Today, it isn't too hard to find food products, packaged drinks, and even menu items that are labeled as "supporting immunity," "boosting immunity," or providing a "defense" against germs. Most of these products just contain vitamins and minerals that most people already get as part of a normal, healthy diet. In impoverished parts of the world, some people have severe vitamin deficiencies that can degrade immune function. If these folks are given vitamins, their immune function can be restored. But it is an unwarranted stretch of logic to claim that ingesting more of these vitamins will translate into better immune function.
Today, it isn't too hard to find food products, packaged drinks,
and even menu items that are labeled as "supporting immunity,"
"boosting immunity," or providing a "defense" against germs. Most
of these products just contain vitamins and...
More
Dr. Anthony Komaroff answered:Today, it isn't too hard to find food products, packaged drinks, and even menu items that are labeled as "supporting immunity," "boosting immunity," or providing a "defense" against germs. Most of these products just contain vitamins and minerals that most people already get as part of a normal, healthy diet. In impoverished parts of the world, some people have severe vitamin deficiencies that can degrade immune function. If these folks are given vitamins, their immune function can be restored. But it is an unwarranted stretch of logic to claim that ingesting more of these vitamins will translate into better immune function.Today, it isn't too hard to find food products, packaged drinks, and even menu items that are labeled as "supporting immunity," "boosting immunity," or providing a "defense" against germs. Most of these products just contain vitamins and... More
