How do you compare immune system support products? The market is overrun by products claiming to support your immune system. They are called by many names, immune boosters, immune modulators, transfer factors, etc… The list goes on and on.
Many immune support products offer no real peer reviewed evidence to back their claims.
What is peer reviewed evidence?
These are medical journals that document and review scientific studies conducted at medical institutions, universities, hospitals, etc… The list is huge. These journals cover studies conducted on everything, food, disease, genetics, etc…[1]
If you are a doctor or scientist, professor, etc… this is where you submit the results of you research work for publication. It allows your peers to review your work, and if they want to conduct a re-test of your work to verify the results for themselves. The publications and their staff are independent from the individuals who conducted the studies. It is also called evidence-based research. Thousands of studies are submitted each year, not many are accepted. Those that are accepted for publication become the “cream of the crop.”
The article contains a complete description of what tests were performed, what equipment was used, the material used, what the results were, etc… Everything from A to Z. This allows another researcher to properly compare immune support products, to duplicate the test to verify the results documented in the publication. It adds to unquestionable creditability to the research by allowing other researchers to duplicate the results over and over again.
A Brief overview on how the immune system works;
- Phagocytosis
- Splenocytes surface markers
- Synthesis of Cytokines
- Stimulation of antibody response
Phagocytosis[2] is the body process of consuming and ingesting bacteria or other foreign material/invaders by phagocytes. Phagocytes are one of the first lines of defense for our body. They are the white blood cells of the immune system who’s primary function is to destroy diseased cells or foreign invaders in our body.
To see phagocytosis in action please review this video.
Splenocytes are spleen cells. Also called lymphocytes, granulocytes, or other immune cells their purpose is to regulate immune response. This includes the all important CD4 and CD8.
Cytokines can be the communication system between cells that can effect the behavior of cells for the purposes of immune response. Cytokines include;
- Interleukins
- Lymphokines
- Cell signal molecules, such as tumor necrosis factor and the interferons.
They may cause inflammation and they also respond to infections. They also help regulate the immune system. The faster Cytokines are created the more effective the immune system is at responding to a threat upon it.
Antibody is a product of the immune system that acts a a maker, a homing beacon if you will, that helps the immune system recognize and attack infections and other invaders. Just like cytokines, the quicker the response of antibodies to an infection or invader the more effective the immune system response will be.
[1] https://www.vitaminpros.com/immune-support/wellmune-beta-glucan-studies/
[2] An Evaluation of the Immunological Activities of Commercially Available B1,3-Glucans.
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phagocytosis
