Larch Tree Extract May Benefit Cold Sufferers

A new study published in Current Medical Research and Opinion supports larch tree extract for cold relief. Larch tree extract is often standardized for arabinogalactan, a compound that researchers believe has immune-activating benefits.

In a 12-week study, German researchers assigned 199 adults to daily consumption of ResistAid, a larch extract from Lonza Ltd. (Basel, Switzerland) or placebo. Each subject qualified for the study by having experienced at least three colds in the previous six months. After 12 weeks, the researchers observed a 23% reduction in number of cold episodes with larch extract in comparison to placebo. The larch extract group also exhibited a greater number of days free of cold symptoms, as measured by self-documentation of cold symptoms and ratings in diaries.

The mechanism by which larch arabinogalactan supports immunity remains to be understood.