Wellmune in beverage format supports immune health in athletes, says new study

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A beverage containing immune-health ingredient Wellmune baker’s yeast beta-glucan significantly reduced the severity of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) among marathon runners in new research published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements.

In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 357 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 65 registered to participate in the 2017 Austin Marathon were given either a dairy-based beverage containing 250 mg of Wellmune or a macronutrient- and calorie-matched control beverage for a total of 91 days. Subjects began consumed the beverages every day for 45 days prior to the marathon, the day of the marathon, and for 45 days after the marathon.

Results showed that while there was no difference in the average duration and number of URTI episodes between groups, those who drank the Wellmune beverage saw significantly less symptomatic days-27 compared to 49 in the control group-as well as 19% less severe URTI symptoms based on Jackson Index ratings.

“The encouraging results of this new study provide us a greater understanding of Wellmune’s ability to help strengthen the immune system when consuming the ingredient through a beverage product,” explained Donald Cox, PhD, director of R&D for Wellmune at Kerry, in a press release. “The robust body of research around Wellmune expands across various life stages, lifestyles, and product formats, and this study builds upon Wellmune’s proven immune health benefits.”
 

References:

1. Mah E et al. “Beverage containing dispersible yeast β-glucan decreases cold/flu symptomatic days after intense exercise: A randomized controlled trial.” Journal of Dietary Supplements. Published online ahead of print on October 31, 2018.