12.01.07
Vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements can help complement a healthy diet and lifestyle, but consumers shouldn’t count on them to boost their immune response, according to a new Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA) report, “The Truth About Your Immune System: What you need to know.” The immune system defends the body against invading microbes such as bacteria and viruses. The report says supplement manufacturers claim their products “support” immunity, but so far there is not enough scientific evidence to back up the claims. The reason, asserts Michael Starnbach, PhD, the Harvard Medical School expert who edited the new report, is that science has not yet determined what level of immune system cells will best help the body resist disease. Further, while some proponents of vitamins and supplements claim that boosting the number of immune cells improves immunity, that link has yet to be established. The variety of immune cells is vast, and their interactions remain largely unknown. Areas under investigation include the development of new vaccines and the influence of lifestyle on immunity. The report says some of the lifestyle factors that appear to help keep the immune system in shape are the same ones that promote overall health, such as eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and low in saturated fat; exercising regularly; maintaining a healthy weight; and controlling blood pressure.