Peer reviewed medical studies on Wellmune Beta Glucan.
Beta Glucan Studies
| STUDY QUOTES | SUBJECTS | CITATION | URL |
| “WGP reduced total allergy symptoms (28%), symptom severity (52%), and symptom rating on the VAS (37%)…” | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Talbott SM, Talbott JA, Talbott TL, Dingler E. β-Glucan supplementation, allergy symptoms, and quality of life in self-described ragweed allergy sufferers. Food Sci Nutr. 2013 Jan;1(1):90-101. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.11. Epub 2014 Jan 8. PMID: 24804018; PMCID: PMC3951572. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24804018/ |
| “…experienced a significantly reduced incidence of infectious illness…[85%] of children in the placebo group reported one or more episode of infectious illness during the 12-week study compared with only 47% and 32% of children in the BYBG supplementation groups. Further, the incidence and duration of URTI in the BYBG supplementation groups was significantly lower than in the placebo group…alleviating some of the burden on parents of caring for sick children.” | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | F, Meng. (2016). Bakers Yeast Beta-Glucan Decreases Episodes of Common Childhood Illness in 1 to 4 Year Old Children during Cold Season in China. Journal of Nutrition & Food Sci | https://www.longdom.org/open-access/bakers-yeast-betaglucan-decreases-episodes-of-common-childhood-illness-in-1-to-4-year-old-children-during-cold-season-in-china-2155-9600-1000519.pdf |
| “…none of the subjects in the WGP group missed work or school…Quality of Life, assessed by the Physical Component Summary score (SF36v-2) improved significantly...significantly lower average fever score...modulate the immune system" | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Feldman, Samantha & Schwartz, Howard & Kalman, Douglas & Mayers, Athena & Kohrman, Hannah & Clemens, Roger & Krieger, Diane. (2009). Randomized Phase II Clinical Trials of Wellmune WGP® for Immune Support During Cold and Flu Season. J Appl Res. 9. http://www.jarcet.com/articles/Vol9Iss1/FeldmanVol9No1.pdf | http://www.jarcet.com/articles/Vol9Iss1/FeldmanVol9No1.pdf |
| “…decrease the total number of days with URTI symptoms…The ability to “breathe easily” was significantly improve[d]...monocyte chemotactic protein-1 was lowered” | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Fuller R, Butt H, Noakes PS, Kenyon J, Yam TS, Calder PC. Influence of yeast-derived 1,3/1,6 glucopolysaccharide on circulating cytokines and chemokines with respect to upper respiratory tract infections. Nutrition. 2012 Jun;28(6):665-9. doi: 10.1016/ j.nut.2011.11.012. Epub 2012 Mar 30. PMID: 22465901. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22465901/ |
| “...those who completed the study per protocol on the β-glucan beverage reported significantly fewer URTI symptomatic days...Total URTI severity was significantly lower for β-glucan...lower severity ratings for nasal discharge and sore throat were reported...Average missed post marathon workout days due to URTI were significantly less...consumption of dairy-based beverages containing dispersible yeast β-glucan decreased URTI symptomatic days, severity of specific URTI symptoms, and missed post marathon workout days due to URTI” | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Mah E, Kaden VN, Kelley KM, Liska DJ. Beverage Containing Dispersible Yeast β-Glucan Decreases Cold/Flu Symptomatic Days After Intense Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Diet Suppl. 2020;17(2):200-210. doi: 10.1080 "...those who completed the study per protocol on the β-glucan beverage reported significantly fewer URTI symptomatic days..." /19390211.2018.1495676. Epub 2018 Oct 31. PMID: 30380356. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30380356/ | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30380356/ |
| “…kept children healthier during the cold and flu season by significantly decreasing the incidence and duration of the common cold by 66% compared to placebo...Wellmune daily is sufficient to achieve optimal benefit during the cold and flu season in children aged 1–4 years...enhanced immune function during the winter months in healthy older adults, reported a reduction in symptomatic days...Wellmune supplementation significantly increased LPS-stimulated IFN-γ production, suggesting priming of innate immunity...Wellmune significantly prevented the drop of T cells and monocytes commonly seen after an intense exercise session, and improved the LPS-challenged response in monocytes from recreational athletes and individuals of average fitness level...Results showed a significant decrease in post-marathon URTI symptomatic days, severity (especially nasal discharge and sore throat), and average missed workout days in comparison to the placebo groups…The authors reported significantly lower URTI symptoms and better overall health and mood profiles in both supplement-dose groups compared to placebo...rapid response upon antigen invasion...amplified immuno-surveillance…Wellmune supplementation triggered an overall increase in circulating T cells prior to and after exercise...significant reduction in total allergy symptoms and symptom severity, …and an improvement in global mood state, physical function...including sleep problems, nasal and non-nasal symptoms, eye symptoms, activities, emotion and quality of life; although non-nasal symptoms and emotion were also significantly improved...evaluate immune support during the cold and flu season...significant increase in quality of life...decrease in missed days of work/school...The most studied supplement is Wellmune, which has been evaluated across the widest population range to reveal significant alleviation of URTI, allergic episodes, and exercise- and age-related immuno-suppression.” | HUMAN | De Marco Castro E, Calder PC, Roche HM. β-1,3/1,6-Glucans and Immunity: State of the Art and Future Directions. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2021 Jan;65(1):e1901071. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201901071. Epub 2020 Apr 27. PMID: 32223047; PMCID: PMC7816268. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32223047/ | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32223047/ |
| “…is broken down to smaller fragments and attach themselves to the immune cells which then move effectively throughout the body. It supports the immune system by enhancing the role of innate immunity cells, which then helps eliminate the foreign particles like viruses and help the body fight infection or inflammation…the role of Wellmune β-glucan is to prime the immune response and not just to boost it for it to act imminently to enhance the immune system. Wellmune is effective in improving the functioning of innate immunity by promoting the production of white blood cells specifically leukocytes that is efficient in killing the unwanted pathogens in the body. After the in‐gestion of wellmune, it binds to specific macrophages and produces biologically active wellmune fragments that enhances the function of neutrophils.” | HUMAN | Bhoite R, Satyavrat V, Premasudha Sadananda M. Clinical benefits of β-glucan supplementation in children: a review. Discov Food. 2022;2(1):37. doi: 10.1007/s44187-022-00038-0. Epub 2022 Dec 27. PMCID: PMC9793387. | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9793387/ |
| "...reduce URTI symptomatic days and improve mucosal immunity (salivary IgA) postexercise." | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | McFarlin BK, Carpenter KC, Davidson T, McFarlin MA. Baker's yeast beta glucan supplementation increases salivary IgA and decreases cold/flu symptomatic days after intense exercise. J Diet Suppl. 2013 Sep;10(3):171-83. doi: 10.3109/19390211.2013.820248. Epub 2013 Aug 9. PMID: 23927572; PMCID: PMC5044766. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23927572/ |
| “…help to suppress symptoms of URTI and increase perceptions of overall health” | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Harger-Domitrovich, Stephanie G.; Domitrovich, Joseph W.; Ruby, Brent C. FACSM. Effects of an Immunomodulating Supplement on Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Symptoms in Wildland Firefighters: 2001. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 40(5):p S353, May 2008. | DOI: 10.1249/01.mss.0000323413.46780.c1 | https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2008/05001/Effects_of_an_Immunomodulating_Supplement_on_Upper.2178.aspx |
| “…protect against URTIs and reduce the duration of URTI symptoms in older individuals once infected.” | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Richard Fuller, Michael V. Moore, George Lewith, Beth L. Stuart, Rory V. Ormiston, Helena L. Fisk, Paul S. Noakes, Philip C. Calder, Yeast-derived β-1,3/1,6 glucan, upper respiratory tract infection and innate immunity in older adults, Nutrition, Volumes 39–40, 2017,Pages 30-35,ISSN 0899-9007 | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899900717300539 |
| “There was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in URTI symptoms in both BETA-GLUCAN treatment groups after 2- and 4-weeks...Significant mood state responses for confusion, fatigue and tension was reduced while vigor increased “generated a statistically significant reduction in anger” | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Talbott S, Talbott J. Effect of BETA 1, 3/1, 6 GLUCAN on Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Symptoms and Mood State in Marathon Athletes. J Sports Sci Med. 2009 Dec 1;8(4):509-15. PMID: 24149590; PMCID: PMC3761532. | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3761532/ |
| “…increased total and pro-inflammatory monocyte concentrations after exercise, increased LPS-stimulated cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-g) before exercise and plasma cytokine (IL-4, IL-5, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10 and IFN-g) concentrations after exercise.” | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Carpenter KC, Breslin WL, Davidson T, Adams A, McFarlin BK. Baker's yeast β-glucan supplementation increases monocytes and cytokines post-exercise: implications for infection risk? Br J Nutr. 2013 Feb 14;109(3):478-86. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512001407. Epub 2012 May 10. PMID: 22575076. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22575076/ |
| “Our previous and current findings are consistent with what other laboratories have reported regarding actions...consistent results have only been reported with respect to beta glucan purified from baker’s yeast. It is therefore important to be cognizant of the source of the beta glucan when comparing studies.” “Interestingly, the BYBG [Wellmune] effect in the current study was the same as that observed in our previous study...when the exercise was preceded by BYBG [Wellmune] supplementation the result was no net change in circulating monocyte concentration...indicative increased immune surveillance...We observed a significant increase in the number of total circulating CD4+ and CD8+ cells prior to exercise after 10-days of BYBG supplementation...the present study demonstrated that oral BYBG [Wellmune] supplementation was associated with increased circulating monocyte concentration, altered monocyte cell-surface receptors, increased T-cell concentration, increased serum IFN-g, and an increase in LPS-stimulated production of IFN-g and IL-2. Based on the current literature the observed immune responses would be consistent with an increased ability to respond to antigenic challenge...regulate IFN-g production in a manner that is not dependent on physical fitness level...Likewise, when the cytokine secretion potential from individuals of average fitness was assessed by LPS-stimulation, we observed an increase in the capacity to secrete IFN-g in BYBG-supplemented subjects....are not specific to a highly physically trained population and can be generalized to individuals of lower physical fitness...to respond more effectively to bacterial challenge...In summary, the present study demonstrated that oral BYBG [Wellmune] supplementation was associated with increased circulating monocyte concentration, altered monocyte cell-surface receptors, increased T-cell concentration, increased serum IFN-g, and an increase in LPS-stimulated production of IFN-g and IL-2. Based on the current literature the observed immune responses would be consistent with an increased ability to respond to antigenic challenge...it appears that the systemic effect of oral BYBG[Wellmune] supplementation was independent of physical fitness level. This supports the hypothesis that BYBG supplementation supports the post-exercise immune system in individuals with a wide range of physical fitness levels. There are many kinds of physical stress beyond structured exercise, so future research may seek to apply this supplementation paradigm to individuals who work in stressful, physically demanding jobs (i.e., law enforcement officers, public safety officers, and soldiers).” | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | McFarlin BK, Venable AS, Carpenter KC, Henning AL, Ogenstad S. Oral Supplementation with Baker's Yeast Beta Glucan Is Associated with Altered Monocytes, T Cells and Cytokines following a Bout of Strenuous Exercise. Front Physiol. 2017 Oct 20;8:786. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00786. PMID: 29104540; PMCID: PMC5654840. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29104540/ |
| “...fewer upper respiratory symptoms...better overall well-being...and superior mental/physical energy levels...reduces upper respiratory symptoms and improves mood state in stressed subjects, and thus it may be a useful approach for maintaining immune protection against daily stressors.” | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Talbott SM, Talbott JA. Baker's yeast beta-glucan supplement reduces upper respiratory symptoms and improves mood state in stressed women. J Am Coll Nutr. 2012 Aug;31(4):295-300. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2012.10720441. PMID: 23378458. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23378458/ |
| "...when consumed 3 times/day for 28 weeks by healthy 1- to 4-year-old children was associated with fewer episodes of allergic manifestations in the skin and the respiratory tract." | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Pontes MV, Ribeiro TC, Ribeiro H, de Mattos AP, Almeida IR, Leal VM, Cabral GN, Stolz S, Zhuang W, Scalabrin DM. Cow's milk-based beverage consumption in 1- to 4-year-olds and allergic manifestations: an RCT. Nutr J. 2016 Feb 27;15:19. doi: 10.1186/s12937-016-0138-0. PMID: 26920136; PMCID: PMC4769487. | https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-016-0138-0 |
| "...fewer episodes and shorter duration of ARI, as well as less antibiotic use. The children who consumed the FUF had increased interleukin-10 and white blood cells, suggesting an antiinflammatory mechanism and/or an increase of effector immune cells." | HUMAN DOUBLE BLIND | Li F, Jin X, Liu B, Zhuang W, Scalabrin D. Follow-up formula consumption in 3- to 4-year-olds and respiratory infections: an RCT. Pediatrics. 2014 Jun;133(6):e1533-40. doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-3598. Epub 2014 May 19. PMID: 24843061. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24843061/ |
| "...fewer episodes and shorter duration of ARI, as well as less antibiotic use. The children who consumed the FUF had increased interleukin-10 and white blood cells, suggesting an antiinflammatory mechanism and/or an increase of effector immune cells." | HUMAN | From Patients With Crohn's Disease and Control Subjects. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2017 Dec 19;24(1):166-178. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izx002. Erratum in: Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2018 Oct 12;24(11):2476. PMID: 29272475; PMCID: PMC6166688. | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6166688/ |
| “...increased survival to 100%.” | MICE | Kournikakis B, Mandeville R, Brousseau P, Ostroff G. Anthrax-protective effects of yeast beta 1,3 glucans. MedGenMed. 2003 Mar 21;5(1):1. PMID: 12827062. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12827062/ |
| “Treatment of orally administered yeast-derived particulate β-glucan elicited potent antitumor immune responses and drastically downregulated immunosuppressive cells, leading to the delayed tumor progression...Orally administrated particulate β-glucan treatment promotes antitumor immunity via a dectin-1–dependent pathway...Orally administered particulate β-glucan treatment significantly delayed tumor progression” | MICE | Qi C, Cai Y, Gunn L, Ding C, Li B, Kloecker G, Qian K, Vasilakos J, Saijo S, Iwakura Y, Yannelli JR, Yan J. Differential pathways regulating innate and adaptive antitumor immune responses by particulate and soluble yeast-derived β-glucans. Blood. 2011 Jun 23;117(25):6825-36. doi: 10.1182/blood-2011-02-339812. Epub 2011 Apr 29. PMID: 21531981; PMCID: PMC3128477. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21531981/ |
| “Orally administered β-1,3-glucans were taken up by macrophages that transported them to spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow. Within the bone marrow, the macrophages degraded the large β-1,3-glucans into smaller soluble β-1,3-glucan fragments that were taken up by the CR3 of marginated granulocytes...(WGP) given orally also potentiated antitumor mAb therapy...earlier oral administration gave more rapid tumor regression, and therefore this early administration of oral β-1,3-glucan was used in subsequent protocols...oral β-1,3-glucans produced 60–100% survival...Treatment with…. WGP β-1,3-glucan and i.v. mAb elicited significantly enhanced tumor regression compared with that mediated by mAb alone.” | MICE | Hong F, Yan J, Baran JT, Allendorf DJ, Hansen RD, Ostroff GR, Xing PX, Cheung NK, Ross GD. Mechanism by which orally administered beta-1,3-glucans enhance the tumoricidal activity of antitumor monoclonal antibodies in murine tumor models. J Immunol. 2004 Jul 15;173(2):797-806. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.173.2.797. PMID: 15240666. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15240666/ |
| "...increase the survival of lethally irradiated animals..." | MICE | Boutros JA, Magee AS, Cox D. 'Comparison of structural differences between yeast β-glucan sourced from different strains of saccharomyces cerevisiae and processed using proprietary manufacturing processes'. Food Chemistry. 2021 Jul 28; 367:130708. | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814621017143?via%3Dihub |
| "Daily oral administration of WGP (400 µg) significantly reduced the influx of eosinophils into the lungs...could potentially be useful as an oral supplement for some asthma patients..." | MICE | Burg AR, Quigley L, Jones AV, O'Connor GM, Boelte K, McVicar DW, Orr SJ. Orally administered β-glucan attenuates the Th2 response in a model of airway hypersensitivity. Springerplus. 2016 Jun 21;5(1):815. doi: 10.1186/s40064-016-2501-1. PMID: 27390655; PMCID: PMC4916077. | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4916077/ |
| "...increase the survival of lethally irradiated animals..." | MICE | Cramer DE, Allendorf DJ, Baran JT, Hansen R, Marroquin J, Li B, Ratajczak J, Ratajczak MZ, Yan J. Beta-glucan enhances complement-mediated hematopoietic recovery after bone marrow injury. Blood. 2006 Jan 15;107(2):835-40. doi: 10.1182/blood-2005-07-2705. Epub 2005 Sep 22. PMID: 16179370; PMCID: PMC1895628. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16179370/ |
| "...T helper cells were significantly increased on day 21 compared to levels on day 7 in all tissues. Conversely, cytotoxic T cells were significantly decreased on day 21 compared to levels on day 7 in all tissues…" | PIGLETS | Hester SN, Comstock SS, Thorum SC, Monaco MH, Pence BD, Woods JA, Donovan SM. Intestinal and systemic immune development and response to vaccination are unaffected by dietary (1,3/1,6)-β-D-glucan supplementation in neonatal piglets. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2012 Sep;19(9):1499-508. doi: 10.1128/CVI.00338-12. Epub 2012 Jul 18. PMID: 22815151; PMCID: PMC3428409. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22815151/ |
| incites an influx of innate immune cells that show a phenotype of trained immunity. Neither the islets nor the serum amylase was adversely impacted by WGP treatment and the observed immune influx, indicating that the immune cell influx in this mechanism does not cause pancreatic destruction.... stimulates an influx of trained myeloid cells into the pancreas... In accordance with the observed influx of immune cells, the DEGs related to leukocyte chemotaxis, leukocyte migration, monocyte chemotaxis, macrophage migration, and myeloid leukocyte migration were all significantly enriched in the WGP group... This reveals that while many cell populations are changed due to WGP treatment, the primary cells trained by WGP, as assessed by increased TNFα expression, are macrophages and monocytes....training of myeloid cells in the pancreas is CCR2-dependent and occurs as early as 24 h post-WGP treatment...WGP upregulated proliferation of leukocytes and mononuclear cells... macrophages within the tumor also showed a significant increase in TNF-α production due to WGP. | MICE | Geller AE, Shrestha R, Woeste MR, Guo H, Hu X, Ding C, Andreeva K, Chariker JH, Zhou M, Tieri D, Watson CT, Mitchell RA, Zhang HG, Li Y, Martin Ii RCG, Rouchka EC, Yan J. The induction of peripheral trained immunity in the pancreas incites anti-tumor activity to control pancreatic cancer progression. Nat Commun. 2022 Feb 9;13(1):759. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28407-4. PMID: 35140221; PMCID: PMC8828725. | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8828725/ |
| The primary physiological outcome of the majority of the interventions was immunomodulation, which resulted in (a) strengthened immune defense that reduces the incidence and symptoms of cold, flu and other respiratory infections and (b) improvement of allergic symptoms. | MICE | Vlassopoulou M, Yannakoulia M, Pletsa V, Zervakis GI, Kyriacou A. Effects of fungal beta-glucans on health - a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Food Funct. 2021 Apr 26;12(8):3366-3380. doi: 10.1039/d1fo00122a. PMID: 33876798. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33876798/ |
| "Orally administered particulate β-glucan trafficked into spleen and lymph nodes and activated DCs that captured dying tumor cells ...In addition, IFN-γ production of tumor-infiltrating T cells and CTL responses were significantly enhanced on β-glucan treatment, which ultimately resulted in significantly reduced tumor burden. Moreover, β-glucan-treated tumors had significantly more DC infiltration with the activated phenotype and significant levels of Th1-biased cytokines within the tumor microenvironment. | MICE | Li B, Cai Y, Qi C, Hansen R, Ding C, Mitchell TC, Yan J. Orally administered particulate beta-glucan modulates tumor-capturing dendritic cells and improves antitumor T-cell responses in cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2010 Nov 1;16(21):5153-64. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-10-0820. Epub 2010 Sep 20. PMID: 20855461; PMCID: PMC2970627. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20855461/ |
| T cells from mice undergoing beta-glucan-enhanced therapy showed increased production of the Th1 cytokine IFNgamma. The switch from a Th2 to a Th1 response after WGP therapy was possibly mediated by intestinal mucosal macrophages releasing IL-12. | MICE | Baran J, Allendorf DJ, Hong F, Ross GD. Oral beta-glucan adjuvant therapy converts nonprotective Th2 response to protective Th1 cell-mediated immune response in mammary tumor-bearing mice. Folia Histochem Cytobiol. 2007;45(2):107-14. PMID: 17597024. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17597024/ |
