Immune-stimulating effects of low-dose Larch arabinogalactan extracted from Larix occidentalis were evaluated in a Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-week clinical trial. Twenty-one healthy male volunteers (22-45 years) were randomized to one of six treatment groups or placebo, three subjects in each group. Of these, 19 (90%) completed for inclusion in outcome analysis. Three concentration grades of Larch arabinogalactan in two doses, 1.5g/day and 4.5g/day, were tested. White blood cell count, monocytes, serum interferon-γ, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, interleukin-6, and quality of life (SF-36) at baseline and 4 weeks. There were no changes in the objective immunologic and subjective measures of quality of life (p > 0.05) with low doses of Larch arabinogalactan. Understanding of possible low-dose responses to Larch arabinogalactan and the determination of clinically effective baseline doses for patient care requires further investigation, and future studies should consider larger cohort populations.
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