2023-11-06 17:36:31
“In view of the flu season and a possible new Covid wave, the vaccine continues to represent our best form of protection: it is therefore useless to think that immune defense supplements can replace the vaccine. Furthermore, not all substances are able to stimulate the immune response by strengthening it, if not accompanied by a healthy and balanced diet, regular physical activity and the advice of your doctor, who will be able to indicate the right supplement, in the right dosage, based on your state of health “. This was stated in a note by Francesco Landi, director of the Aging Sciences Department, past president of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Sigg) and author of a recent review on the role of nutrients and dietary supplements in the elderly with long-Covid.
“Our recent review of 200 studies on dozens of compounds has shown that only a few have a ‘booster’ effect on the immune system and only on medical advice and if combined with a balanced diet and regular physical activity.” But solid scientific evidence is needed and incontrovertible, deriving from controlled clinical studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of food supplements on immune defenses. “Solid results – underlines Landi – seem to emerge from our review, supported in part by the Ministry of Health and published in Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, and by subsequent studies, especially on the mix of arginine and vitamin C and on bromelain”.
In this period, requests for immune defense supplements are increasing – we read in the note – which have recorded a boom in sales in recent years, also driven by the pandemic. Demonstrating the growing trend is a recent photograph taken by Integratori & Salute, the association representing the food supplement sector in Italy, according to which purchases of supplements aimed at strengthening immune defenses have increased by 144% in the last decade. %.
But it is necessary to clarify the role of taking these nutraceuticals to understand if they can be really useful for the immune system, in view of the flu season and in the event of a new Covid wave, as well as on the symptoms of Long Covid. From arginine to bromelain, from vitamin C to lactoferrin, up to vitamin D, troxerutin and many other common substances, there are dozens of compounds and combinations that the study conducted by the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital Foundation Irccs – Università Cattolica Campus of Rome, coordinated by Landi, it was examined with the aim of evaluating its potential effects on the immune system, especially in the elderly population with long Covid.
“Arginine is an amino acid produced naturally by the body, which stimulates nitric oxide, a key enzyme for correct immune and vascular function – explains Landi – Vitamin C, on the other hand, thanks to a nanotechnology that optimizes its absorption without side effects, it reduces oxidative stress and improves vascular remodeling with cascading beneficial effects on the entire organism”. Bromelain, an enzyme derived from the fruit and stem of the pineapple, is also considered an anti-inflammatory agent. There are data, although still preliminary – continues the note – which demonstrate that bromelain is associated with an alleviation of post-Covid symptoms and a significant reduction in C-reactive protein linked to inflammation.
Landi’s invitation is therefore to pay attention to the choice of products used to “strengthen” the immune defenses. “It is right to take advantage of the protective effect of some supplements on health. However, the advice is to talk to your doctor to choose the right supplement and to evaluate the opportunity to use it on a case-by-case basis”, he concludes.
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