Caring for one’s immune system now is more critical than ever. Manufacturers are doing their part to provide support.

At present, society has been living in a pandemic due to COVID-19 for more than six months, and still, many questions remain unanswered about the virus. Amid the speculation, retailers and manufacturers alike are unable to note that products can cure COVID-19; rather, what they can do is promote items that can offer immune system support.

After all, there is no debating the role the immune system plays in the body.

“The overall function of the immune system is to prevent or limit infection,” the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases noted on its website. “An example of this principle is found in immune-compromised people, including those with genetic immune disorders, immune-debilitating infections like HIV, and even pregnant women, who are susceptible to a range of microbes that typically do not cause infection in healthy individuals.

“The immune system can distinguish between normal, healthy cells and unhealthy cells by recognizing a variety of ‘danger’ cues called danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Cells may be unhealthy because of infection or because of cellular damage caused by non-infectious agents like sunburn or cancer. Infectious microbes such as viruses and bacteria release another set of signals recognized by the immune system called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). … The immune system is complex and pervasive. There are numerous cell types that either circulate throughout the body or reside in a particular tissue. Each cell type plays a unique role, with different ways of recognizing problems, communicating with other cells, and performing their functions. By understanding all the details behind this network, researchers may optimize immune responses to confront specific issues, ranging from infections to cancer.”

Whatever one’s reason for maintaining a strong immune system may be, now is a more appropriate time than ever to explore the benefits that the classic and up-and-coming supplements offer.

Helpful Products

With the broadness that this category entails, immune health consists of a plethora of products that have proven beneficial, including probiotics.

“Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 is a strain of probiotic bacterial that synthesizes glutathione,” said Ross Pelton, scientific director at Texas-based Essential Formulas, which distributes Dr. Ohhira’s Propolis Plus for immune support. “Glutathione is a key antioxidant and a regulator of detoxification. Also, lymphocytes, which are critical immune system-regulating cells require glutathione.”

Florida-based ADM Protexin, makers of the Bio-Kult brand of probiotics offered other options in terms of effective strains.

“Probiotics are showing promise through their ability to maintain barrier health as well as inhibition of pathogenic bacteria,” said Kim Plaza, technical advisor. “The spore forming Bacillus subtilis PXN 21 strain, was found to stimulate the innate immune response in mice with C. difficile infection as well as maintain gut barrier function.1,2 These ingredients are sometimes purchased separately in varying forms and strengths, however consumers may now be looking for combination supplements as a one-for-all option. Bio-Kult Mind contains the spore forming probiotic B. subtilis PXN 21, as well as wild blueberry and French grape extract, along with zinc.”

Plaza noted that polyphenols have demonstrated results, adding that “ … there is well-established research surrounding the use of polyphenols for immune support. These include foods, such as blueberries and grapes. Each type of polyphenol can target and bind to our immune receptors, and this mechanism can trigger regulation of our immune response.3 Other common ingredients that tend to be associated with immune support include vitamins A, D and zinc. These nutrients are essential for barrier function.4 External and internal surfaces of the body (skin, gut and lung lining, etc.) are the first lines of defense against bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.4 Therefore, these ingredients within supplements tend to be the general go-to products.”

Florida-based Garden of Life noted the popularity of elderberry, which can be found in several of its products.

“Garden of Life has innovated four new exciting elderberry formulas for adults and kids—Cough & Immune Syrup† and Elderberry + Sleep Immune Syrup.† These formulas include additional herbs, such as ivy leaf for cough and mucus clearance, food-derived zinc and vitamin C from acerola cherry, and herbal blends that assist with sleep while bolstering the immune system,” explained Ryan Cornett, project manager of Garden of Life’s science and educational content.

Jodi Schneider, customer service specialist/product educator with Connecticut-based Vibrant Health, pointed out that today’s trends in terms of immune support have revolved around providing defense against viruses and upper respiratory infection, while also helping to boost one’s general immune defenses at the same time.

“Ingredients are being used for properties that may not have been their primary focus before, such as curcumin, quercetin, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D that aid in protecting the body from viruses, where before they may have been thought of for a cold or allergy or inflammation. In particular, vitamin D has been in the spotlight since vitamin D deficiency is a global epidemic. It plays a role in many functions of the body, as well as aiding in reducing viral growth and upper respiratory infection. Also, gaining more recognition are beta-glucans due to their ability to boost our bodies’ first line of defense, aiding white blood cells to bind to and destroy viruses and bacteria. Last but not least, our microbiome houses 70 percent of the cells that make up our immune system. Probiotics are now more than ever recognized for a healthy immune system. The driving force for the trends above are people wanting to protect themselves from the current health crisis.” Results from a recent Vitamin Retailer magazine Coronavirus Retailer Survey showed that 87 percent of retailers surveyed reported a sales increase for vitamin C since the start of the pandemic. However, consumers are often more aware of the version they are taking.

“We are seeing a paradigm shift from synthetic isolated vitamins to whole food organic vitamins, an important trend that is projected to continue,” observed Judy K. Gray, founder and CEO for Illinois-based North American Herb & Spice. “A great example to reference is vitamin C. In the past, most of the demand and offerings have come in the form of ascorbic acid, a synthetic isolate, often sourced from China. Today, the consumer has become more educated as to the value of whole food vitamins and their effectiveness over synthetic vitamins, which is why demand has increased. Education is knowledge—consequently, an informed consumer is driving the growth of whole food vitamins. Our Purely brand products led by Purely-C and Purely-E is are among the fastest growing categories in North American Herb & Spice.”

Ayurvedic herbs, such as Andrographis paniculata, are seeing strong sales as customers are also looking beyond traditional offerings for alternative immune health products.

“I think you see—and will continue to see—two major trends in the marketplace: customers looking for the familiar kinds of immune support, like vitamins and mineral combinations that are well known for their benefits, and customers that want to try something that seems more esoteric, like andrographis or other ayurvedic herbs,” said Cheryl Myers, chief of scientific affairs and education at EuroPharma, Inc. in Wisconsin. “In fact, our own Andrographis EP80 Extra Strength is seeing a surge of interest. Of course, andrographis is already highly regarded among health food store shoppers for a lot of previous clinical work that shows that it reduces severity, symptoms and duration of respiratory illnesses. But I believe that because of our current health crisis, there were definitely more people than ever who were willing to try something previously outside their experience or comfort zone. After all, there are many botanicals and nutrients that strengthen the immune system and our own responses to immune threats, but they haven’t become common knowledge yet. That is why we pride ourselves on educational efforts—webinars, scientific literature and customized trainings for stores. The wider the field of expertise, the more that stores can extend help to people who need it.”

Retailer Strategies

For retailers, marketing these products begins with doing their own research and disseminating that information to customers.

“Health food stores and other natural retailers may want to consider an information center or area to provide third-party scientific information, published articles, web access to natural product databases, brochure handouts, health magazines and additional information-based tools to share with their customers,” said Jeff Stallop, president, New Jersey-based Monmouth Health Foods. “Educating the health food store or wellness staff on structure-function claims and additional information that is validated, truthful and science-based to qualify potential ingredient benefit is particularly important. Staying on top of information and educating the consumer should be a primary focus of natural retailers.”

Education should be viewed as an investment.

“Educate, educate and educate the retail store staff on the unique values and benefits of the quality ingredients available in our products,” said Gray. “Demonstrations when available are a great way for the customer to interact with educated store staff and learn how the exceptional North American ingredients can help to support a better quality of life. Depending upon the market, all forms of media can be effective. The key for the retailer regardless of the marketing vehicle that is chosen is to identify the channel that gives retailers the best return on investment and to consistently use it.”

Further, having this educational material helps facilitate the opportunity for demonstration and special promotions.

“In-store educational material is always at the forefront,” said Audra Dunleavy, MBA, vice president of sales, Tennessee-based Natural Path/Silver Wings, which offers a complete colloidal silver line for immune support. “After all, consumers come to health stores for knowledge and guidance which is a colossal attraction factor. Retailers should leverage this with educational resources and supportive tools to validate an immune product’s effectiveness. Many retailers have been successful distributing quick facts, mini product benefits, printed pieces with instant redeemable coupons printed on the reverse side. Other useful tactics include providing passive demo stations with sampling or affixing shelf talkers with QR (quick response) codes linking to short 15-second videos on the particular product’s health benefits. Finally, retailers will benefit heavily by leveraging seasonal relevance, i.e., holiday giveaway promos with social media page likes and email acquisition for future marketing messaging, back to school immune support for kids, etc.—each with product spotlight promotions.”

Market Status

The quest for immune support is producing a positive outlook for the category.

“As you can imagine,” Myers stated, “the state of the market and public interest in immune support is very strong right now. People are looking for ways to keep their immune system strong, and that search goes far beyond vitamin C, vitamin D and the usual suspects—as valuable as they are. We’ve seen an incredible surge in all our immune products, including our ViraPro Elderberry, our purified Propolis Extract and especially our Andrographis EP80 Extra Strength.”

And although the pandemic has certainly helped sales, supplement sales were already impressive prior to COVID-19.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has consumers charging the immune health supplement aisle. The natural product market has seen an increase overall as many consumers focus on health and wellness,” pointed out Paige Parker, owner and co-president of Vibrant Health. “Many consumers turned to vitamin supplements for the first time as a way to improve their immune system. According to a report issued by the Nutrition Business Journal, immunity supplements sales growth is projected to spike above 25 percent in 2020, up from 8.5 percent growth. The supplement business overall is expected to exceed 50 billion in annual sales, and that was before COVID-19. Immune products will exceed $3 billion in 2020. Supplement makers, manufacturers and ingredient suppliers are experiencing record sales due to the global pandemic. There is a great opportunity for those who can produce and manufacture innovative immune-focused products. Brands that can quickly formulate new and effective supplements using quality ingredients that work to improve overall immunity will benefit by gaining new customers.”

Antibiotic use remains steady, but consumer’s focus on better lifestyle choices is growing.

“There are a multitude of factors that determine good immune health; these include diet, lifestyle and socioeconomic status,”5,6 said Plaza. “Antibiotic use within the U.S. has remained steady since 2011, with a slight decrease of unnecessary prescribing by 4 percent.7 Although these fluctuations are minimal, there are changes in prescribing methods with more specificity for their uses, for example specific antibiotics for respiratory infections.7 As the use of antibiotics is hoped to reduce in the future, motivation to naturally support immunity will therefore increase. This has been particularly apparent with the global pandemic where immune-supporting foods, supplements and lifestyle habits has received more attention. In the absence of medicine and pharmaceutical options, consumers are relying on the nutraceutical industry and looking for natural products. It could be the case that consumers are aware of traditional ingredients and their potential to support immunity. Therefore, conversations about combining traditional and well-known ingredients with products such as probiotics, may develop an interest in multi-action formulations that target the immune system.”

Research

Utah-based Xlear has been taking a proactive approach regarding research on COVID-19 and its Xlear Nasal Spray. “We have submitted INDs (investigational new drugs) to the government so we can start trials in humans,” said Nathan Jones, CEO. “We have shown that Xlear kills the COVID-19 virus as effectively as a 70 percent solution of alcohol, but yet is gentle enough to be sprayed into the upper airway where we know that 90 percent of the viral load lies.”

David Munk, the company’s content marketing manager, added, “Recently, researchers at Utah State University conducted a study, looking to see if a xylitol nasal spray like Xlear Nasal Spray had any effect on the COVID-19 virus. They found that in 15 minutes, the virus was reduced to an undetectable amount. With 90 percent of viral load being in the nose, it seems logical to wash the nose just as you might wash your hands. This isn’t a novel idea—many researchers and companies agree that we should treat COVID-19 through the nose. In fact, many new therapies and treatments are being developed now that deliver treatments through the nose.”

Parker noted that Vibrant Health is focused on research that helps enhance the immune-building ingredients in the brand’s immune defense SKU. According to her, the supplier of Vibrant Health’s igG immunoglobulins is working on a specific strain that could potentially be effective on the coronavirus COVID-19 strain. Garden of Life noted the known impact of digestive health on immunity.

“Immune health has always been a cornerstone of overall health and a core tenant of what Garden of Life aims to support with our products,” explained Cornett. “Garden of Life started as a digestive health company and we maintain that digestive health has far-reaching impact on much of the human body. Dr. Perlmutter and Dr. Jeffrey Bland have been working closely with Garden of Life to create innovative ingredients that bolster immunity and specifically fortify the gut-immune relationship.”

Jay Levy, director of sales with California-based Wakunaga of America, manufacturer of the Kyolic brand of supplements, seconded Plaza’s comments, citing the role of probiotics and bacterial strains in strengthening the immune system.

“Research into immune nutrients today extends beyond antioxidants like vitamin C or zinc to include less traditional ingredients like probiotics and phytosterols,” said Levy. “Because the gastrointestinal tract is home to 70 percent of the immune system, the role of the microbiome on immunity has come into sharp focus. This has put a spotlight on probiotics. Probiotics, like those in Wakunaga’s Kyo-Dophilus line of products, produce organic compounds including lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid that increase the acidity in the intestinal tract. This helps prevent pathogens from reproducing. Probiotics also produce bacteriocin, a natural antibiotic that kills off harmful microorganisms and enhances your immune system by boosting disease-fighting cells. These friendly bacteria also help the body synthesize vitamins and absorb nutrients. They keep pathogens at bay and interact directly with the immune system to improve overall health.”

But not all probiotic strains enhance the immune system, Levy added. Studies show that three specific strains foster cellular immunity by stimulating the body’s production of NK cells and T-cells. Known at Wakunaga as ‘the friendly trio,’ they include Lactobacillus gasseri, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum, he said.

“Phytosterols, like those found in Wakunaga’s Moducare formula, promote a balanced and healthy immune response thanks to a combination of two unique plant-based compounds—sterols and sterolins,” Levy said. “Sterols are beneficial fats found in all plant-based foods. Sterolins are glucosides, which are molecular structures that are fixed to the sterol. Together, they modulate immunity and balance inflammatory signals from the immune system by providing nutrients that feed your immune cells.”

The value of the immune system is unquestionable—along with nutritional supplements, it is vital to keep in mind that one’s lifestyle will positively or negatively impact its state.

“Immune support products are particularly important in today’s world. Focus on the potential benefits of vitamins, minerals, herbs as well as other innovations which may provide support for a healthy immune system is paramount, however, overall lifestyle should also be evaluated by all of us and changes should always be made in order to facilitate healthy immune potentials,” Stallop concluded.

He offered the following suggestions for retailers and their customers to keep in mind. “Make sure to stay hydrated throughout the day and get seven to eight hours of sleep every night. Stay focused on reducing stress day to day, provide time for exercise, along with happy and positive conversation with friends and family,” he said. “We need to focus on the positives in our life. With positive thoughts and actions, we tend to feel better, more energized. Too many negatives and too much stress is not healthy for overall immune. It is important for all of us to refocus and reprioritize if energy levels run low, just by understanding these basic points and then making sure to maintain or increase the things that keep our immune strong. Good nutrition, immune support, exercise, hydration, laughter and positive thoughts, talking to friends and family and keeping it positive, getting proper sleep—this is how your brain and body feel good!” VR

†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

References

1 Permpoonpattana P, Hong HA, Khaneja R, Cutting SM. Evaluation of Bacillus subtilis strains as probiotics and their potential as a food ingredient. Benef Microbes 2012; 3: 127–35.

2 Colenutt C, Cutting SM. Use of Bacillus subtilis PXN21 spores for suppression of Clostridium difficile infection symptoms in a murine model. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2014; 358: 154–61.

3 Ding S, Jiang H, Fang J. Regulation of Immune Function by Polyphenols. J Immunol Res 2018; 2018. DOI:10.1155/2018/1264074.

4 Gombart AF, Pierre A, Maggini S. A review of micronutrients and the immune system–working in harmony to reduce the risk of infection. Nutrients 2020; 12. DOI:10.3390/nu12010236.

5 Dowd JB, Aiello AE. Socioeconomic differentials in immune response. Epidemiology 2009; 20: 902–8.

6 Childs CE, Calder PC, Miles EA. Diet and immune function. Nutrients. 2019; 11. DOI:10.3390/nu11081933.

7 Olesen SW, Barnett ML, Macfadden DR, Lipsitch M, Grad YH. Trends in outpatient antibiotic use and prescribing practice among US older adults, 2011-15: Observational study. BMJ 2018; 362. DOI:10.1136/bmj.k3155.

For More Information:

ADM Protexin, www.bio-kult.com
Essential Formulas, https://essentialformulas.com/
EuroPharma, Inc., www.europharmausa.com
Garden of Life, www.gardenoflife.com
Natural Path/Silver Wings, www.npswsilver.com
North American Herb & Spice, www.northamericanherbandspice.com
Vibrant Health, https://vibranthealth.com/
Wakunaga of America, https://kyolic.com/
Xlear, Inc., www.xlear.com

Extra! Extra!