Mythbusting: Boosting Your Immune System

Boosting immunity is the new watchword due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), across state, national and international boundaries. It causes mostly asymptomatic, mild, or moderate symptoms, but in a significant minority, it leads to severe or critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

As such, it has taken approximately five million lives so far, though this is probably a massive underestimate, given the extent of undercounting in many countries. The number of severe non-fatal cases is many times this number.

Webpages promote unsound practices

While vaccines that are claimed to be both safe and effective were made available at the end of 2020, including some based on relatively new platforms such as the nucleic acid and adenovirus vector vaccines, they have run into rough weather in some regions, with a high percentage of vaccine hesitancy preventing adequate vaccine coverage.

Much misinformation has been mixed in with sound data regarding this pandemic, resulting in severe confusion about sound vs. unsound advice. Many people get their information from Google-based web searches, and from social media.

Among web searches, most individuals visit only the first few websites, indicating the importance of search engine ranking. Most commercial websites rank quite low, while news websites tend to appear in the top 10.

The majority of web pages focused on preventing infection with the virus, by practices like handwashing, face-mask wearing rather than boosting immunity. However, some wild claims have been made about the need to take supplements, such as vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin D, trace minerals, and probiotics, to protect oneself against the infection or at least against symptomatic disease.

Social media

Social media such as Instagram have hundreds of millions of users, who are savvy in getting the maximum views for their posts by making them readily searchable. Many such posts are actually meant to promote commerce. Top themes include fitness and health, which can both promote and harm health awareness, depending on who uses it and how it is used.

Many such posts using the hashtag #immunebooster allow the wide dissemination of scientifically unsound information about the immune-boosting concept that could lead to people being careless about their behavior in relation to spreading or acquiring the virus.

“There is no current evidence that any product or practice will contribute to enhanced “immune boosting” protection against COVID-19 [5]. This lack of evidence has not stopped wellness gurus, celebrities, and commercial entities from propagating notions of boosting immunity, and messaging of this nature is readily found connected to online portrayals of COVID-19 in the popular press.”

The use of scientific-sounding jargon with an air of authority allows influencers and commercial accounts to post dubious ideas about immune-boosting with high credibility. Moreover, the use of such content is aimed at enhancing the commercial value or sales of the product(s) or services sold by the promoter.

This has led to a craze for supplements, practices and other measures that promise to boost immunity. No matter that the only proven method of increasing one’s immunity is to develop antibodies against the pathogen, either by vaccination or by getting and recovering from the infection!

Supplements lack credibility

Over half the US population now takes supplements, according to some reports. However, most researchers agree that indiscriminately devouring such supplements is unlikely to provide the desired results. Vitamin C, especially, has received undue credit for boosting immunity and preventing the common cold.

However, one study showed that less than 0.1% of all research papers mentioning immunity had any content about vitamin C, making it an open question how this vitamin became so well-known as an immune booster. Vaccination, conversely, which is by far the only proven method of boosting immunity against a known pathogen, is mentioned in approximately one in seven papers, but only 12% of web pages.

It is important to realize that vaccination strengthens the natural immune system against a specific disease, rather than being an artificial alternative to natural health. Yet, of webpages focusing on natural health, only a minute number mention vaccines. This indicates the need to rewrite vaccine-centered websites, whether health, educational or professional, around an immune-boost, natural health theme to gain visibility among those who oppose the medicalization of healthcare.

Most immune boosters mentioned as such are propagated by complementary and alternative medicine practitioners and are not part of medical recommendations. These include herbs and spices as well, including garlic, mushrooms, ginger, and soups, which are backed by low-quality evidence or by traditional medicine.

Such supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) as medicines are, and therefore escape scrutiny for efficacy unless they make specific claims.

Image Credit: gguy/Shutterstock.com

What promotes immunity?

Experts agree that immunity is boosted by vaccination. Interestingly, vaccine hesitancy is higher among those who endorse supplements and other complementary therapies.

The immune response is stronger with relaxed individuals, compared to those who suffer from stress. This includes anxiety and worries about getting the virus. Stress elevates the levels of the glucocorticoid cortisol which has an immunosuppressive effect. To prevent this, stress relaxation activities are advised, such as meditation and regular moderate exercise.

Getting physical activity for 30-60 minutes a day is important, agree most researchers. Gym sessions, or simply a brisk walk that gets your heart pumping, are acceptable ways to lower stress, especially since cortisol levels fall with exercise while immune responses go up. Conversely, over-rigorous exercise actually heightens the risk of infection by dampening the immune response.

Sleep is also key, with a nightly session of 7-8 hours being recommended. Vaccines should be accepted as recommended by the national immunization programs in each country, to prevent weakening because of other infections. A diet rich in probiotics would also help to strengthen the gut microbiome and hinder colonization by pathogenic viruses or bacteria.

Importantly, a diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables, including those that are red, yellow, orange, green and deep green. This should provide ample zinc, vitamin D and other vitamins and minerals without the need for other supplements. Plenty of water is also a given.

Since smoking and/or vaping can increase the risk of severe COVID-19, quitting these habits are also a benefit.

References:

• Macedo, A. C. et al. (2021). Boosting the Immune System, From Science to Myth: Analysis the Infosphere with Google. Frontiers in Medicine. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389%2Ffmed.2019.00165. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6673706/
• Wagner, D. N. et al. (2021). “Immune Boosting” in the time of COVID: selling immunity on Instagram. Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-020-00474-6. https://aacijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13223-020-00474-6

Further Reading

• All Immune System Content
• What is the difference Between a Phagocyte, Macrophage, Neutrophil and Eosinophil?
• Does the Immune System Differ between Men and Women?
• Effects of Tobacco on the Immune System
• Innate versus Adaptive Immunity

Written by

Dr. Liji Thomas

Dr. Liji Thomas is an OB-GYN, who graduated from the Government Medical College, University of Calicut, Kerala, in 2001. Liji practiced as a full-time consultant in obstetrics/gynecology in a private hospital for a few years following her graduation. She has counseled hundreds of patients facing issues from pregnancy-related problems and infertility, and has been in charge of over 2,000 deliveries, striving always to achieve a normal delivery rather than operative.