Status: 13.01.2024, 19:00 PM
By: Juliane Gutmann
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They promise good defenses that keep the flu and Corona away: immune cures from the drugstore or pharmacy. But the supplements can also be harmful.
The selection of supposedly immune-boosting dietary supplements is huge. They are available in the form of powders, effervescent tablets and capsules – some of which are enormously expensive. In advertising, they are touted as shields against all kinds of diseases. In this way, they should not let Covid-19, colds or flu break out in the first place. The advertised mechanism of action sounds plausible: the nutrients it contains strengthen the immune system, which is thus better able to fight pathogens such as viruses. But what sounds beneficial can actually endanger our health.
The mere attempt to stimulate the immune system is counterproductive, Professor Manfred Lutz is quoted as saying by the German Apotheker Zeitung (DAZ). The head of the Immune Regulation working group at the Institute of Immunology and Virology at the University of Würzburg further explains that the immune system is balanced in healthy people. Anyone who nevertheless takes immunostimulants in the form of dietary supplements risks an overreaction in the worst case.
Combination supplements can harm the body
So under no circumstances should you take dietary supplements that promise to strengthen the immune system? In Germany, the answer is "yes". This is because many such products contain all kinds of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. However, as stated in a GEO article, an undersupply of nutrients in a normal diet is extremely rare in countries such as Germany. And even if there is a deficiency, combination preparations such as Orthomol Immun are not a good solution. This is because such micronutrient cocktails make an overdose of individual nutrients more likely.
Many people swallow supplements on a daily basis that promise a better immune system. But these are not always harmless. © Imago
The efficacy promise of supposedly immune-boosting dietary supplements must also be questioned. Professor Ferdinand Gerlach, Director of the Institute of General Practice at Goethe University Frankfurt, explains in an interview with GEO that the assumption suggested by manufacturers that the special combination of several substances would bring special effects is completely unfounded.
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In the past, Ökotest has also dealt with supposedly immune-boosting dietary supplements. In addition to drugstore preparations, drugs from pharmacies were also tested, for example Orthomol Immun Pro, Unizink Immun Plus or Wobenzym Immun tablets, according to information from the German Apotheker Zeitung. In addition to the lack of proof of efficacy, Ökotest certified the tested products as having declaration deficiencies and overdoses, which is why they all failed with the rating "insufficient".
As the DAZ quotes Professor Manfred Schubert-Szilavecz from Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, there is no data to prove that the tested remedies bring a fundamental benefit to healthy consumers, protect against colds or boost the immune system - neither alone nor in combination.
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This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It is in no way a substitute for a visit to the doctor. Individual questions about clinical pictures may not be answered by our editorial team.