Suppression of influenza A virus by nutrient mixture containing vitamin C, green tea extract and amino acids

R. J. Jariwalla, M.W. Roomi, B. Gangapurkar, T. Kalinovsky, A. Niedzwiecki, M. Rath

Biofactors 2007, 31(1):1-15

Individual nutrients such as vitamin C, green tea, N-Acetyl Cysteine, and selenium are known to have antiviral properties. We investigated these nutrients in combination with lysine, proline, arginine and others to evaluate their efficacy against the infectivity of human influenza H1N1 virus. The results showed that this nutrient mixture was effective against the key mechanisms of viral infection. For example, it:

• Reduced the multiplication of viruses in the cells by 82%;
• Reduced the ability of the virus to infect other cells by 70%, through inhibiting the same mechanism which is targeted by the antiviral drug, Tamiflu®;
• Stabilized and reinforced the connective tissue barrier in order to curtail the spread of viruses in the tissue.

We compared the efficacy of this nutrient combination to that of a single component, vitamin C. The nutrient mixture was more effective than vitamin C used alone. It reduced viral activity by 87%, compared to 20% achieved with vitamin C alone.

Moreover, the micronutrient combination was effective in all stages of viral infection, including before, during, and even after exposure to a flu virus, thus suggesting its enormous potential in natural control of the flu.