Immune enhancing herbs

[Drug addict]

Are you sure? It's on a 'named patient basis' in the UK because it's been deemed medicinal, not because of any perceived side effects. I have also not been able to find any other sources linking melatonin to liver damage.

 

I'll try and find some sources for that, but I was told it by another pharmacist I work with and is very good on clinical issues. The named patient basis was more of a side note. Licences are granted on the basis of safety and efficacy (ignoring the recent debacle with homeopathic preparations), so melatonin doesn't have a licence because either a) it's not effective or b) it's not safe.

[1veedo]

I dont know about the UK but in the US it's available w/o restrictions. The FDA doesn't regulate things like supplements though. Melatonin and any other supplement has to carry a disclaimer:

 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

 

Our government does do quality checks though. Bodybuilding.com's special line of products got in trouble recently about marketing and again about claiming certain things were in one of their higher power products (they claimed so much % of egcg in their green tea and came up short).

 

[haha, rant]

I think I'd trust the UK before the US though. A lot of people that dont need their molars removed in the US go ahead and do it, even if they're at risk of damaging that nerve or getting into other complications. I read an official letter from the UK government that was telling dentists to only remove molars if absolutely necessary (ie, the patient complains about pain). In the US we do it just because it makes some people money. [/rant]

 

Yeah but green tea is another thing. I was just reading about green tea/egcg, which is how I came across that FDA letter. It's supposedly good for your immune system.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EGCG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tea#Health_benefits

[Aardvark]

One of my teachers was telling us to take 1200mg calcium, so much vitamine C (500mg I think), melatonin, and something else, to boost the immune system.

 

I can't understand why your teacher would recommend calcium for the immune system. It is not a nutrient associated with immune function, but taking 1200mg supplements on top of your normal diet sounds like bad advice. Overdosing on calcium is not a good thing.

 

On the other hand, it's not practically possible to overdose on vitamin C as it is water soluble, if the body has too much it simply excretes it out. There is a substantial body of evidence that vitamin C does contribute to the effective functioning of the immune system and that high levels doees reduce the duration of infections.

 

This link to the Pauling Linus institute is a serious site of research on the health implications of different nutrients.

 

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/

 

Personally, i swear by 1000mg of Vitamin C each day and a capsule of cod liver oil.

[Drug addict]

Actually, the calcium is probably the best recomendation of the lot (prescribed calcium supplements contain 600mg of calcium and are taken twice a day [i.e Adcal and Calcichew preparations]). Bearing in mind that most teenagers, particularly females, do not consume enough calcium during their youth, thus increasing their risk of osteoporosis in late life, its not a bad idea to take supplements.

[Aardvark]

Actually, the calcium is probably the best recomendation of the lot

 

I'm not sure about that. The teacher apparently recommended calcium supplements as an aid to the immune system, i've never heard of any evidence that calcium is useful in that way.

 

 

Bearing in mind that most teenagers, particularly females, do not consume enough calcium during their youth, thus increasing their risk of osteoporosis in late life, its not a bad idea to take supplements.

 

Sure, if a diet is deficent then a top up would be reasonable but te teacher was talking about the immune system. It sounds like some disinformation being spread, if people are going to be taking supplements then they should have the correct information to base their choices on.

 

Anyway, for optimum immune function the evidence for vitamin C convinces me.

[1veedo]

Yeah, she said the calcium "worked with" something else to boost the immune system. She recommended melatonin and selenium, one of which supposedly needs calcium. And as a senior class nobody is really going to be growing bones. After 16 you pretty much stop growing.

 

It turns out my multivitamine has selenium so I guess there's no harm there. It also has a "sports blend" with green tea leaf extract, some BCAAs, and whatnot. (honestly I think it's more of a marketing ploy. GNC just wants to sell expensive vitamins)

[ecoli]

Yeah, she said the calcium "worked with" something else to boost the immune system. She recommended melatonin and selenium, one of which supposedly needs calcium. And as a senior class nobody is really going to be growing bones. After 16 you pretty much stop growing.

 

Of course you don't need as much calcium after puberty, but your body is constantly repairing itself. Women especially should make sure they get enough calcium to avoid osteoporosis.