Nutritional Advice El Mondo
Objectives:
Lactoferrin (Lf) is one of the key immunomodulatory substances found naturally in various body fluids, such as saliva, tears and breast milk and forms a vital part of the innate defense against invading pathogens. Various studies have demonstrated antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties of Lf and its protective role against respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Therefore, this review article has been conducted.
Does lactoferrin supplementation reduce risk of respiratory illness?
Study design:
This review article included 9 RCTs with a total of 1,194 participants.
Results and conclusions:
The investigators found meta-analysis revealed a significantly reduced risk of 43% for developing respiratory infections with the use of lactoferrin relative to the control [pooled odds ratio = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.44 to 0.74], with sufficient evidence against the hypothesis of 'no significant difference' at the current sample size.
The investigators concluded that the administration of lactoferrin (Lf) shows promising efficacy in reducing the risk of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Current evidence also favours Lf fortification of infant formula. Lf may also have a beneficial role in managing symptoms and recovery of patients suffering from RTIs and may have potential for use as an adjunct in COVID-19, however this warrants further evidence from a large well-designed RCT.
Original title:
Lactoferrin reduces the risk of respiratory tract infections: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by Ali AS, Hasan SS, […], Merchant HA.
Link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34620326/
Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on RCTs/cohort/significantly/review article, food fortification, COVID -19 and malnutrition right here.
Lactoferrin is a natural iron-binding glycoprotein found in cow milk and human milk. Colostrum, the first milk produced after a baby is born, contains about seven times more lactoferrin than is found in milk produced later on. Lactoferrin's main functions in the body include binding with and transporting iron.