Infection

Also indexed as: Bacterial Infection

Infection is the result of invasion of the body by microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Not all microorganisms cause infections in the body, and exposure to a disease-causing microorganism does not always result in symptoms. The immune system plays a large role in determining the body’s ability to fight off infection.

Some examples of infection are common cold/sore throat, influenza, cough, recurrent ear infections, urinary tract infection, yeast infection, athlete’s foot, cold sores, HIV, shingles, and parasites.

Checklist for Infection

Rating Nutritional Supplements Herbs
3Stars Vitamin A
Vitamin C		 Andrographis
Licorice
2Stars Glutamine (for prevention of post exercise infection in performance athletes)
Multiple vitamin-mineral (for elderly people)
Probiotics
Selenium (for elderly people and to prevent hospital-acquired infections in very low birth weight infants)
Zinc		 Echinacea
Licorice (for viral infections)
1Star   American ginseng
Asian ginseng
Astragalus
Barberry
Chaparral
Coriolus Elderberry
Eleuthero
Eucalyptus
Garlic
Goldenseal
Green tea
Lemon Balm (antiviral)
Ligustrum
Lomatium
Maitake
Myrrh
Olive leaf
Onion
Oregano
Oregon grape
Osha
Pau d’arco (for fungal infection only)
Picrorhiza
Reishi
Rosemary
Sage
Sandalwood
Schisandra
Shiitake
St. John’s Wort
Tea tree oil (topical)
Thyme
Usnea
Wild Indigo
See also:  Homeopathic Remedies for Infection
3Stars Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit.
2Stars Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit.
1Star An herb is primarily supported by traditional use, or the herb or supplement has little scientific support and/or minimal health benefit.

What are the symptoms of infection? Symptoms of infection include localized warmth, redness, swelling, discharge, foul-smelling odor, and pain to the touch. In more serious cases, symptoms may also include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue.

How is it treated? Conventional treatment includes the use of local, oral, and intravenous antibiotic medicines, such as absorbable beta-lactams, cephalosporins, lincosamides, macrolides, penicillins, and sulfonamides. In some cases, surgical treatment is also recommended to remove diseased tissue, prevent the spread of infection, or drain pus from an infected area.

Dietary changes that may be helpful: Nutrition is a major contributor to the functioning of the immune system, which in turn influences whether or not the body is resistant to infection. Specifically, it makes sense to restrict sugar, because sugar interferes with the ability of white blood cells to destroy bacteria.1 Alcohol also interferes with a wide variety of immune defenses,2 and excessive dietary fat reduces natural killer cell activity.3 However, there is no research investigating whether reducing sugar, alcohol, or fat intake decreases the risk of infection or improves healing.

Allergy, including food allergy has been suggested to predispose people to recurrent infection,4 and many doctors consider allergy treatment for people with recurrent infections. The links between allergy and ear infections,5 6 urinary tract infections in children,7 and yeast vaginitis in women8 9 have been documented.

Lifestyle changes that may be helpful: Stress can depress the immune system, thus increasing the body’s susceptibility to infection. Coping effectively with stress is important.10 Exercise increases natural killer cell activity, which may also help prevent infections.11

Nutritional supplements that may be helpful: Nutrients useful for maintaining healthy immune function are also applicable for preventing infections. Vitamin A plays an important role in immune system function and helps mucous membranes, including those in the lungs, resist invasion by microorganisms.12 However, most research shows that while vitamin A supplementation helps people prevent or treat infections in developing countries where deficiencies are common,13 little to no positive effect, and even slight adverse effects, have resulted from giving vitamin A supplements to people in countries where most people consume adequate amounts of vitamin A.14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Moreover, vitamin A supplementation during infections appears beneficial only in certain diseases. An analysis of trials revealed that vitamin A reduces mortality from measles and diarrhea, but not from pneumonia, in children living in developing countries.21 A double-blind trial for vitamin A supplementation in Tanzanian children with pneumonia confirmed its lack of effectiveness for this condition.22 In general, parents in the developed world should not give vitamin A supplements to children unless there is a reason to believe vitamin A deficiency is likely, such as the presence of a condition causing malabsorption (e.g., celiac disease). However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children with measles should be given high-dose vitamin A for several days.

Vitamin C has antiviral activity, and may help prevent viral infections23 or, in the case of the common cold, reduce the severity and duration of an infection.24 Most studies on the common cold used 1 to 4 grams of vitamin C per day.

Lactobacillus acidophilus (the friendly bacteria found in yogurt) produces acids that kill invading bacteria.25 The effective amount of acidophilus depends on the strain used, as well as the concentration of viable organisms. These and other friendly bacteria known as probiotics inhibit the growth of potentially infectious organisms (pathogens) by producing acids, hydrogen peroxide, and natural antibiotics called bacteriocins and microcins, by utilizing nutrients needed by pathogens, by occupying attachment sites on the gut wall that would otherwise be available to pathogens, and by stimulating immune attacks on pathogens. Infections that have been successfully prevented or treated with friendly bacteria include infectious diarrhea, vaginitis, and urinary tract infections.26

Marginal deficiencies of zinc result in impairments of immune function.27 Supplementation with 50 mg of zinc three times per day for 30 days has been shown to increase immune function in healthy people.28 However, such large amounts of zinc can potentially cause adverse effects. Some doctors recommend lower amounts of supplemental zinc for people experiencing recurrent infections, such as 25 mg per day for adults and even lower amounts for children (depending on body weight). Zinc lozenges have been found helpful in some studies for the common cold. Zinc has not been studied as prevention or treatment for other types of infection.

A multiple vitamin-mineral formula helped elderly people avoid infections in one double blind trial, but not in another.29 30 In one double-blind trial, supplements of 100 mcg per day of selenium and 20 mg per day of zinc, with or without additional vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, reduced infections in elderly people, though vitamins without minerals had no effect.31 These results suggest that trace minerals may be the most important micronutrients for preventing infections in the elderly.

Premature infants with very low birth weight have an increased susceptibility to infections. In a double-blind trial, premature infants were given either selenium supplements (5–7 mcg per 2.2 pounds of body weight) or placebo. Those receiving the selenium supplements had fewer hospital-acquired infections.32

Athletes who undergo intensive training or participate in endurance races (such as a marathon) are at increased risk of developing infections. In a double-blind study, marathon runners received either glutamine (5 grams immediately after the race and 5 grams again two hours later) or a placebo. Compared with the placebo, supplementation with L-glutamine reduced the incidence of infections over the next seven days by 62%.33

Are there any side effects or interactions? Refer to the individual supplement for information about any side effects or interactions.

Herbs that may be helpful: The main herbs for infection can be broken down into three basic categories: those that support a person’s immune system in the fight against microbes, those that directly attack microbes, and those that do both. These categories are summarized in the table below. Note that this table does not include herbs that are largely used for parasitic infections of the intestines.

Are there any side effects or interactions? Refer to the individual herb for information about any side effects or interactions.

References:

1. Sanchez A, Reeser JL, Lau HS, et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. Am J Clin Nutr 1973;26:1180–4.

2. Ahmed FE. Toxicological effects of ethanol on human health. Crit Rev Toxicol 1995;25:347–67.

3. Kubena KS, McMurray DN. Nutrition and the immune system: A review of nutrient-nutrient interactions. J Am Diet Assoc 1996;96:1156–64.

4. Horesh AJ. Allergy and infection VII. Support from the literature. J Asthma Res 1968;6:3–55 [review].

5. Pang LQ. The importance of allergy in otolaryngology. Clin Ecology 1982;1:53.

6. Nsouli TM, Nsouli SM, Linde RE, et al. Role of food allergy in serous otitis media. Ann Allergy 1994;73:215–9.

7. Horesh AJ. Allergy and recurrent urinary tract infections in childhood. II. Ann Allergy 1976;36:174–9.

8. Crandall, M. Allergic predisposition and recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. J Advancement Med 1991;4:21–38 [review].

9. Kudelco N. Allergy in chronic monilial vaginitis. Ann Allergy 1971;29:266–7.

10. McIntosh WA, Kaplan HB, Kubena KS, et al. Life events, social support, and immune responses in elderly individuals. Int J Aging Hum Dev 1993;37:23–36.

11. Nieman DC. Exercise, upper respiratory tract infection, and the immune system. Med Sci Sports Med 1994;26(2):128–39.

12. Semba RD. Vitamin A, immunity, and infection. Clin Infect Dis 1994;19:489–99 [review].

13. Glasziou PP, Mackerras DEM. Vitamin A supplementation in infectious diseases: a meta-analysis. BMJ 1993;306:366–70.

14. Stephensen CB, Franchi LM, Hernandez H, et al. Adverse effects of high-dose vitamin A supplements in children hospitalized with pneumonia. Pediatrics 1998;101(5):E3 [abstract].

15. Bresee JS, Fischer M, Dowell SF, et al. Vitamin A therapy for children with respiratory syncytial virus infection: a multicenter trial in the United States. Pediatr Infect Dis J 1996;15:777–82.

16. Quinlan KP, Hayani KC. Vitamin A and respiratory syncytial virus infection. Serum levels and supplementation trial. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1996;150:25–30.

17. Kjolhede CL, Chew FJ, Gadomski AM, et al. Clinical trial of vitamin A as adjuvant treatment for lower respiratory tract infections. J Pediatr 1995;126:807–12.

18. Pinnock CB, Douglas RM, Badcock NR. Vitamin A status in children who are prone to respiratory tract infections. Aust Paediatr J 1986;22:95–9.

19. Murphy S, West KP Jr, Greenough WB 3d, et al. Impact of vitamin A supplementation on the incidence of infection in elderly nursing-home residents: a randomized controlled trial. Age Ageing 1992;21:435–9.

20. Fawzi WW, Mbise R, Spiegelman D, et al. Vitamin A supplements and diarrheal and respiratory tract infections among children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. J Pediatr 2000;137:660–7.

21. Ross AC. Vitamin A supplementation as therapy—are the benefits disease specific? Am J Clin Nutr 1998;68:8–9 [review].

22. Fawzi WW, Mbise RL, Fataki MR, et al. Vitamin A supplementation and severity of pneumonia in children admitted to the hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;68:187–92.

23. Geber WF, Lefkowitz SS, Hung CY. Effect of ascorbic acid, sodium salicylate, and caffeine on the serum interferon level in response to viral infection. Pharmacology 1975;13:228–33.

24. Hemila H. Vitamin C and the common cold. Br J Nutr 1992;67:3–16.

25. Fernandes CF, Shahani KM, Amer MA. Therapeutic role of dietary lactobacilli and lactobacillic fermented dairy products. FEMS Micro Rev 1987;343–56.

26. Mombelli B, Gismondo MR. The use of probiotics in medical practice. Int J Animicrob Agents 2000;16:531–6 [review].

27. Fraker PJ, Gershwin ME, Good RA, Prasad A. Interrelationships between zinc and immune function. Fed Proc 1986;45:1474–9.

28. Duchateau J, Delespesse G, Vereecke P. Influence of oral zinc supplementation on the lymphocyte response to mitogens of normal subjects. Am J Clin Nutr 1981;34:88–93.

29. Chandra RK. Effect of vitamin and trace-element supplementation on immune responses and infection in elderly subjects. Lancet 1992;340:1124–7.

30. Chavance M, Herbeth B, Lemoine A, et al. Does multivitamin supplementation prevent infections in healthy elderly subjects? A controlled trial.Int.J Vitam Nutr Res 1993;63:11–6.

31. Girodon F, Lombard M, Galan P, et al. Effect of micronutrient supplementation on infection in institutionalized elderly subjects: a controlled trial. Ann Nutr Metab 1997;41:98–107.

32. Darlow BA, Winterbourn CC, Inder TE, et al. The effect of selenium supplementation on outcome in very low birth weight infants: a randomized controlled trial. The New Zealand Neonatal Study Group. J Pediatr 2000;136:473–80.

33. Castell LM, Newsholme EA. The effects of oral glutamine supplementation on athletes after prolonged, exhaustive exercise. Nutrition 1997;13:738–42.