Do Supplements Boost Your Immune System?

While reading the supplement aisles, you will probably give them pills and bottles of trash, claiming to boost your immune system.

And if you’ve ever wanted to try them out, you’re not alone. Recent research suggests that millions of Americans use dietary supplements for their supposed benefits.

New research It was published last week on Jama Network Open and included over 15,000 participants. Between January 2017 and March 2020, one in nine people in the US used supplements to strengthen their immune system.

“It’s always coming,” said Dr. Michael Ben Adeleto, assistant medical director of hospital epidemiology at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, who is not involved in the research. “There’s really a sense of people trying to optimize their health.”

Many people used supplements without the recommendation of doctors, researchers found. However, infectious disease doctors, researchers and supplementary experts say there is little evidence that these products are actually useful.

What do science say?

Supplements that claim to support your immune system often contain the vitamins and minerals needed by the immune system. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to believe that these products will help reduce symptoms if they become common viral infections or become ill.