Multivitamin, mineral supplement linked to less-severe, shorter-lasting illness symptoms

Date:
August 18, 2020
Source:
Oregon State University
Summary:
Older adults who took a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement
with zinc and high amounts of vitamin C in a 12-week study
experienced sickness for shorter periods and with less severe
symptoms than counterparts in a control group receiving a placebo.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Older adults who took a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement with
zinc and high amounts of vitamin C in a 12-week study experienced sickness
for shorter periods and with less severe symptoms than counterparts in
a control group receiving a placebo.


==========================================================================
The findings by Oregon State University researchers were published in
the journal Nutrients.

The research by scientists at OSU's Linus Pauling Institute involved 42
healthy people ages 55 to 75 and was designed to measure the supplement's effects on certain immune system indicators. It also looked at bloodstream levels of zinc and vitamins C and D while taking the supplement, as
these micronutrients are important for proper immune function.

The immune indicators, including white blood cells' ability to kill
incoming pathogens, were unaltered in the group receiving the supplement.

The multivitamin group showedimproved vitamin C and zinc status in
the blood.

Most intriguingly, illness symptoms reported by this group were less
severe and went away faster than those experienced by the placebo group.

The same percentage of participants in each group reported symptoms,
but days of sickness in the supplement group averaged fewer than three
compared to more than six for the placebo group.

"The observed illness differences were striking," said corresponding
author Adrian Gombart, professor of biochemistry and biophysics in the
OSU College of Science and a principal investigator at the Linus Pauling Institute. "While the study was limited to self-reported illness data
and we did not design the study to answer this question, the observed differences suggest that additional larger studies designed for these
outcomes are warranted -- and, frankly, overdue." As people get
older, the risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies that contribute to age-related immune system deficiencies rises. Across the United States,
Canada and Europe, research suggests more than one-third of older adults
are deficient in at least one micronutrient, often more than one.

"That likely contributes to a decline in the immune system, most often characterized by increased levels of inflammation, reduced innate
immune function and reduced T-cell function," Gombart said. "Since
multiple nutrients support immune function, older adults often benefit
from multivitamin and mineral supplements. These are readily available, inexpensive and generally regarded as safe." The multivitamin supplement
used in the study focused on vitamins and minerals typically thought to
help immunity. It contained 700 micrograms of vitamin A; 400 international units of vitamin D; 45 milligrams of vitamin E; 6.6 milligrams of
vitamin B6; 400 micrograms of folate; 9.6 micrograms of vitamin B12;
1,000 milligrams of vitamin C; 5 milligrams of iron; 0.9 milligrams of
copper; 10 milligrams of zinc; and 110 micrograms of selenium.

"Supplementation was associated with significantly increased circulating
levels of zinc and vitamin C, and with illness symptoms that were less
severe and shorter lasting," Gombart said. "This supports findings
that stretch back decades, even to the days of Linus Pauling's work
with vitamin C. Our results suggest more and better designed research
studies are needed to explore the positive role multivitamin and mineral supplementation might play in bolstering the immune system of older
adults."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Oregon_State_University. Original
written by Steve Lundeberg. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Mary L. Fantacone, Malcolm B. Lowry, Sandra L. Uesugi, Alexander J.

Michels, Jaewoo Choi, Scott W. Leonard, Sean K. Gombart, Jeffrey S.

Gombart, Gerd Bobe, Adrian F. Gombart. The Effect of a Multivitamin
and Mineral Supplement on Immune Function in Healthy Older Adults:
A Double- Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 2020;
12 (8): 2447 DOI: 10.3390/nu12082447 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200818094048.htm

--- up 4 weeks, 6 days, 1 hour, 55 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1337:3/111)