Can Immunity-Boosting Supplements Keep You From Getting Sick?

Closeup of a young woman dropping immunity boosting supplements in water

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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.

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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.