SSE09: Harvard Doc Discusses Studies on Nutrients, Immunity

SECAUCUS, N.J.—Harvard Medical School’s Jack Bukowski, M.D., highlighted recent clinical trials on ingredients such as probiotics, L-theanine, zinc, vitamin D and purple sweet potato leaves during an education session at SupplySide East focused on nutrients that affect the immune system. Bukowski is assistant clinical professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and has been conducting research on the immune system for more than 35 years.

Bukowski began his presentation by saying there could not be a better time to be discussing the immune system with the issue of the H1N1 flu virus on so many minds. After giving a brief explanation of what the immune system is, and why sometimes it is desirable to stimulate it and other times to suppress it, he summarized studies published on the topic during the last four years.

For probiotics, Bukowski covered clinical trials showing certain probiotics could increase the success of vaccinations against diseases such as cholera and flu. He also summarized a study that found a certain lactic acid bacteria reduced infections following liver transplant from 48 percent in those who did not receive the probiotic to just 3 percent in those who did, and reduced the time that the transplant recipient needed to take antibiotics. Another study showed that a certain probiotic could reduce the immune response in adults with allergic rhinitis. Burkowski emphasized the trials each used specific probiotic strains, mixtures or dosages.

Bukowski also discussed three separate trials that looked at the effect of zinc supplementation on infection. In one trial, researchers found a single mega-dose of vitamin A combined with daily doses of zinc reduced the prevalence and morbidity of malaria in young children in Burkina Faso. Another trial found daily doses of zinc reduced respiratory tract infections in children with cystic fibrosis. A third trial found elderly people given 45 mg/d of elemental zinc for one year had fewer infections. Bukowski pointed out the groups in these studies were likely deficient in zinc intake, and the results could not be assumed to be similar for a population already taking in adequate levels of zinc.

Other studies summarized in the presentation included:

During his concluding remarks, Bukowski emphasized that while a wide variety of ingredients have clinical evidence showing an effect on immunity, product development should include the specific preparations used in the studies, and the final product itself should be tested in clinical trials. In addition to his position at Harvard Medical School, Bukowski is director of the Nutritional Science Research Institute, a newly formed non-profit association that does clinical trials, product formulation and education.