Alpha Lion is the 2019 Fitness Informant Shield of Excellence Supplement Award winner for Breakout Brand of the Year. Alpha Lion not only has clever marketing campaigns, they have products formulated for success. You should expect nothing less from this new immune support product.
Product Overview
Last week we brought you a quick look at the profile of Alpha Lion’s new SuperHuman Armor immune support product. SuperHuman Armor is set to release this week (April 22nd), so we wanted to give you an in-depth breakdown of what Alpha Lion is bringing to the table with this product.
In the midst of this global pandemic, Alpha Lion quickly created a comprehensive immune support. Don’t let their swiftness of action make you doubt the quality of this product; we can assure you it will compete with the best formulas on the market.
Ingredients
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) – 500mg
We start off with 500mg of Vitamin C in the form of Ascorbic Acid. I am sure many of you have heard that Vitamin C strengthens your immune system. I personally know many people who take a Vitamin C immune support supplement by itself on a daily basis. Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble vitamin with antioxidant properties. Because Vitamin C is water soluble and not fat soluble, your body cannot store it efficiently; therefore, it requires daily supplementation. If you consume more than your body can use, the excess will just be excreted in your urine.
We see lots of research on Vitamin C as a possible treatment to reduce symptoms of the common cold, or even prevent it all together. The original study that produced these results was performed by Linus Pauling in 1970, and since then the results have been inconsistently reproduced. We find that even though research surrounding this topic is not consistent or reliable, public belief and interest in this myth remains high.
A review from 2007 examined the results of 30 different clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of Vitamin C at strengthening the immune system and possibly preventing or reducing symptoms of the common cold. Since the Linus Pauling released his claims in 1970, there has been an abundance of research conducted as an attempt to replicate the results. These researchers only included papers that used 200mg of more of Vitamin C per day and also excluded a study if it didn’t have a placebo comparison.
This large-scale review included over 11,000 participants and the results were rather interesting. The researchers found that among the patients who supplemented with Vitamin C daily (rather than just when they got sick), the time duration of their sickness was decreased by about 8% for adults and 14% for children. However, this population of participants supplemented with a “mega-dose” of Vitamin C that is not likely to be a viable option for continual daily supplementation. The group of participants that did in fact receive the most benefit from supplementation were athletes. They found that athletes (people who were regularly exposed to brief bouts of strenuous exercise) had a reduced relative risk of contracting the common cold and experienced decreased symptoms.
Many OTC immune supplemetns that feature only Vitamin C (Emergen-C, Airborne, etc.) use dosages between 500-1000mg per serving. These products range anywhere from 8-20$ for a month supply of just Vitamin C. Alpha Lion gives us a solid 500mg dose of Vitamin C, along with 6 other immune support ingredients.
TRAACS® (Zinc Bisglycinate) – 30mg
Next up is a patented form of Zinc at 30mg which has a high bioavailability. Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a role in many processes throughout the body including brain function, immune system and antioxidant activity. Zinc supplementation is typically necessary in people who exercise frequently, as zinc is one of the minerals lost in sweat. Zinc deficiency can lead to a plethora of impairments, so it is wise to supplement daily.
Research is pretty consistent in showing that zinc supplementation reduces the duration of someone suffering from the common cold. However, supplementation is not clear as to if zinc reduces the chances of someone becoming infected, or if it just reduces the severity on the symptoms once infected.
A meta-analysis from 2017 examined 7 different trials looking at the role of zinc in the treatment and prevention of the common cold. The studies contained a total of 575 participants, which took a variety of different dosages and types of zinc salts during the trial periods. Five of the trials used a zinc dose around 80mg per day, and found a decrease in cold duration to be around 33% when compared to the placebo. We see a higher dose of zinc used also in these trials, around 200mg per day. The higher dosage of zinc failed to further shorten the duration of the sickness, as it was only shortened 35% when compared to the placebo. The researchers concluded that zinc dosages of over 80mg per day do not warrant any benefits and that further research should be conducted on reduced dosages to further investigate a proper dosing scheme.
The tolerable upper limit of daily zinc supplementation is about 40mg per day. That is about half as much as we see in the studies that significantly reduce the duration of the common cold. It is generally accepted that a low dose of around 5-10mg per day is sufficient as a daily supplement. However, to get the most benefit of zinc along with the strong immune support, we like to see 25-40mg taken daily. We are right on target here with a high-quality form of zinc coming in at 30mg.
EpiCor® – 500mg
EpiCor® is quite possibly the most unique immune support ingredient on the market today. This is because it is not exactly an extract, but considered to be a wholefood. EpiCor is a prebiotic that is derived from yeast, and is 100% natural, non-GMO and lactose free. This ingredient is a dried fermentate which is derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is commonly known as “baker’s yeast”. Many diverse and significant benefits against cold and flu symptoms have been found through daily supplementation with this ingredient.
There are many studies assessing the immune benefits of EpiCor in both vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients. One double blind, clinically controlled study included 116 recent influenza vaccinated patients that supplemented with EpiCor at 500mg daily for a 12-week period. Over the 12-week period, researchers found that the individuals supplementing with the yeast product had fewer symptoms, and a significantly shorter duration of sickness when compared to the placebo group.
EpiCor does not only work in the body to fight against cold and flu-like symptoms, as we see other benefits from supplementation as well. Another clinical trial had patients take EpiCor at 500mg for a 5-week period. The researchers found that the supplementing group had controlled/suppressed seasonal allergies, as well as increased markers of healthy red blood cells. EpiCor has also provided some experimental benefits relating to inflammatory suppression.
Almost every study conducted relating to the immune benefits of EpiCor use it at 500mg daily. At this dose, we see a reduction in both the severity of symptoms, and the duration of symptoms. Alpha Lion is giving us 500mg here with their immune support product.
Elderberry Fruit Extract – 300mg
Elderberry is one of the most frequently used plants in history of herbal medicine. It has been used to treat infections, heal burns and wounds. In modern medicine, we most often see elderberry used as an immune supplement to combat cold and flu-like symptoms. The plant is native to Europe, but now grows in many parts of the world.
This ingredient, like many other ingredients included in dietary supplements, definitely needs further research to demonstrate consistent results as a viable prescribed method of treatment. However, this does not discount the value behind supplementation with an ingredient of this sort. We have seen several studies that highlight its value as an antiviral agent when taken daily.
We have one study includes 312 patients (amount that completed the entire trial period) who supplemented with 900mg of elderberry extract daily. The study was conducted between April 2013 and December 2014. The population was primarily non-smoking women, who were an average age of 50 years old. The most significant result that was recorded was that the elderberry group experienced an average of 57 days of cold and flu-like symptoms during the trial period, while the placebo group experienced an average of 117 days of cold and flu-like symptoms (participant reported). The researchers concluded that elderberry supplementation might be effective at reducing the duration and/or severity of cold and flu symptoms.
Elderberry extract has been shown to provide some results in doses above 150mg. Many studies use much larger doses closer to 1 gram. We are getting 300mg here.
Echinacea Purpurea Extract – 200mg
This ingredient is historically one of the most popular plant extracts in the world due to its reliability in preventing and fighting off upper respiratory infections. It actually has consistent research supporting its ability to prevent infections, whereas many of these other ingredients mostly have research supporting the shortening of the duration of symptoms.
One meta-analysis looked at the effect of echinacea extract on its ability to shorten the duration of symptoms as well as how well it can act as a preventative medication (prophylaxis). The study looked at 24 double-blind trials, none of which could provide significant data regarding the extract’s ability to shorten the duration of symptoms experienced by the participants. The prophylaxis trials were consistent with one another by the fact that almost all of them demonstrated positive trends in prevention, however a degree of clinical relevance could not be established.
One of the drawbacks is that echinacea extract does not really have an efficacious dose established and many studies use rather large dosages. The most consistent results are shown with doses in the 900-1500mg range spread out throughout the day. We are getting 200mg of the extract here with SuperHuman Armor.
Astaxanthin – 12mg
Astaxanthin is actually a reddish pink pigment that is found in various types of ocean life. It is known as a strong antioxidant that is typically found in eye and skin health supplements. Sometimes it is marketed in anti-aging supplements due to its phytoprotection and skin health benefits.
The most clinical support for this ingredient is based on its ability to reduce oxidative stress and provide a slight improvement in lipid profiles. These benefits have been more reliably shown through research conducted on overweight individuals, however, the results to some extent can extend to the healthy population as well. It is known that high amounts of oxidative stress can trigger your immune system to become compromised. Frequent exercise is another measure than can be taken to reduce oxidative stress.
Astaxanthin is recommended to be used in a dosage of at least 6mg daily. We are getting twice that amount here from Alpha Lion. Some studies have even used dosages as high as 40 or 50mg, but 12mg here is a solid dose for an immune support product.
Spectra™ (Total ORAC Blend) – 100mg
This ingredient is a trademarked blend from FutureCeuticals that has some research backing its powerful antioxidant abilities. Spectra™ is a blend of fruits, vegetables and herbs that have been shown to increase free radical production and optimize cellular metabolism.
This antioxidant blend has more of an effect on your overall well-being and health than any of the other ingredients in this formula. Research has demonstrated that this blend of fruits, vegetables and herbs is able to stimulate antioxidant activity, boost nitric oxide levels, and even improve the efficiency of cellular oxygen consumption by 140%. The inclusion of an overall health ingredient such as Spectra, gives this product the added benefit of encouraging a state of “optimal health”.
Spectra has strong clinical evidence supporting its use. While it may not be your typical immune support ingredient, we strongly believe this is an incredible addition to this immune support formula. At 100mg, we are getting a solid dose of Spectra here.
Final Takeaway
Would we expect anything less from Alpha Lion? Not in a million years. Everything we have seen released from Alpha Lion is well-formulated and thought through.
In the midst of this health crisis, the Alpha Lion team put together a very solid product that can help strengthen the immunity of anyone who chooses to use it. The profile is pretty simple, but the inclusion of several high quality, branded ingredients really solidifies the practicality of this product during this global pandemic. Not to mention everything is dosed really well, no complaints in that department.
If you are someone who feels their immune system could use a boost, check out this product on the Alpha Lion website when it releases this week. Our guess is everyone reading this article could benefit from this product in some way!
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