Do Sports Supplements Damage the Immune System? CBCD Reviews the Medical Literature
Industry: Health & Fitness
In a recent survey, 92% of respondents asked about sports supplements and the immune system. CBCD reviews the medical literature and recommends two antiviral supplements.
NEW YORK (PRUnderground) June 5th, 2014
According to Dr. Kreider, “branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and glutamine may be involved in exercise-induced central fatigue and immune suppression.” (1) Dr. Kreider also said that “there is little evidence that supplementation of these amino acids enhances athletic performance.” (1) Dr. Richard B Kreider works at the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory, Department of Human Movement Sciences & Education, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee.
What happens in the body when the the immune system weakens? Latent viruses, such as the herpes virus, or the HPV, reactivate, replicate, and cause health problems, such as abnormal growths, and fatigue.
The CBCD recommends that people who use amino acid sports supplements take Gene-Eden-VIR or Novirin. The formula of these natural antiviral products was tested by Hanan Polansky and Edan Itzkovitz from the CBCD in two clinical studies that followed FDA guidelines. The studies showed that the Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin formula is effective against many viruses. The clinical studies were published in the peer reviewed, medical journal Pharmacology & Pharmacy, the first, in a special edition on Advances in Antiviral Drugs. Study authors wrote that, “individuals infected with (viruses)…reported a safe decrease in their symptoms following treatment with Gene-Eden-VIR.” (2) The study authors also wrote that, “we observed a statistically significant decrease in the severity, duration, and frequency of symptoms.” (2)
Both products can be ordered online on the Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin websites.
Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin are natural antiviral dietary supplements. Their formula contains five natural ingredients: Selenium, Camellia Sinesis Extract, Quercetin, Cinnamomum Extract, and Licorice Extract. The first ingredient is a trace element, and the other four are plant extracts. Each ingredient and its dose was chosen through a scientific approach. Scientists at polyDNA, the company that invented and patented the formula, scanned thousands of scientific and medical papers published in various medical and scientific journals, and identified the safest and most effective natural ingredients against latent viruses. To date, Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin are the only natural antiviral products on the market with published clinical studies that support their claims.
Another study, authored by Dr. Gleeson and Dr. Bishop, provide additional findings showing that some sports supplements can harm the immune system. They wrote that “excessive amounts of specific nutrients … have the potential to cause detrimental effects to immune function.” (3) They also wrote that “megadoses of vitamins and minerals are just some of the many dietary alterations commonly used by athletes. Such dietary extremes may in fact compromise immune function.” (3) Both Dr. Gleeson and Dr. Bishop work at the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, in England.
In addition to these negative effects, intense and prolonged exercise can also damage the immune system even without the use of supplements. Dr. Gleeson and Dr. Bishop found that “heavy prolonged exertion is associated with numerous hormonal and biochemical changes, many of which potentially have detrimental effects on immune function. Furthermore, improper nutrition can compound the negative influence of heavy exertion on immunocompetence.” (3)
What happens when the immune system is suppressed?
“Although normally suppressed, the virus may later reactivate, particularly in cases of immunosuppression.” (4). When a latent virus, such as the herpes virus, is reactivated, it replicates, and causes characteristic symptoms, including cold sores, fever blisters, and genital sores.
Click to learn more about Gene-Eden-VIR and herpes virus.
References:
(1) Effects of Protein and Amino-Acid Supplementation on Athletic Performance. Published in 1999.
(2) Polansky H, Itzkovitz E. Gene-Eden-VIR Is Antiviral: Results of a Post Marketing Clinical Study. Pharmacology & Pharmacy, 2013, 4, 1-8 https://dx.doi.org/10.4236/pp.2013.46A001
(3) Gleeson M, Bishop NC. Special feature for the Olympics: effects of exercise on the immune system: modification of immune responses to exercise by carbohydrate, glutamine and anti-oxidant supplements Immunol Cell Biol. 2000 Oct;78(5):554-61
(4) Hunt R. Virology, Chpater 11, Herpes Viruses, Microbiology and Immunology On-Line University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Virology – Last updated May 24, 2011.
About CBCD
About CBCD
The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (https://www.cbcd.net) is a not-for-profit tax-exempt organization under section 501(c) 3 of the IRS tax code. The center’s mission is to advance the research on the biology of chronic disease and to accelerate the discovery of a cure for these diseases. The CBCD first published Dr. Hanan Polansky’s highly acclaimed “Purple” book, entitled “Microcompetition with Foreign DNA and the Origin of Chronic Disease” in 2003. In this book, he explains how foreign DNA fragments can cause many major diseases. The book has been read by more than 5,000 scientists around the world, and has been reviewed in more than 20 leading scientific journals. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
