2 Mar 2010 --- Wellmune WGP, a natural carbohydrate that activates key immune cells, reduced the incidence of cold-like symptoms and improved the psychological well-being of individuals with stressful lifestyles, reports a new study published in Agro Food Industry Hi-Tech. Wellmune WGP is a food, beverage and dietary supplement ingredient from Biothera.

It is scientifically well established that stress can decrease immune function, rendering individuals more susceptible to health challenges. Previous clinical studies demonstrated that Wellmune WGP reduced the severity and duration of upper respiratory tract infection symptoms (URTI) in physically stressed individuals as well as in non-stressed subjects.

In this double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, 150 people (45 men and 105 women; mean age 39 years, range 18-65 years) with moderate to highly stressful lifestyles consumed Wellmune WGP or a placebo each day for four weeks. The study measured both stress-related incidence of URTI symptoms (i.e. nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, cough, fatigue, headache, general malaise and body aches) and psychological well-being, including levels of vigor, tension, mental clarity and fatigue.

Physical Well-Being
After two weeks, 32% of the subjects in the placebo group reported URTI symptoms, compared with only 10% in the group taking 250 mgs of Wellmune WGP. At four weeks, 28% of the placebo group reported URTI symptoms, compared with 8% in the group taking Wellmune WGP (p value <0.05).

Psychological Well-Being
The Wellmune WGP group reported a 41% increase in general health when compared with the placebo group over the four-week study period. In comparison with the placebo group, the Wellmune WGP group reported statistically significant increases in vigor and reductions in fatigue (38%), tension (19%) and confusion (15%). (All reported data was p<0.05 vs.placebo.)

The psychological health assessment was obtained with a Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire, a validated psychometric test that measures six moods states (vigor, fatigue, tension, confusion, depression and anger) using 65 adjective-based intensity scales. The POMS profile has been used in more than 2,900 health studies.

Everyone experiencing lifestyle stress arising from their careers, travel, relationships or other sources may benefit from Wellmune WGP and its ability to naturally enhance our immune systems, said Shawn Talbot, Ph.D., research director for GLH Nutrition, an independent research group that conducted the study for Biothera. Wellmune WGP¹s activation of innate immune cells during stressful periods can bolster our weakened immune defenses.