Cold, flu and COVID season is here, and there’s a new kid on the block. Meet XEC, the latest COVID variant. You weren’t the only one gallivanting through Europe this summer: first detected in Germany in June, this nasty little variant has now reached the UK, US, Denmark and several other countries (1).

The symptoms of this new variant are the usual suspects: tiredness, headaches, a sore throat, a fever, a cough, body aches, and both a loss of appetite and sense of smell. According to Professor Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at UCL, XEC could very well become the dominating COVID subvariant this winter.

How can Lactoferrin help?

Here at Leapfrog, we are huge fans of Lactoferrin; a fine pink powder extracted from cow's milk that is known as "Pink Gold" for both its high value and extraordinary efficacy. The natural protein is a multi-tasking hero with anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also a vital part of the body's innate immune defence system against invading pathogens, and has repeatedly shown efficacy in reducing the risk of Respiratory Tract Infections (2). And, Lactoferrin has also shown promising results in its efficacy against SARS-CoV-2: the virus behind COVID-19, and its ever-mutating variants (such as the latest troublemaker, XEC).

Back in 2021, a groundbreaking study was published by the immunology team at the University of Michigan (3). This was in the pre-vaccine days, when scientists all over the world were hastily searching for something that could be used against the deadly virus. In their lab in Michigan, the team screened a whopping 1,425 FDA-approved drugs and compounds on human cells infected with the SARS-CoV-2 in their lab. Even up against Remdesivir - an anti-viral drug approved to treat COVID-19 - and anti-malaria drugs, Lactoferrin came out on top. A big air-punch moment for us at Leapfrog.

In a conversation we had with virologist Dr. Carmen Mirabelli, who helped conduct the study, she explained that:

“the moment we put Lactoferrin in there, we didn’t see any virus anymore… we repeated it and repeated it many times - and on different cells and different COVID strains such as Alpha, Beta, Delta variants - and it was active across the board”

Check out the full interview between with Dr. Mirabelli and Leapfrog's founder Stephanie Drax here, or watch our Instagram Live here.

Dr Mirabelli and her team found that Lactoferrin employed a two-pronged tactic to tackle the virus. Not only did it directly prevent SARS-CoV-2 from attaching to and infecting cells, but it also supported the cell's immune responses by enhancing white blood cell activity. These findings have been replicated in research on Lactoferrin interference with SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infections (4, 5).

Fast forward to 2022, and a couple of the researchers at the University of Michigan decided to take their research a step further. In a new set of experiments, they found Lactoferrin to be effective against even newer variants of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the older ones. Their research also uncovered that chewable Lactoferrin tablets made using sweeteners were just as effective as the purified stuff (6). And if you didn’t already know, chewable Lactoferrin tablets is what Leapfrog is all about.

Enter Leapfrog IMMUNE. These delicious citrus-flavoured chewables pack 250mg of the hero-ingredient Lactoferrin into every tablet. And if that wasn’t enough, each tablet also contains Zinc and Vitamin C -  both essential for keeping your immune system in tip-top condition. So whether it is the latest COVID variant, or just the usual seasonal sniffle, consider IMMUNE your body’s backup plan. At the first tickle of a dry cough or scratchy throat, pop 1-2 tablets, and let them work their magic. Don't just take our word for it - read our reviews!

 By Phoebe Lund Newlyn

Science

1. https://outbreak.info/situation-reports?xmin=2024-03-16&xmax=2024-09-16&pango=XEC
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34620326/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8433531/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3161750/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9362590/
6. https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(22)00115-1/fulltext