Special edition: Immune support
Probiotics
The scientific literature is swelling with reports on the ability of specific probiotic strains to influence the immune system and its response.
Supplements containing the friendly bugs have been reported to reduce the incidence of travelers’ diarrhea, reduce the incidence and severity of eczema, and reducing the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections in a range of consumer groups, from students and athletes to kids in day care.
Recent findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition indicated that daily supplements of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis (BB-12) or Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei (L. casei 431) could increase levels of the antibody IgG3 by 66% and 46%, respectively.
