Plant stanol esters might optimise the immune response and improve the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccine efficacy in overweight and obese subjects

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 127; no. 7; pp. 1117 - 1118
• Main Authors: Plat, Jogchum, van Brakel, Lieve, Mensink, Ronald P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 14.04.2022
• Subjects: Antibodies; Asthma; Body weight; Cholesterol; Consumption; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 Vaccines; Dietary minerals; Esters; Fatty acids; Hepatitis A; Humans; Immune response; Immune system; Immunity; Letter to the Editor; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Nutritional status; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Older people; Overweight; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Vaccination; Vaccine Efficacy
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114521001781

Antibody titters in overweight or obese subjects (BMI > 25 kg/m2) from the control group were at least half of those in normal-weight subjects (BMI < 25 kg/m2), showing that a high BMI indeed compromised the immune response. [...]upon plant stanol ester consumption, antibody titters increased by 18 % in normal-weight asthma patients and by 73 % in asthma patients with overweight and obesity. Based on these findings, we now hypothesise that people with a higher BMI might particularly benefit from plant stanol consumption several weeks prior and after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. [...]we recently initiated another double-blind placebo-controlled intervention trial to evaluate the effects of a daily intake of 4 g plant stanols as their fatty acid esters in subjects with overweight or obesity (BMI 27–35 kg/m2). Recruitment and execution have started. Besides possible effects on T cell behaviour, another mechanism related to plant stanol ester consumption may be worthwhile to explore in the context of COVID-19 exposure.