade purified water, Scheurer said.
She explained, “What sets silver hydrosol apart from other silver solutions is its bioactivity, achieved through an unprecedented small particle size. What makes one silver product more effective than another is not its parts per million (PPM) of total silver in the bottle, but rather bioactivity which is determined by the combination of its particle size, charge (not neutral) and purity. The smaller the particle, the more bioavailable it becomes, and the greater the surface area available for conversion to bio-active silver while within the body.”
An example of a traditional nutrient that has long been studied, said Modjeski, is Wakunaga’s Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract (AGE). One 2016 randomized, double-blind trial involving 120 volunteers, found that AGE reduced the duration of the common cold or bout with the flu by as much as 61 percent and reduced symptoms by 21 percent. As a result, the participants taking AGE experienced 58 percent fewer missed workdays due to their illness, he reported.
Modjeski explained that “These results are due to numerous factors, including a significant increase in the number of immune cells and the enhancement of two specific types of immune cells: NK (natural killer) cells and gamma-delta T cells (a type of immune cell found in the intestinal tract). The researchers also noted another reason for this uptick in immune function: the glutathione-boosting ability of the sulfur-containing compounds naturally present in AGE. Studies suggest that glutathione enhances immune response by optimizing macrophage function while protecting disease-fighting cells called lymphocytes from oxidative damage and premature cell death.”
The company also offers three more specific immune-support formulas: Kyolic AGE Immune Formula 103 combines AGE, vitamin C, astragalus, oregano, olive leaf extract and several medicinal mushrooms; Kyo-Green Harvest Blend Immune Defense is mild-tasting, fast-dissolving powder that is a blend of organic and naturally sourced grasses, ancient grains, fruits, vegetables, herbal extracts, spirulina and prebiotic fiber; Moducare contains a unique blend of plant sterols and sterolins in a ratio of 100:1 that “works to restore, strengthen and balance the body’s immune system,” he described. Each can be taken daily.
EuroPharma’s “multivitamin for the immune system” is ViraPro, according to Myers, targets various challenges faced by the immune system with a blend of botanical, vitamin and mineral ingredients, featuring Haschberg elderberry extract that has been shown to reduce cold and flu symptoms. She reported that a clinical study of 312 individuals found that this freeze-dried elderberry extract cut the risk of colds or flu in half, and even those who did catch something had milder symptoms and a shorter duration of illness.
Elderberry, Myers explained, contains numerous natural immune-supporting compounds, including anthocyanins, quercetin, rutin, and others that help restore the body’s ability to fight off invaders by directly preventing the virus from entering cell walls and replicating, as well as activating the body’s phagocytes to move toward any cells that are under attack.
ViraPro also contains antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. “Strong macrophage and natural killer cell support is also why we’ve included vitamin A,” Myers noted. One study found that patients given vitamin A following surgery saw an increase in lymphocytes (white blood cells that help prevent infection). Vitamin C can reduce the incidence of colds by as much as 50 percent, many studies have found. Vitamin C can also alleviate allergy and other respiratory symptoms, as it exerts a natural anti-histamine effect. Vitamin E is recognized as being an immune supporting vitamin, “but the best form comes from mixed tocopherols—alpha, beta, delta, and gamma—as it is in ViraPro, not as a truncated single ingredient,” Myers emphasized.
Further, ViraPro contains vitamin D3, which tends to be lacking in winter as people tend to stay indoors and are not exposed enough to sunlight that encourages vitamin D production in the body. A long-term study found that increased intake of vitamin D3 corresponded with a lowered risk of infection. Finally, ViraPro contains zinc, which is required for white blood cell activity. One study showed zinc reduced cold symptoms by 42 percent on the first day.
As mentioned, probiotics are increasingly being researched to validate immune sustenance benefits, and industry is assuredly following suit with formulas containing strains aimed at increasing appropriate immune response.
The latest addition to the Bio-Kult range is Bio-Kult Migréa, “a unique scientifically supported probiotic formulation containing 14 strains of probiotic bacteria plus magnesium and vitamin B6, which contributes to the normal function of the immune system and has been linked to protection against inflammation,” Braye described.
Young mothers who are concerned about the immune system strength and viability of their infants, toddlers and young children can consider Bio-Kult Infantis sachets; each contains 7 strains of probiotic bacteria, Preplex prebiotic (FOS and gum acacia), omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D3 which contributes to the normal function of the immune system, noted Braye. “The probiotics and prebiotics in Bio-Kult Infantis have been shown in human clinical trials to be of benefit in childhood atopic dermatitis, as well as several other conditions,” she commented.
Bio-Kult Advanced Multi-Strain Formulation features 14 strains that Braye said have been shown to have inhibitory effects against common intestinal pathogens; additionally, the combination of the strains has been shown to have greater effect than the same strains administered singularly. The Bacillus Subtilis PXN 21 strain has been shown to be particularly effective at stimulating the innate immune system.
Daily Body Restore is a dietary supplement aimed at nourishing the immune system to enhance its functionality, according to Shafer. It contains a blend of nine probiotic strains (Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei), and 10 digestive enzymes (amylase, glucoamylase, lipase, bromelain, maltase, lactase, hemicellulose, xylanase, papain and invertase).
The formula’s digestive enzymes have an indirect impact on immunity, explained Shafer. “Since the body places a high priority on digestion, supplementing with digestive enzymes is intended to create the ideal environment in the gut for the immune system to thrive. Together, the ingredients in Daily Body Restore assist the body in attaining proper nutrition for a healthy immune system.”
Two published studies on Daily Body Restore have shown to significantly modify the gut microbiome, and to offset the detrimental effects of a microbiome-disrupting chemotherapy drug and an antibiotic, she reported.
All this stated, in October, as soon as pharmacies and other health outlets gear up for flu shot season, consumers will be reminded about winter cold and flu season, and thus begin to flock to natural product stores not just for immune support products but education and tips that they would not get anywhere else. So get set because, according to SPINS, a market research firm in the naturals space, sales of products that targeted colds (and flu symptoms) increased by 15 percent between Nov. 4, 2018 and the prior year. The total, more than $1.10 billion—and that’s nothing to sneeze at! VR
For More Information:
ADM Protexin/Bio-Kult, www.bio-kult.com
Daily Body Restore, https://dailybodyrestore.com/
Natural Immunogenics, https://sovereignsilver.com
Nature’s Way Brands, www.naturesway.com
Terry Naturally/EuroPharma, Inc., www.europharmausa.com
Wakunaga of America, www.kyolic.com; www.probiotics.com
