The Science of sIgA: Enhancing your immune function

Do you find yourself spending more time than you used to thinking about your immune health? You’re not alone! 

The events of the last several years have moved immunity to the forefront of our minds. What was once reserved for back-to-school season or the onset of winter is now a year-round concern.

And if robust immunity is your goal, you’ll want to understand the importance of supporting your secretory immunoglobulin type A levels – or “sIgA,” for short.

An important player in immune function, sIgA is a type of antibody that defends vulnerable mucous membranes in the sinuses, lungs, stomach, gut, and intestines. It acts as the first line of defense against upper respiratory tract infections. 

To understand our signature Biocidin® botanical blend’s impact on sIgA levels, we partnered with a team of researchers to conduct a human clinical trial.

In our study, "The Effects of a Botanical Blend on Post-Exercise Mucosal Antimicrobial Proteins," carried out by Bellar et al. (2018), we examined how Biocidin®, in both throat spray and liquid formulas, affects mucosal immune function after exercise – specifically, sIgA and human alpha defensin levels. 

Why after exercise? 

In general, exercise broadly benefits the body by inducing stress, to which the body responds and adapts over time. However, strenuous exercise can negatively impact immune function by reducing sIgA levels. 

Athletes involved in strenuous exercise were the ideal group for this study.

The single-blinded study enrolled twenty healthy male college students and involved participants cycling at 80% VO2 max for 30 minutes after receiving one of three supplements: botanical throat spray, botanical drops, or placebo. 

Saliva samples were taken at 30 and 90 minutes post-exercise. The results showed an impressive 66% increase in sIgA levels with the throat spray at 30 minutes compared to the placebo. The study highlights the potential for the Biocidin® botanical blend to rapidly boost sIgA levels, a crucial factor in supporting healthy immunity and giving your body what it needs to do its best work!

Learn more about immune health here.