Exercise,
Supplements Boost Flu Shots
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Oct. 3, 2002 -- Flu shots aren't 100% effective,
especially in the elderly. But new research shows there is a way to
punch up the immune system's response to a flu vaccine -- exercising and
eating right, including nutritional supplements. Though flu vaccines are 50% to 60%
effective at preventing serious illness in the elderly, older adults in
poor health are more vulnerable to the flu and its potentially deadly
effects. As people age, immune systems
don't function as well, says study leader Wendeline Wouters-Wesseling,
MD, of Numico Research B.V. and Wageningen in the Netherlands, in a news
release. As a result, the flu vaccination doesn't always provide enough
protection.
The researchers studied 19 adults
ages 65 and up. Some of the participants took a nutritional supplement,
containing nutrients to provide extra calories along with vitamins,
minerals, and high levels of antioxidants, for seven months. Others took
a placebo. They found that after receiving a
flu shot, those who took the supplement had a much stronger immune
response to the vaccine. The study appears in the September issue of the
Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
In an accompanying study,
researchers found that older adults who exercised intensely, at least
three times a week, were better protected when they got their flu shots. A less intense exercise program
did not offer the same protection. Limited or low-intensity exercise did
not affect immune response.Regular, moderate-to-vigorous
exercise, enough to work up a sweat, is the key to having the flu shots
work more effectively, says study leader Marian Kohut, PhD, of the
department of health and human performance at Iowa State University, in
a news release.
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