Wellmune Protects Children Against Infectious Illness, Study Says

Photo © iStockphoto.com/Eraxion

Immune-health ingredient Wellmune may help young children remain healthy and stave off infectious illness, according to new study results from China. The bakers yeast beta-glucan ingredient from Kerry Group (Tralee, Ireland) was found to reduce the frequency and duration of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in children aged 1-4 years, say researchers.

Compared to 15% of children in a placebo group reporting “good” health status after a 12-week supplementation period, 62% of children taking Wellmune reported the same. Children taking Wellmune were also found to have two-thirds fewer URTI incidents than the placebo group, and six fewer sick days over the 12-week period. 156 children completed the study.

The study results were presented at the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition’s (ASPEN) Clinical Nutrition Week 2016 (Austin, TX), where the research was voted Best International Abstract.

“This study is part of a growing body of clinical evidence of Wellmune’s ability to strengthen the immune system of children by helping immune cells act more quickly,” says Don Cox, PhD, senior vice president of research and development for Wellmune. “This new study, combined with previous research, demonstrates the unmatched clinical evidence behind the natural ingredient’s ability to keep kids healthy and shorten the duration of illness.”

Study Specifics

H&J CRO International Inc. (Union, New Jersey) conducted the randomized, double-blind, controlled study in Beijing, which included 156 healthy children aged 12-48 months. Participants were randomized to consume either 35 mg/day of Wellmune, 75 mg/day of Wellmune, or a placebo.

Researchers found that children taking Wellmune “were significantly healthier during the study period than those in the placebo group.” While 85% of children in the placebo group experienced at least one episode of infectious illness during the 12-week study period, 47% of children in the 35-mg Wellmune group and 32% of children in the 75-mg Wellmune group experienced infectious illness.

Additionally, URTI incidence was significantly higher in the placebo group than either Wellmune group, and the number of days with URTI symptoms was also significantly higher in the placebo group. Researchers found no statistically significant difference between the 35-mg and 75-mg Wellmune dosage groups.

“Bakers yeast beta-glucan significantly decreased total episodes of common childhood infectious illness and episodes of URTI for children ages 12-48 months in a daycare setting,” researchers concluded.

Read more:

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Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook Magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com