Can Immune Boosting Supplements Keep You from Getting Sick This Winter?

One of my favorite quick-serve restaurants, Tacone Flavor Grill, has a small rack sitting up by where they make their delicious smoothies. The rack holds several pump bottles of dietary supplements called Rhino Shots. The bottles are labeled with which area the nutrients are supposed to affect. There’s one to lift your mood, one to give you energy, and another that is supposed to boost your immune system. You can order one of the shots to be mixed into the smoothie, or get one in any of the other drinks that they offer for that matter. Several other restaurant chains and coffee shops are joining in. And it’s not just at the restaurants either. Go into any supermarket or convenience store and you’ll see row after row of energy drinks as well as other ones that are loaded with vitamins, herbs, and minerals.

Americans spend billions of dollars a year on the stuff. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health Interview Survey, some 19 percent of adults use some form of herbs, botanicals, and enzymes to enhance their health and boost their immunity. The conventional medical wisdom is not quite so enthusiastic. Most allopathic doctors will tell you that assuming someone has a healthy diet and lifestyle, these products really have no additional benefit.

But some people swear by them. The herbal supplement Airborne had more than $100 million in sales this year, and has become a top seller in the immunity-boosting business. Another popular drink called Limu has a blend of some 70 nutrients including immune-supporting antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Vitamin C and zinc can both help the body’s immune system fight infection. So can a trip to the gym, according to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine in 2006. Moderate exercise helps raise the body’s temperature and fight off infection. Products containing echinacea and goldenseal, despite claims to the contrary, haven’t been shown to work. Taking these supplements for an extended period of time can even be detrimental to the immune system.

Probiotics-living microorganisms-have been widely used in Europe for decades now. But Americans are just starting to discover their reported benefits. One of these benefits is to restore normal bacterial growth in the intestinal tract. In 2004 Dannon introduced DanActive, a probiotic dairy drink with live and active cultures. The results on the use of probiotics are in the preliminary stages, but they do show some promise.

Another immune booster that has been used for years is pine-cone extract. As a homeopathic treatment it has been used for colds, cough, inflammation of the mouth, and frequent infections.

People should be wary of mixing a lot of herbal supplements with prescription medications as some of them can interact. A recent study has suggested that some of the cold treatments that contain zinc may affect your sense of smell. Maybe the best defense during cold season is the old tried and true. Eat healthy, exercise regularly, and wash your hands. And if you feel a cold coming on, take a little extra vitamin C and some of mom’s chicken soup.