Research Abstract
WGP® 3-6 Supplement Reduces Immune Suppression and Improves Mood State in Stressed Subjects
Talbott S.(1), Talbott J.(1) and Cox, D.(2)
(1) SupplementWatch , Inc., Draper, UT and (2) Biothera, Eagan, MN
Several studies show a suppression of both immune system function and mood state following psychological or physical stress. Polyglucopyanose carbohydrate polymers (Beta-1,3/1,6 D glucan), extracted from yeast cell walls (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), have been shown effective in reducing the incidence of colds and flu, and in enhancing phagocytic activity of macrophages, neutrophils, and naturall killer (NK) cells. Our objective was to evaluate the ffects of a glucopyranose supplement (WGP 3-6®, Biothera) on psychological parameters and immune function under conditions of stress. We recruited two groups of subjects; one group of "healthy-stress" (HS) subjects (N=150) and another of "over-stressed" (OS) marathon runners (N=75). Both were supplemented with 250mg/d or 500mg/d of WGP® 3-6 or a placebo for 4 weeks. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) survey was used to evaluate psychological parameters and a quantitative health perception log was used to record symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) at baseline and week 4. Results showed that both the 250mg and 500 mg doses of WGP® 3-6 were effective in improving Global Mood State in HS (130+21 and 128+19, respectively, both p<0.05) compared to placebo (159+29). Supplemented HS subjects also reported fewer URTIs (8%) and rated their overall health higher (7.1+1.7 and 7.9+1.9) compared to placebo (28% and 5.3+1.4, respectively, all p<0.05). OS subjects showed similar results, with both 250mg and 500mg doses of WGP® 3-6 improving Global Mood State (100+97 and 97+19, respectively, reducing URTI sumptoms (8%) and improving subjective health (6.0+1.5 and 7.5+1.4) compared to placebo (111+24, 24% and 5.2+2.0, respectively, all p<0.05). These data show that daily dietary supplementation with glucopryanose (WGP® 3-6) reduces both the suppression of immune system function and the reduced mood state often observed subsequent to physical or psychological stress. Supplementation with WGP® 3-6 may be a useful appraoch for maintaining immune protection against daily stress.