The effects of nutrition bio-shield superfood powder on immune system function: A clinical trial study among patients with COVID-19

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Nutrition Bio-shield Superfood (NBS) powder on the immune system function and clinical manifestations in patients with COVID-19. We compare the effects of NBS powder on the immune system function and clinical manifestations among two different groups: 1) intervention group receiving standard treatment scheduled according to treatment guidelines plus NBS powder, and 2) control group receiving only the same standard treatment. The serum levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-17, IFNγ, and TNFα were determined after four weeks of treatment by specific ELISA kits according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Finally, the level of immune system stimulation and inflammatory markers were compared at baseline and after intervention in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22). A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was set as significant. A total of 47 patients with COVID-19 (24 patients in the intervention group and 23 patients in the control group) were included in this study. Results showed that the differences in the mean decrease of IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α in the intervention group in comparison to the control group were 0.93, 10.28, and 8.11 pg/ml, respectively (P<0.001). On the other hand, there was no difference in IL-17, IFNγ, monocytes, eosinophil, and other inflammatory indices between the intervention and control groups. Although NBS powder was able to significantly decrease the levels of some proinflammatory cytokines in patients with COVID-19, however, it is noteworthy that the course of the disease was to large part unaffected by NBS power and there was a reduction independent of treatment. The present study indicates that NBS powder could provide a beneficial anti-inflammatory effect in patients with COVID-19. Hence, NBS in treating patients with COVID-19 shows promise as an adjuvant to the current standard antiviral treatment of such patients.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://www.irct.ir, identifier IRCT20200426047206N1.

NBS superfood: a promising adjunctive therapy in critically ill ICU patients with omicron variant of COVID-19

“…In a clinical trial conducted by Jalilian et al in Iran, the impact of NBS on immune system function in COVID-19 patients was thoroughly investigated. Their study revealed that the consumption of NBS powder over a duration of 4 weeks yielded a significant influence on the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, particularly interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), in individuals afflicted with COVID-19 (Azizi Jalilian et al 2022 ). Furthermore, Mosadegh et al conducted a meticulously designed study investigating the impact of NBS superfood on a spectrum of laboratory biomarkers and disease severity in patients afflicted with COVID-19.…”

“…Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), initially documented on December 31, 2019, has been identified as the etiological agent responsible for the onset of the infectious ailment recognized as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Azizi Jalilian et al 2022 ). COVID-19, having disseminated globally, attained the status of a global pandemic as officially declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020 (Weidmann et al 2021 ; Oristrell et al 2022 ).…”

“…The Nutrition Bio-Shield (NBS Organik®, İstanbul, Turkey) powder is designated with an approved identification number (006633-14.11.2019) and is categorized as a natural herbal supplement known for its immune system-enhancing properties (Bayat et al 2014 ). NBS primarily derives from wheat germ and encompasses a diverse array of essential vitamins, including A, B1–B3, B5, B6, B9, C, D, K, and a complement of vital minerals such as potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, boron, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, as well as essential fatty acids like omega-6 and omega-9, in addition to other macro and micro molecules (Azizi Jalilian et al 2022 ; Mosadegh et al 2022a , b ).…”

Risk of bias in epidemiological studies regarding nutrition interventions for COVID‐19

“…Several epidemiological studies have investigated the effects of multiple nutrition interventions on the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 disease and post-COVID syndrome, and their results were encouraging. [1][2][3] However, concerns have also been raised regarding the risk of bias in current epidemiological studies. 4 Biased results could result in spurious findings or improbably large effect sizes and might ultimately cause harm to patients or end up being research waste.…”

“…Tianyi He 1 Xueting Liu 2 Ruiqi Lv 3 Guo Cheng 3 1 West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University…”