As the new coronavirus spreads around the world, one way to prepare is to boost your immune system. Many people choose to stock up on dietary supplements that promise to prevent infection. Some of the ones you’ve probably heard of include echinacea, elderberry, colloidal silver, oregano oil, chaga mushroom, and probiotics, in addition to traditional reserves like vitamin C and zinc.
But taking a pill is not all that it seems to be. Overall, claims that supplements support immune function have been denied by science or have zero scientific basis to demonstrate their effectiveness. Also, they can actually harm your health.
Why do supplements not improve immunity?
Simply put: they don’t make sense. For the average healthy adult, there is no evidence that supplements work. We get many vitamins and minerals in our regular diet.
And by the way, that’s true whether we’re cooking at home or grabbing takeaways from McDonald’s. Supplements are often marketed as if we are lacking vitamins when we eat fast food, but even processed foods are fortified. That said, home-cooked meals are, of course, the healthiest option.
If you think a vitamin can replace a good night’s sleep, a healthy diet, or exercise, then you are doing a poor service. Also, nutrients are more powerful when they come from food compared to a pill.
In extreme situations, for example, if someone is severely deficient in a particular vitamin, they may be more susceptible to infection, and a supplement may help. But, unless you live in a developing country, you should not fear that it will happen to you; unless a person has a serious illness or absorption problem. In that case, your doctor may suggest that you take a vitamin or mineral.
7 Supplements for “immune boosting”
Let’s take a closer look at some of the studies, or the lack of them, around common supplements that promise to boost immunity:
Echinacea
A February 2015 Cochrane review found that echinacea does not provide benefits for the treatment of the common cold, while a January 2015 review of pharmacognosy noted that the side effects of the supplement include nausea, abdominal pain, and a rash.
Colloidal Silver
Colloidal silver has no research to back up its health claims, and it can cause serious side effects, such as skin discoloration and poor absorption of medications like antibiotics.
Elder
People taking elderberry syrup experienced some relief from upper respiratory flu and flu symptoms, as noted in a February 2019 analysis in Complementary Therapies in Medicine, but no large-scale independent studies have been conducted. , so there is no way to know the effects.
Oil of oregano and Chaga mushrooms
To date, there are no human studies on oregano oil or chaga mushrooms.
Probiotics
Probiotics are promoted to maintain immune health, but there are no long-term clinical trials yet to show that they offer benefits for people who are already healthy. Probiotic supplements can also present risks, such as opportunistic infections and allergic reactions.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C will not reduce the risk of developing a cold for the general population (exceptions include smokers, the elderly, and people exposed to very cold environments or extreme physical activity, such as marathon runners). It can modestly shorten the duration of a cold.
Zinc
Zinc supplements only improve immune function in people with severe deficiencies, although zinc lozenges can significantly reduce cold symptoms such as cough, runny nose, and muscle aches.
The risks of relying on supplements
Not guaranteed to be safe
You can assume that the products you see in the supermarket and pharmacy have been examined for safety and effectiveness, but that is not the case.
Although the supplement trade is regulated, the requirements for bringing a product to market are extremely lax. They don’t look at the evidence that a supplement works in humans or that it is safe before it is on store shelves.
Nor are they guaranteed to be effective
To make a supplement, companies must have some sort of evidence on file for at least one ingredient, no matter how shaky the science is. For example, let’s say four decades ago, scientists sprayed an ingredient into a rat cell culture and found that it affected immunity. A company could use this as proof that a supplement containing this ingredient will boost consumers’ immune systems.
Even if more recent research shows that a certain ingredient is ineffective at improving immunity, you can still market it that way using outdated evidence.
Facilities are generally not checked unless something goes very wrong
Manufacturers must register their facilities with health experts. After that, they are ready to go.
Thereafter, experts only get involved if a facility is chosen for infrequent spot inspection to ensure the environment is sterile. Also, they could investigate if people get sick from a certain supplement and call them to complain.
Additionally, companies are prohibited from making false health claims, such as promising that their product will avoid COVID-19. Still, the supplement law allows companies to advertise the vitamin, mineral, or botany as if it improved or maintained a healthy immune system, even if there is absolutely no human evidence that this is the case.
They may not contain the ingredients they claim
Although manufacturers are directed to avoid new experimental ingredients, the FDA does not test products to confirm what they contain. Thanks to this lack of supervision, supplements often do not contain what is on the label.
That’s why you should be particularly cautious when it comes to something labeled an immune booster. Supplements that are heavily marketed to have a health effect can create a perverse incentive for manufacturers to add real drugs or experimental compounds to make people feel like they’re working.
Although they have not investigated this problem related to immune boosting supplements per se, they have seen what happens with those promoted for weight loss, exercise and sexual function.
I could give you an overdose
Another concern is taking too much. Just as being extremely deficient in a vitamin can cause harm, consuming too much can cause harm as well. If you take a supplement, use multivitamins, which have a small amount of many different vitamins, rather than a large dose of an individual vitamin, unless your doctor recommends otherwise.
For example, megadoses of vitamin C can cause diarrhea, vomiting, headache, and insomnia. Ingesting excess zinc has similar side effects, along with suppressed immunity and low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
You could adopt other unhealthy habits
A supplementation habit can also lead to poor lifestyle choices if you take the wrong approach.
Best ways to strengthen your defenses
These habits have actually been shown to help you stay healthy:
Wash your hands
Rub with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after you’ve been in public or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
Can’t get to the sink? If you’re in a public space, bring hand sanitizer and use a little every time you touch something. As soon as the hand sanitizer dries on your skin, you know it has worked.
Plus, clean frequently touched items like your phone, door knobs, light switches, keyboards and keys with an alcohol-based disinfectant.
Stay at home
If you do venture, keep at least a meter and a half of physical distance from other people. FaceTime, Google Hangout, Marco Polo and What’s App are great ways to connect with your surroundings from a distance.
Manage your stress
Many people experience coronavirus-induced anxiety, and stress suppresses immune function. To ease your worries, Harvard Health Publishing suggests staying in touch with friends and loved ones virtually, without overdosing on news and only tuning in to reliable sources.
Other proven pain relievers include yoga, meditation, a gratitude practice, and controlled breathing.
Get a good night’s sleep
Properly closing your eyes helps you fight infection, according to a February 2019 study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Tips for a true restful sleep:
- Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day.
- Turn off tech gadgets 90 minutes before sleep (seriously!)
- Don’t watch the news before bed.
- Exercise regularly.
Breaks a sweat
An April 2018 article in Frontiers of Immunology confirmed that exercise can help protect you from viruses. So hop on your exercise bike or do workouts at home that will make your heart beat.
Eat healthy
A good diet is linked to strong immunity, as evidenced in an August 2018 article in the journal Nutrients.
The good news: Since many of us are required to cook at home these days, we hope to consume fewer processed and fast foods.
