Condition
Autoimmune Health
Autoimmune conditions arise when the immune system, which normally defends against germs, mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues and causes ongoing inflammation. Among supplements, yeast mannan has the most research behind it, and animal studies in fish, mice and poultry found stronger immune responses; Dang Shen and Dendrobium showed similar effects in lab work. Still, this evidence is limited, nearly all of it comes from animals or cell studies, and no human trials have confirmed it.
Sources: PMID 17766145; PMID 29723205
- Updated
- How we grade
- 21 studies cited
- Supplements studied
- 6
- Graded outcomes
- 6
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immune Function Multiple animal studies across fish, mice, and poultry consistently demonstrate immune-modulatory effects of MOS, including enhanced innate immune parameters and improved immune responses to pathogen challenge. A mouse study (PMID:29723205) confirmed immune-modulatory properties of dietary yeast-derived MOS, though no human clinical trials exist. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 4 studies | |||
Studies that measured immune function
| ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immune Function Dendrobium polysaccharides show immunomodulatory effects in animal models, enhancing aspects of both innate and adaptive immunity. No human immunological trials exist. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 5 studies | |||
Studies that measured immune function
| ||||||
Longan
- Immune Function: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immune Function In immunosuppressed mice, longan pulp polysaccharide-protein complex (100 mg/kg/day) significantly increased antibody production, splenocyte proliferation, macrophage phagocytosis, and NK cell cytotoxicity, with efficacy comparable to ganoderan. In vitro, a novel longan polysaccharide (LP4) activated macrophages via TLR2/4-mediated PI3K/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 pathways. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 4 studies | |||
Omega-6 Fatty Acids
- Immune Function: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immune Function Animal studies demonstrate dose-dependent modulation of spleen lymphocyte function by dietary GLA. Cyclic vs continuous enteral feeding with GLA altered immune cell phospholipid fatty acid composition in rat lung and liver. Reviews highlight the importance of n-6/n-3 balance in immune regulation, autoimmunity, and the essentiality of n-6 for normal immune function. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 4 studies | |||
Studies that measured immune function
| ||||||
Valine
- Immune Cell Modulation: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immune Cell Modulation In vitro studies showed BCAAs influenced immune properties of microglial cells and their responsiveness to pro-inflammatory signals. A separate study found BCAAs improved mesenchymal stem cell proliferation while reducing NF-κB expression and modulating inflammatory properties. These are preclinical cell-culture findings with no human data for isolated valine. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 4 studies | |||
Studies that measured immune cell modulation | ||||||
Dang Shen
- Immune Function: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immune Function In vitro and animal studies suggest Codonopsis polysaccharides enhance immune cell function, including stimulation of macrophage activity and cytokine production. No controlled human trials have confirmed these effects. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect |
Key findings
- Immune FunctionImproves (the measure goes up)
- Immune Cell ModulationImproves (the measure goes up)
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Studies cited
21 studies from PubMed
- Comparative effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mannan-oligosaccharides, and their synbiotic on growth performance, gut morphology, immune responses, and economic efficiency in broiler chickens.
- Response of broiler chickens to dietary different yeast cell wall components challenged with Salmonella typhimurium.
- Dendrobium as a new natural source of bioactive for prevention and treatment of digestive tract diseases
- Network pharmacologic analysis of Dendrobium officinale extract inhibiting the proliferation of gastric cancer cells
- Bioactivities and mechanism of actions of Dendrobium officinale: a comprehensive review
- Branched chain amino acids improve mesenchymal stem cell proliferation, reducing nuclear factor kappa B expression and modulating some inflammatory properties.
- Dietary yeast-derived mannan oligosaccharides have immune-modulatory properties but do not improve high fat diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance.
- Branched Chain Amino Acids: Beyond Nutrition Metabolism.
- Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Brain Metabolism.
- Bioactive phenanthrene and bibenzyl derivatives from the stems of Dendrobium nobile
- Branched-chain amino acids influence the immune properties of microglial cells and their responsiveness to pro-inflammatory signals.
- Potential roles of longan flower and seed extracts for anti-cancer
- Safety evaluation of longan seed extract: acute and repeated oral administration
- In vitro antifungal activities of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) seed extract
- Immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharide-protein complex of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) pulp
- Immune stimulation and improved infection resistance in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fed mannan oligosaccharides.
- Bioactive bibenzyl derivatives and fluorenones from Dendrobium nobile
- Fatty acids, the immune response, and autoimmunity: a question of n-6 essentiality and the balance between n-6 and n-3.
- Dose-dependent effects of dietary gamma-linolenic acid on rat spleen lymphocyte functions.
- Cyclic vs continuous enteral feeding with omega-3 and gamma-linolenic fatty acids: effects on modulation of phospholipid fatty acids in rat lung and liver immune cells.
- Effects of dietary alpha- and gamma-linolenic acids on liver fatty acids, lipid metabolism, and survival in sepsis.