Supplementing with both L-carnitine and vitamin E can improve your immune system

Separately, L-carnitine (LC) and vitamin E (VE) are known to offer a different set of health benefits, but together, they can improve immune function. A study published in the journal Toxicon found that the combination of these two nutrients can boost the immune system despite the immunosuppressive effects of the mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OA).

• White Leghorn chicks were divided into 12 groups, with each group having 20 chicks each.
• The chicks were given feed contaminated with OA. Some chicks received just the contaminated feed while others received LC, VE, or a combination of the two along with the feed. This part of the experiment lasted 42 days.
• The researchers noted that OA suppressed the birds’ humoral immune response. However, exposing the birds to 1.0 mg/kg OA in the presence of either LC or VE, or both of them reduced the immunosuppressive effect.
• The protective effect was not present in the birds fed with 2.0 mg/kg OA.
• The severity and incidence of OA-induced lesions were also decreased in the birds given either one of or both the nutrients.

The researchers concluded that taking vitamin E and L-carnitine can help overcome the immunosuppressive effects of ochratoxin A.

Learn about the ways the right nutrients lead to a healthy body at Nutrients.news.

Journal Reference:

Bhatti SA, Khan MZ, Hassan ZU, Saleemi MK, Khatoon A, Abidin ZU, Hameed MR. DIETARY L-CARNITINE AND VITAMIN-E; A STRATEGY TO COMBAT OCHRATOXIN-A INDUCED IMMUNOSUPPRESSION. Toxicon. October 2018;153:62–71. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.08.012