Nutritional Boost Helps Elderly Ward off Colds
 (NY, Reuters Health, 2/26/04)

Dr. Bobbi Langkamp-Henken of the University of Florida in Gainesville, and colleagues, monitored 34 older adults for 183 days. They gave half of the subjects an 8-oz daily dose of a nutritional supplement containing antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, specifically formulated by Abbott Laboratories (who funded the research) for older adults. Participants in the un-supplemented group reported cold symptoms for a total of 150 days; whereas those in the supplemented group had symptoms for at total of only 78 days. Subjects in the supplemented group also showed a larger increase in infection-fighting antibodies after receiving a flu vaccine. These findings suggest that nutritional supplementation may boost immune functioning in the elderly and offset the lack of an ideal diet and decreased mobility.