Immunity and Amino Acids

Immunity is the body’s defense mechanism against pathogenic bacteria and viruses. In other words, immunity is the human body’s built-in ability to protect itself, and it affects our overall health. Our immunity decreases as we get older, and can also be lowered by repeated bouts of strenuous exercise, and by excessive stress.

A study was done to examine the benefits of taking cystine and theanine for preventing colds during the winter, which is the season when people tend to catch colds more frequently. The subjects were 176 adult males. One group of subjects was given cystine and theanine, while the other group was not. In the group given cystine and theanine, fewer subjects caught a cold, and those who did catch a cold reported fewer cold symptoms such as chills and fever. This shows that taking amino acid supplements can increase immunity and prevent colds as well as alleviating symptoms after catching a cold.

The graphs below show the results of a study conducted to investigate the effects of the amino acids cystine and theanine on antibody production in nursing home residents who had received a flu shot. The study participants were divided into two groups. One group was given cystine and theanine; the other group was not. The two groups were then compared as to the percentage of study participants with antibody levels high enough to be effective against influenza viruses.¹

The group that did not take cystine and theanine after being vaccinated showed almost no improvement in antibody production, but the group that took cystine and theanine showed a significant improvement. These results indicate that loss of immunity due to aging can be restored by consuming amino acids.