Use of Nutraceuticals in Elderly to Fight Inflammation and Immuno-Senescence: A Randomized Case-Control Study

Abstract

Elderly people are at high risk of suffering from infection and being affected by severe forms of disease because their immunosystem suffers from aging. The alteration of normal immune functions causes the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines which can expose these people to increased risk of developing pathologies as cancer, diabetes, and/or arthritis. Some supplements could be helpful for restoring normal immune functions. We conducted a case-control study to evaluate the efficacy of a supplement containing Sambucus nigra, zinc, tyndallized Lactobacillus acidophilus (HA122), arabinogalactans, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin C to improve the inflammatory levels (IL-6 and CRP) and to modulate the lymphocytes growth. Additionally, we analyzed wellness by self-questionnaire. This study had two control group: a young group and an elderly one. Our study showed that treating elderly patients with the supplement for 30 days improved IL-6, CRP, and lymphocytes levels; the result was independent from the dosage of the supplements used. Elderly patients, despite the improvement, were not able to reach the same conditions of young patients; however, most of the patients (>70%) claimed to “feel better” after the use of the supplement. The use of this supplement should be considered at a low dosage for a prolonged period to reduce inflammation and modulate immune senescence in patients over 60 years old.