Can Immunity-Boosting Supplements Keep You From Getting Sick?

Closeup of a young woman dropping immunity boosting supplements in water

Source: stefanamer / Getty

It’s that sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy nose, taking sick days off time of year again. But this year, it’s a little different than others, because we get to experience something the medical community has started to call a “Tripledemic.” This three-pronged pandemic contains the flu (per usual), COVID-19 and a new one – RSV. RSV, aka respiratory syncytial virus, causes infections in the lungs and respiratory tract and shares symptoms with a flu, says the CDC. Now that’s something else we get to worry about. We didn’t even include the common cold, which is also going around.

Naturally, people are searching far and wide for ways to reduce their chances of getting sick. When you face the triple threat, you look for quadruple the remedies – just to be safe. Some of those remedies include supplements. Drug Store News reports that sales of immunity supplements hit record highs since the start of the pandemic, and remain historically high. Consumers are shelling out sometimes as much as $30 for small bottles of immunity-boosting capsules, pills and tablets that allegedly help them fight off viruses. But, do supplements really work? The answer is layered.

When It Comes To Immunity, Diet Is Queen

Close up of African American woman with fresh salad.

Source: skynesher / Getty

There are a number of vitamins and minerals that are known to fortify the immune system. Vitamin C, for example, boosts infection-fighting white blood cells. Vitamin D can fight off respiratory infections and Zinc can promote immune cell function. It’s no wonder consumers are clearing out pharmacy shelves containing these supplements.

However, research from The Journal of the American Medical Association reported on WebMD shows that food remains the best source of these vitamins and minerals – not supplements. While taking supplements might (and we say might for a reason – read on), boost your levels of certain vitamins and minerals, it cannot replace the immunity-boosting value of a wholesome diet. In other words, eating mostly processed and fast foods but adding supplements won’t do your immune system much good. MADAMENOIRE explains how to eat for better immunity here.

SEE ALSO

Supplement Quality Varies

Hand holding a lot of pills on the palm on isolated white background, immunity-boosting supplements

Source: Abdurrohim Husain / Getty

Not all supplements are created equal and unfortunately, the supplement market isn’t heavily regulated. That means some supplements you buy might not truly contain the strength of nutrients they promise to, and others can have binders and fillers that diminish their potency – or even make you feel sick.

Your best bet is to find supplements with a USP label. This means they have been tested by the USP Pharmacopoeial Convention Dietary Supplement Verification Program. It is worth noting that a very small percentage of supplements on the market don this label.

SEE ALSO

There’s No Such Thing As A Sure Thing

Water, covid bacteria or washing hands cleaning in house bathroom sink or home tap. Zoom on black woman with soap, safety or wellness skincare for healthcare security to stop global corona virus risk

Source: Hiraman / Getty

Having a healthy immune system is part of the equation of remaining healthy – but it isn’t the whole picture. There are a number of factors that contribute to your chances of getting sick. These include:

Living conditions. Living in close quarters with multiple people puts you at a higher risk of getting sick.
Lack of sleep. Sleep-deprived individuals are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus.
Genetics. Researchers at the NIH have identified a certain set of genes that help one fight viruses – but the set looks slightly different from one person to another.
Previous infection. Having been infected with a virus can give you a limited period of immunity.
Time of exposure. The phase of incubation or infection the infected individual you come in contact with impacts your chances of getting sick.

Then there are the matter of personal choices like washing your hands, wearing a mask, avoiding crowded places, and canceling plans with a friend who has a sore throat. You can take a consistent regimen of USP-verified supplements but if any of these other factors are playing against you, supplements cannot keep you from getting sick.

SEE ALSO

There’s No Replacement For The Vaccine

Doctor's hand holding glass vial and syringe with injection over blue background.

Source: Inna Dodor / Getty

Eating a healthy diet, making smart personal choices and taking supplements together can help reduce your chances of getting sick. However, only vaccines are designed to specifically target individual viruses – no diet or supplement can do that. So get vaccinated. Whether or not vaccines stop the spread of a virus is still hotly debated among the medical community. However, the CDC reports that the flu vaccine can reduce your chances of becoming ill and reduce the severity of symptoms, should you become ill. And Scientific American reports that multiple studies show the COVID-19 vaccine can at least slow the spread of the virus.

SEE ALSO