Immune-modulating efficacy of a polyphenol-rich beverage on symptoms associated with the common cold: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, multi-centric clinical study

Br J Nutr. 2010 Oct;104(8):1156-64. doi: 10.1017/S0007114510002047. Epub 2010 May 21.

Abstract

In the present study, the immune-modulating efficacy of a polyphenol-rich beverage on symptoms associated with the common cold was evaluated. For this purpose, ninety-eight patients reporting common cold symptoms that began no longer than 24 h before the study intervention were randomly assigned to consume either the test beverage or placebo twice per d for 10 d. The severity of the disease was expressed as the total score of the five cold symptoms 'general feeling of sickness', 'headache and/or joint aches', 'sore throat and/or difficulty swallowing', 'hoarseness and/or cough' and 'stuffy nose/sniffle'. Consequently, the decrease from 10.2 (sd 3.1) points at the beginning to 2.1 (sd 2.7) points by the end of the study in the verum group demonstrated a clear improvement, whereas in the placebo group only a reduction from 10.5 (sd 3.0) to 6.3 (sd 3.8) points could be observed. The mean difference between the groups (primary efficacy criterion) of 3.9 points was highly significant (P < 0.01). At the end of the study there were highly significantly (P < 0.01) more patients in the verum group complaint free than in the placebo group (secondary efficacy criterion). In addition to these self-reported values, several local findings of the physical examination were also significantly improved in the verum group.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Beverages / analysis*
  • Common Cold / drug therapy*
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Flavonoids / chemistry
  • Flavonoids / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Phenols / chemistry
  • Phenols / pharmacology*
  • Polyphenols
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Flavonoids
  • Phenols
  • Polyphenols