Self-medication is an important pillar of healthcare

Dietary administration of zinc and use of probiotics can strengthen the immune system in humans, including children. This may lead to fewer and shorter respiratory tract infection episodes. Whether the combination of zinc and probiotics exerts synergistic effects remains to be tested.

There are numerous randomized controlled studies showing that the intake of essential phospholipids (EPL) can reduce steatosis and improve liver function parameters. Based on these studies EPL are named in several national guidelines as one recommended treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A retrospective analysis of three observational studies has now investigated the extent to ...

Essential phospholipids (EPLs) belong to the group of hepatoprotective agents and are recommended in the Russian guideline for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A large-scale observational study now confirms this recommendation based on treatment satisfaction, improvement of ultrasound parameters and normalisation of liver enzyme levels.

Probiotics are a generally safe treatment option and have been evaluated positively for several conditions by the Cochrane Collaboration. However, they must have adequate compositional quality and be able to persist in the gut to be efficacious and safe.

Reducing harmful stress is a key challenge to preserve well-being. A recent, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in moderately stressed healthy adults (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03262376; 25/0817) demonstrates beneficial effects of a combination of magnesium, B vitamins (B6, B9, B12) and rhodiola and green tea extracts against objective and subjective indicators of stress. It was more ...