SUPPLEMENTS
Our bodies are constantly attacking disease-causing bacteria but in times of sickness, our immune systems have to work even harder to fight off invaders. Promising studies show that a supplement called arginine may protect injured patients from further harm.
John Daly, M.D., chairman of the department of surgery at Cornell Medical Center, reviewed the research supporting arginine in a recent issue of the journal Nutrition. Not only does the amino acid speed wound healing, but it also reduces the incidence of post-operative infection in patients and shortens the length of hospital stays.
The research suggests that arginine helps people resist illness by bolstering immune function. In one study, for example, subjects taking the supplement saw a rise in immune boosting cells called lymphocytes. For this reason, some medical centers are now feeding arginine intravenously to people recovering from surgeries.
