Summary This study by various U.S. research institutes aimed to find out whether vitamin D supplementation affects the risk of diabetes. The study included 2,158 participants with prediabetes (elevated blood sugar levels that fall below the threshold to diagnose diabetes) who were assigned to either a vitamin D group (1,074 individuals) or a placebo group…
Summary Studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency is associated with metabolic disorders such as hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and dyslipidemia (abnormal amount of lipids in the blood), as well as increased oxidative stress, which can cause a variety of diseases. Scientists at the Medical University of Łódź (Poland) explored the effect of vitamin D supplementation…
Summary A study at the University of Chile explored whether omega-3 fatty acids and specific vitamins can strengthen the antioxidant system and, in this way, reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation. The antioxidant system is a group of enzymes and antioxidant molecules that control the formation of free radicals and reactive oxygen compounds and…
Summary A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the benefit and safety of long-term intravenous iron administration in patients with heart failure. For this purpose, 152 heart failure patients with iron deficiency received a daily intravenous iron supplement for one year. The treatment led to long-term improvements in the patients’ functional capacity (ability…
Summary In this Indian study, a zinc supplement was tested as a preventative measure against acute respiratory infections in infants. A group of 272 children, aged between 6 and 11 months, was involved in this study. 141 children received the zinc supplement, and 131 children received a placebo product for 2 weeks. Zinc supplementation was…
Summary This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of zinc in children with acute lower respiratory infections. The children, aged less than 5 years, received either a zinc supplement or a placebo product for 60 days. Zinc supplementation led to a significantly lower number of cases of acute lower respiratory infections (20.8% vs. 45.8%)…
Summary According to this Egyptian study, vitamin D is an essential micronutrient in treating viral hepatitis C infections. The study involved 66 children diagnosed with hepatitis C and 28 healthy children. All participants received conventional therapy, with 33 patients additionally receiving a vitamin D supplement. Several parameters were measured to determine the effectiveness of the…
Summary A trial conducted by an American research institute investigated the effectiveness of high-dose vitamin C in suppressing Epstein-Barr infections. The data of 218 patients were evaluated. The researchers found that high doses of vitamin C decreased disease duration and reduced the number of viral antibodies indicating infection with the virus. Additionally, vitamin D was…
Summary Infectious diseases are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates in children in developing countries. A study conducted by several Bengali and American researchers investigated the effects of a weekly zinc supplementation on the incidence of pneumonia and diarrhea in children in Bangladesh. The study participants – children aged between 60 days and 12…
Summary This Philippian study investigated the cost-effectiveness of zinc supplementation in children with acute diarrhea. 117 diarrhea patients aged between 2 and 59 months were involved in this trial. 60 patients received zinc in combination with a conventional oral rehydration solution (standard treatment), and 57 patients received only the conventional treatment. The results showed a…
Summary This study, conducted by a Bengali and an American research institute, investigated the effects of zinc supplementation in malnourished children with shigellosis (infection of the intestines caused by Shigella bacteria). The study was conducted in a Bengali hospital and included 56 moderately malnourished children between 12 and 59 months. The children received liquid zinc or a…
Summary A study conducted by Bengali researchers investigated the impact of zinc supplementation in children with cholera. The study involved 179 children with diarrhea and positively tested on cholera microbes. 90 patients received a daily zinc supplementation combined with the conventional therapy (antibiotics); 89 patients received a placebo in addition to the conventional treatment. Among…
Summary This study by several Iranian research institutes investigated the connection between vitamin D levels and the severity of COVID-19 infections. 123 people participated in this study, including 63 COVID-19 patients and 60 healthy participants. The study showed that COVID-19 patients had significantly lower vitamin D levels and a significantly higher number of ACE receptors,…
Summary According to a study conducted by several Colombian research institutes, zinc supplementation can have beneficial effects in preventing upper respiratory tract infections and diarrheal infectious diseases in children. 355 children were involved in this study. During 12 months, the test group, including 174 healthy children aged between 6 and 12 months, received a daily…
Summary According to an Indian study, supplementation with zinc and vitamin A combined with other micronutrients could be efficient in treating children with acute diarrhea. The study examined the effects of different micronutrient combinations in children aged between 6 and 24 months with diarrhea and moderate dehydration. The study results were compared to the outcomes…
Summary The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of selenium supplementation in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare, life-threatening heart disease. One hundred subjects with a left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 45% (percentage of blood volume ejected from a ventricle during a cardiac action) and selenium deficiency took…
Summary The present study investigated the efficacy of taurine supplementation against atherosclerosis and inflammation in patients with heart failure. Subjects with heart failure and an ejection fraction (percentage of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out with each contraction) of less than 50% participated in the study. Subjects took 500 mg of taurine 3…
Summary This study aimed to analyze the effects of a leucine-enriched amino acid supplement on muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical function in stroke patients with sarcopenia. The study involved 44 elderly stroke patients who took the aforementioned supplement for eight weeks. The subjects also performed a low-intensity rehabilitation program. The result showed that the…
Summary This study investigated the effect of high-dose taurine supplementation in patients with recurrent stroke-like episodes. For this purpose, 10 patients were observed who received either 9 g or 12 g of taurine daily for 52 weeks. The results showed that oral taurine supplementation effectively reduced the incidence of stroke. Further details can be found…
Summary This Turkish study aimed to determine the efficacy of prophylactic zinc sulfate treatment in reducing the common cold in children and evaluating the effectiveness of zinc sulfate in reducing the duration and severity of cold symptoms. 200 healthy children received a prophylactic oral zinc sulfate product (100 children) or placebo product (100 children) once…
Summary This study, conducted by scientists from several research institutes in Ghana, Austria, and the USA, investigated the impact of vitamin A alone compared to a combination of vitamin A and zinc on the incidence of malaria. 200 children aged between 6 and 24 months were divided into two groups. Participants in the intervention group…
Summary This study, conducted by researchers from Burkina Faso, the USA, and Austria, investigated the effects of a combined vitamin A and zinc supplementation on Malaria morbidity in children aged between 6 and 72 months in Burkina Faso. Children were divided into two groups of each 74 participants. One group received the micronutrient supplement, and…
Summary The present study investigated the effect of vitamin A supplementation in pregnant Malaria-infected women in Nigeria. 152 Malaria-infected pregnant women were involved; 76 received a vitamin A supplement 3 times a week (once daily), and 76 participants received a placebo without active ingredients. The pregnant women were followed up until the delivery of their…
Summary According to a study conducted by several research institutes in various countries, vitamin A and zinc supplementation increase the efficacy of standard antituberculosis therapy. Two groups of each 40 participants with newly diagnosed tuberculosis were involved in this study. One group received a supplement containing vitamin A and zinc; the other group received a…
Summary Quercetin is known for its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. An Iranian study investigated the effects of quercetin supplementation on inflammation and oxidative stress in amateur athletes. 60 participants were involved, which were divided into 4 subgroups of each 15 participants. In the course of 8 weeks, one subgroup received quercetin and vitamin C, one…
Summary Numerous studies have pointed out the clear connection between a well-functioning immune system and a sufficient daily intake of multiple specific micronutrients, including vitamins A, D, C, E, B6, and B12, folate, zinc, iron, copper, and selenium, which often play synergistic roles. Micronutrient deficiencies frequently occur in the human body, and even marginal deficiencies…
Summary In this study, researchers aimed to investigate the (preventive) effect of vitamin D supplementation on the incidence of seasonal flu and respiratory tract infections in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) during the winter and early spring. 223 patients with IBD were included and categorized in two groups: One test group received a vitamin…
Summary This Korean study investigated the effects of several essential micronutrients on the incidence of COVID-19 infections. To this end, several micronutrients were measured in 50 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. This study showed that 76% of these patients were vitamin D deficient, and 42% were selenium deficient. Furthermore, the COVID-19 group showed lower vitamin D…
Summary An Israelian study found a direct association between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of COVID-19 infections. In this study, the data of 7807 participants were used. Participants were tested on COVID-19, and blood samples were used to measure vitamin D levels. Participants who tested positive on COVID-19 had a significantly lower…
Summary A study conducted by the University of Chicago examined the association between vitamin D levels and other clinical characteristics related to COVID-19. 489 patients were involved. Patients with a deficient vitamin D level showed a 1.77 times greater risk to test positive for COVID-19. This study showed a direct association between vitamin D deficiency…
Summary This study, conducted by Turkish researchers, investigated the effect of vitamin D levels on COVID-19 severity and mortality in 149 COVID-19 patients. Results showed that patients with critical complaints had significantly lower vitamin D levels than patients with moderate COVID-19 complaints. Vitamin D insufficiency was measured in 93.1% of the patients with critical complaints.…
Summary This study, conducted by several Iranian and American research institutes, investigated the association between vitamin D levels and its effect on several adverse clinical outcomes and parameters related to immune function and mortality rate in 235 COVID-19 patients. This study showed a significant association between vitamin D sufficiency, less severe clinical complaints, and better…
Summary In a study conducted by several Indian research institutes, the zinc levels of 47 Covid-19 patients were compared with the zinc levels of 45 healthy people (control group). The results showed that a significant number of the involved Covid-19 patients (57,4%) had a zinc deficiency compared to the control group. These patients developed more…
Summary According to several studies, curcumin could be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of common diseases, including infectious diseases. Curcumin has, among others, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-microbial effects, making it an effective substance to inhibit related diseases. Additionally, curcumin is inexpensive, does not have any adverse side effects, and could also be a beneficial…
Summary An increasing number of scientific studies show that natural supplements significantly improve immune function. Supplements have gained importance due to their minimal side effects, low costs, and abundance. More than 7000 articles reported about the various positive aspects of curcumin, including, among others, its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, curcumin could be a therapeutic…
Summary Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient contributing to a well-functioning immune system. This is because it affects several immune processes in the human body and protects against environmental oxidative stress. Vitamin C deficiency results in impaired immunity and a higher susceptibility to infections. In turn, infections can also influence vitamin C levels due to…
Summary According to a Swiss study, micronutrient deficiency is a limiting factor in children’s health. Studies from several countries show that vitamin C and zinc deficiencies are increasing. Optimal micronutrient levels are essential for a well-functioning immune system and to combat infections. Deficiencies can induce an impaired immune defense. Vitamin C and zinc, for example,…
Summary This review gives an overview of several studies on the impact of zinc supplementation on morbidity and mortality in children suffering from infectious diseases. In children older than 12 months, zinc supplementation reduced the incidence of diarrhea by 20%. Additionally, the relative risk of diarrhea was decreased by 27%. Zinc supplementation also reduced the…
Summary Zinc deficiency is widely recognized as a risk factor for morbidity and mortality, especially among young children. Acute and persistent diarrhea, a common cause of death in young children, can be induced by zinc deficiencies. Supplementation of zinc can be beneficial to reduce the duration of acute and persistent diarrhea. More details can be…
Summary Zinc is a micronutrient essential in maintaining a well-functioning immune system. Its deficiency can induce dysfunctions of the immune system and make people more susceptible to infectious diseases. Inflammations are also related to zinc deficiency since zinc has an important influence on pro-inflammatory factors in the human body. In addition to an adequate diet,…
Summary Immune cells require large amounts of vitamin C to function well. An increased turnover of vitamin C in the body due to, for instance, stress and illness can induce vitamin C deficiency when its intake is too low. Several immune processes are influenced by vitamin C. Consequently, a sufficient level of vitamin C is…
Summary A review composed by several American and Canadian research institutes gave an overview of studies on vitamin D evaluating its influence on immunity and its function as an immunomodulator. Vitamin D deficiency often occurs in the winter season as a result of decreased sunlight and sun exposure. Several studies showed a clear relation between…
Summary According to several studies, omega-3 fatty acids have beneficial effects on inflammatory processes in the whole body. This is because omega-3 fatty acids inhibit several factors inducing inflammations. Animal studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial in treating inflammatory diseases like Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and asthma. More details can be…
Summary Curcumin has shown significant regulating effects on immune cells and, thereby, beneficial effects in modulating the immune system, which is involved in inflammations and other chronic diseases. There is a lower incidence of chronic diseases in people from countries where curcumin is consumed. This is due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Studies have…
Summary This meta-analysis was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on coronary heart disease. For this purpose, 18 randomized controlled trials and 16 prospective cohort studies were analyzed. The studies suggest that the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are associated with a reduced…
Summary Several American and Italian research institutes investigated the effects of fish oil supplementation on bleedings before, during, and after a surgical operation to prevent major bleedings. The study was conducted in 1516 patients who had a planned cardiac surgery. The study showed that fish oil supplementation did not increase the number of bleedings (which…
Summary A study conducted by several German researchers investigated 20 trauma patients with disorders in wound healing. For 14 days, these patients received a supplement containing antioxidant micronutrients. The level of micronutrients and other parameters were measured before and after the supplementation period. Additionally, the period of wound closure was measured. The results showed that…
Summary This study is an overview of three trials investigating the effect of vitamin C supplementation on cold-induced asthma attacks. In total, 79 people participated. All three studies found beneficial effects of vitamin C supplementation against asthma attacks and other asthma symptoms. According to these studies, the administration of vitamin C alleviates common cold symptoms…
Summary Early signs of vitamin C deficiency often go unrecognized and may manifest as a reduced desire to be physically active. Moreover, it is often associated with increased cold duration and severity. A study conducted by several American institutes investigated the effects of vitamin C supplementation on physical activity and respiratory tract infections during the…
Summary This study is an overview of several studies on the preventive effects of vitamin D supplementation on acute respiratory tract infections. 25 eligible studies were identified based on individual participant data. These studies showed a reduced risk of acute respiratory tract infections and a preventive and protective effect in all participants after daily or…