Immune System Boost May Help Athletes Stay Healthy Prior
research has shown that regular, moderate exercise may help
boost the immune system and reduce respiratory infections, but
research has also shown that people who engage in regular,
intense and prolonged exercise—such as athletes—may be at
increased risk for respiratory infections. In this study,
researchers test the effects of pleuran, an insoluble form of
beta-glucan from the mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus (commercial
name Imunoglukan), which has previously been shown to have
immune-boosting properties. Every day for three months, 50
randomly assigned athletes were given either two capsules of
Immunoglukan (100 mg of beta-glucan and 100 mg of vitamin C) or
placebo supplements (vitamin C 100 mg only) and were monitored
for symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections for three
months following supplementation. Results showed that the
athletes who took pleuran had increased levels of natural
“killer” cells—cells in the immune system that help fight infe