Study: Wellmune WGP Reduces Allergy Symptoms Among Ragweed Sufferers

Wellmune WGP, a natural immune health ingredient for foods, beverages and supplements, reduced allergy symptoms and improved the quality of life of ragweed allergy sufferers according to clinical results published online in the peer-reviewed journal Food Science & Nutrition.

19 Feb 2013 --- Allergy and asthma are two major diseases that negatively impact the quality of life of Europeans. They are the 6th leading cause of chronic diseases and have escalated the health care costs to over 18 billion Euros per year. It is estimated that by 2015 half of all Europeans will suffer from an allergy. Allergy symptoms are caused by an immune system overreaction to pollen, and typical symptoms include nasal congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes, headache and difficulty breathing. Allergy patients may be locked in a vicious circle of stress, which is both a result of, and a stimulus for their condition. Acute stress has been shown to accelerate disease onset, but recent surveys show that the diseases themselves can be considered stressful life events. More than one third of all European allergy sufferers feel that their symptoms make them tired and irritable al time due to disturbed sleep patterns resulting in lethargy, indecision and significant impairment in learning and cognition.

Improves Quality of Life
The placebo-controlled, double-blinded study of 48 healthy people who were subjected to
high pollen counts demonstrated statistically significant (p<0.05):
• Reductions in overall symptoms and severity
• Reductions in key nasal and eye-related allergy symptoms
• Improvement on the Quality of Life Index, a scientifically validated tool for measuring how participants rate their overall sense of wellness.

Wellmune, a proprietary baker’s yeast beta glucan, mobilizes billions of innate immune cells that are part of the body’s natural defenses without over-stimulating the immune system. In this study, Wellmune was found to modulate the immune system when less of an immune response was needed.

The results of this study are consistent with numerous previous peer-reviewed, published studies demonstrating that Wellmune can safely prime the immune system to keep the body healthy.

“The findings suggest that Wellmune WGP can play an effective role in reducing seasonal allergy symptoms among ragweed allergy sufferers,” said Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D., lead investigator, GLH Nutrition, LLC. “While these results are encouraging, additional studies including more study participants should be conducted.” “A daily regimen including all-natural Wellmune WGP is well-documented to safely support immune health, a key contributor to overall health and well-being,” said Jan Oddvar Johansen, chairman of Immitec Nutrition, Norway. “Given the important role immune modulation plays in managing symptoms, allergy sufferers who choose foods, beverages and supplements with clinically proven immune support can help ease their discomfort during allergy season.”

The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study included self-described “moderate” ragweed allergy sufferers. Forty-eight healthy subjects were equally divided 48 healthy subjects (31 female, 17 male; 39± 13 years of age) into two groups. One group consumed a placebo while the other a 250 mg serving of Wellmune WGP daily for four weeks during September/October 2011 in an area of southeast Ohio with high pollen counts. Participants completed allergy surveys including the validated Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) to assess differences in allergy symptoms. The research was funded by Biothera, Inc.