Boost Your Immune System?





Someone is going to write in and say Americans have a lousy diet and don’t exercise and  can benefit from better food and exercise.  And that’s true.  If you are not taking care of your self, your immune function can be improved to its best function.  But if you are at your optimal baseline you cannot make your immune function better.


There are antibodies: , IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE and IgM further divided into 5 subtypes of IgG and 2 of IgA, each with a different affinity for different parts of pathogens.


There are blood components: Polymorphonuclear leukocytes, also known as white cells. And monocytes. And eosinophils and macrophages. And the lymphocytes oh my, of which there are an multiple types and with different functions.  Each cell line can have either a specific task or a general task in the attempt to prevent you from dying from infection. If you are infected by a virus, there is one response, a bacteria, and a different response, a parasite, yet another response, and within each response there are subsets of types of response depending on the pathogen and whether or not you have been exposed to the infectious agent in the past.







Randomly reading some of the advice on boosting the immune system yields Dr Phil level inanities that are trivial yet true. Get a good nights sleep. Duh. Exercise regularly. Double duh. Avoid being a a fat ass couch potato American whose idea of exercise is driving to Burger King for a triple whopper with extra large fries. What a concept. Don’t smoke or drink.  These sites often intermix common, well known beneficial life style changes with all sorts of nonsense.

By the way, I need a life style. Best as I can tell, I just have a life. I live it, and someday I won’t. But I need style. That is the problem of being from Portland: no style. Its the old joke: whats the difference between yogurt and Portland Oregon? Yogurt has culture. Sigh.



“People who receive regular chiropractic adjustments have immune system competency that is 200% greater than those who don’t.”

“Homeopathic remedies stimulate the immune system to assist the body in repairing any imbalances that may have occurred.”







The first is just made up. Somebody somewhere decided that this product enhanced immune function. Often the claim is based on ancient wisdom. You know, ancient wisdom, the same ancient wisdom that gave us the flat earth and slavery and women as inferior, that ancient wisdom. Always a reliable indicator. Most of the time there is no data to support the claims of immune boosting.

Then there are test tube tests for boosting immune system,


For example, E. coli has a toxin, called lipopolysaccaride in its cell walls that the body very specifically recognizes with a wing of the immune system, called the Toll like receptor. If you incubate cells in a test tube with chemicals or non self life (bacteria, virus etc) the cells react. That is what they are supposed to do. In medicine we call it the inflammatory response.


Listeria and Candida are always popular pathogens that the immune system responds with a non specific i.e. cellular rather than a specific i.e. humoral or antibody response, probably because they are unusual enough pathogens that it made no sense evolutionarily to develop a specific response like we see to more common pathogens.



But here is some recent, interesting literature, about the effects of having an inflammatory response to acute and chronic infections. Chronic inflammation of all types is associated with atherosclerosis i.e. hardening of the arteries, nicely reviewed in Circulation Inflammation and Atherosclerosis (Circulation. 2002;105:1135-1143).  An inflammatory state can occur from many things, not just infections.

First up: theNEJM, Periodontal Disease and Treatment of Periodontitis and Endothelial Function from 2007.


” Aggressive treatment consisted of scenes from the movie marathon man Patients in the intensive-treatment group underwent the adjunctive full-mouth intensive removal of subgingival dental plaque biofilms with the use of scaling and root planing after the administration of local anesthesia; teeth that could not be saved were ex- tracted, and microspheres of minocycline were delivered locally into the periodontal pocket. “



Maybe you, if you are taking immune boosters that could really activate the immune system, that should lead to chronic inflammation, which is associated with hardening of the arteries.

But wait. There’s more The inflammatory state is a prothombotic state. Infected people make blood clots, and they can make these clots for a long time. Clot can manifest several common ways: heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism i.e. blood clot to the lung. There are now several studies out there demonstrate an epidemiological link between a recent infection and a thrombotic event. For example Lancet 2006.




Stroke?  In the European heart journal they looked at a database of strokes and heart attacks and found that


And a simple community acquired pneumonia decreases  5 year life expectancy in a VA population from 84 months to 34 months.


So chronic inflammation and acute inflammation both increase your risk of thrombosis and vascular events. What are probiotics and immune boosters do? If they really worked?  They would cause acute and chronic inflammation.  For those who may think I am talking about vaccines, not here. Vaccines cause the development of a specific antibody against whatever you are immunizing against, but it does not cause a generalized inflammatory response.

Now I am well aware that association is not causality, and I am also well aware of the issues with epidemiological data to prove causality. But I submit for your consideration that if some product is really boosting your immune system, it is really activating your inflammatory response, perhaps it may not be such a good idea.


But I will make a prediction: people who use probiotics or other substances that can measurably lead to an inflammatory response, or, have their immune system boosted, will have more strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary embolisms. So when you read that some product or other boosts the immune system, ask 1) says who 1) what part of the immune system and 2) are they calling an inflammatory response a boosting of the immune system.


Posted in: Science and Medicine

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31 thoughts on “Boost Your Immune System?

  1. Jules says:

    One must also ask, “How do you know your immune system is boosted?”

    I think that question alone kills about 90% of the schlock out there :-)

  2. Chrtowsky says:

    How do adjuvants in the vaccine boost the immune system?

  3. Calli Arcale says:

    They don’t. They just poke it a bunch so it gets annoyed and mounts a response to the antigen. (This is a gross oversimplification, I’m sure, but that’s the basic idea.)

    You really don’t want your immune system boosted. Considering that many of the symptoms of a disease are actually the product of your own immune system fighting the disease, I can’t imagine why anybody would want a stronger-than-human immune system. You don’t want it boosted; you want it to be more specific.

    Here’s an analogy: military explosives. You can boost the hell of out them, with the nuclear fusion bomb being among the prime examples of this. But it’s crude, and the trend lately has been away from stupendously huge bombs that can destroy entire cities and towards “smart bombs” which are capable of targeting, say, an individual shed even if dropped from 11,000 ft. The explosive yield of one of these weapons is pitiful compared to a nuke, but the military really likes them, because they don’t blow up millions of civilians that way.

    So you don’t need to make your immune system stronger; if you’re in good health, it’s strong enough already. What you want is to make it *smarter*. So far, the most effective means of doing this is through vaccination, which is basically a training program for your immune system.

  4. micheleinmichigan says:

    The argument I’ve always heard for probiotic (in yogurt) is to replenish the good bacteria in your GI that is killed of by antibiotics. I have also heard (I think it was a NYT article) that our ultra clean (sanitizer ridden) culture my be preventing people from consuming enough of the normal dirt and crude that our GI functions best on and that has possibly led to increased allergies in the population.

    I that a separete aurgument or one you are disputing as well?

    Since I have auto-immune thyroid disease, I have always been against “immunity booster” on the ground that I’m not going to give the bas#$@d anything more to more with. But I’ve never heard of probiotic in yogurt actually boosting the immune response. I don’t want that.

  5. micheleinmichigan says:

    whoops, sorry forgot to spell check.

  6. kausikdatta says:

    Very interesting post this morning, Mark. That the balance between no immunity (immune deficiency) and excessive immunity (expressed as hyper-inflammation) is essential for good health has been well established in immunology literature. In fact, a few years back the concept of Damage-Response framework of microbial pathogenesis and infectious disease came about for this very purpose. A lot of diseases of infectious origin show their effect by creating an imbalance in this framework, either in a pathogen-driven or in a host-driven manner.

    Calli above has it exactly right:


    For the past several years, a part of the search for better adjuvants for vaccines has turned to CpG oligonucleotides, developed by Arther Krieg. When initially they appeared, they were great adjuvants but non-specific. Now, his company has found out a way to make them specific for specific cell types, such as B-cells or T-cells. Some companies are also developing lipid-micelle based delivery systems that would deliver the vaccine antigen in a more specific manner to target cells.

  7. tgobbi says:

    This all reminds me of the “more is better” mindset. If 1 unit of vitamin “H” is good for you then 2 units must be twice as good. A few years ago a good friend with MS, now deceased, was presented by a well-meaning family member with a supplement program to boost her immune system. She knew of my interest in medical nonsense asked me what I thought of the plan. I’m a layman; I don’t go around prescribing treatments. I had no idea of: A – that MS is an immune system problem which would have been made worse by such treatment or: B – that the supplements would even actually have the hoped-for effect. Naturally I insisted that she discuss this with her MD before trying it and he warned her against it. Bottom line is that everybody wants to help and makes recommendations no matter whether he/she knows anything about it or not. “I know someone who tried XYZ treatment for ZYX condition and he felt better right away.” Therefore it must work and everybody should try it. It’s a perfect example of general ignorance of what science is all about.


  8. kausikdatta says:

    Further, on the subject of “boosting immunity”, I recently came across a news website where the luminaries of four Alternative Medicine centers associated with universities across the country have weighed in on how to treat cold and flu in the ‘holistic way’, with gems such as: (emphasis mine)

    Cold prevention:… not getting overstressed (to control cortisol, that can “weaken the immune system over time”, drinking lots of water and “eating multicolored whole foods that were recently alive or came out of the ground”; Cold treatment: … attack the virus early… drink more green tea… (drink) orange juice to get more vitamin C… take 20-30mg of zinc acetate lozenges twice a day to improve immunity… add (to all these) andrographis, called “Indian echinacea”… 400mg of this “immune-stimulating herb” three times a day; Flu prevention: … gets the yearly (flu) shot, (but)… main concern is that the vaccine has very small amounts of the preservative thimerosal in it; Flu treatment: … doesn’t recommend Tamiflu, the prescription antiviral drug. Instead … uses a black elderberry extract… one tablespoon, four times a day (David Rakel, MD, Director, University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Integrative Medicine)
    Cold prevention: … believes that for people who get frequent colds, it’s an indication that their immune system is sub par… (also) too much sugar can weaken immunity… take 500- 1000mg of vitamin C every few hours… (but warns that) taking too much of it too quickly can lead to diarrhea… take one or two capsules daily of a combination Chinese remedy containing the herb astragalus – thought to stimulate the immune system; Cold treatment: … let it run its course… (take) miso soup with shiitake mushrooms, fungi known for their immune-strengthening compounds; “these approaches may make the symptoms feel better, she admits, but they likely won’t make a cold go away faster”; Flu prevention: … doesn’t get the flu shot and neither does her young daughter. “I’m not opposed to it, but we’re very healthy people and don’t get sick a lot”; Flu treatment: … same treatment advice for a cold… (if) sinuses are congested, she turns to an “old naturopathic therapy” thought to stimulate the immune system… ‘hydrotherapy’ – sticks bare feet in hot water for three minutes then in ice-cold water for 30 seconds, repeats this hot-cold sequence three times (Lynne Shinto, ND, naturopathic physician for the Neurology Wellness Clinic at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon)
    Cold prevention: … big believer in meditation and has found this mind-body approach helps increase his awareness of subtle body shifts… a sore throat is his early warning sign of a cold, his cue to start taking echinacea… feels that some researchers tested an inadequate dosage (in studies that showed mixed results with this herb)… take 500-1000mg, three or four times a day… also (add) a few finely cut up cloves of raw garlic… (though he) admits that few research studies exist on whether garlic actually helps a cold; Cold treatment: … 250mg of vitamin C every couple of hours… also take at least 500mg of echinacea “if the cold is mainly in his nose”… does a nasal rinse with a neti pot twice a day to cleanse and soothe these passageways; Flu prevention: … gets a flu shot, which he feels is safe and has few side effects… not a big fan of Tamiflu; Flu treatment: … avoid sinus problems by doing the neti pot… likes elderberry syrup as a remedy for kids… there’s less evidence for it in adults, but is worth trying (Kevin Barrows, MD, Director, Group programs at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at UCSF)
    Cold prevention: … keep yourself in better physical condition… getting enough sleep, keeping a lid on stress and eating predominantly plant-based foods; Cold treatment: … treat symptoms extremely aggressively… takes zinc gluconate lozenges, drinks plenty of herbal tea and also uses a liquid tincture of echinacea… head to the gym to break a sweat, because “Low-level exercise simulates a fever and makes it harder for the virus to live”; Flu prevention: … gets the annual shot… (if) exposed to influenza, would take Tamiflu; Flu treatment: … take 500mg of vitamin C three times a day… likes either andrographis or Siberian ginseng (David Leopold, MD, Director, Integrative medical education at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, CA)

    Someone please tell me, how did these people get their MDs again (the ‘ND’ I can understand)? What is the going rate nowadays?

  9. kausikdatta says:

    Sorry about the confused mark up style. I did not realize – until after the post appeared – that SBM commenting does not allow the code for line breaks (), and that I had to do it manually by using a hard carriage return.

  10. Archangl508 says:


    I’ve seen this difference between cellular and specific immunity referred to in several comments and postings on this site at times and, being an immunologist, wanted to make some suggestions on some better terminology.

    I think that the general consensus in the immunology community is less cellular versus specific and more innate versus acquired. Both systems have both cellular and humoral components to them.

    The innate system is often triggered by certain molecular patterns found in multiple pathogens, such as LPS (lipopolysaccharide) or CpG DNA. These patterns signal through pattern recognition receptors like the Toll receptor family. The innate response is controlled by a multitude of cell types including mast cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and NK (natural killer) cells. The innate response has a very rapid onset and also confers no long-term immunity to any specific pathogen.

    The acquired system is marshalled by those wonderful cells known as lymphocytes, your B and T cells. These are the cells responsible for the acquired or adaptive immunity and both cell types respond specifically to antigens and can produce both humoral (antibody) or cellular (cytotoxic) responses to the invader. T cells are also capable of using signals from the innate system to drive an immune response either towards a more humoral, cellular, or balanced response, depending of the type of pathogen. Furthermore, B and T cells can also become memory cells which gives them enhanced long term survival and leaves them primed to mount a much stronger response should they encounter the same antigen again.

    Sorry if I’m being nitpicky, just wanted to point that out.

  11. tariqata says:

    Calli: my dad used to tell that if I exercised more, I’d boost my immune system and that would help my chronic spring and fall plant allergies.

    I think I’ve finally persuaded him that even if exercise “boosts” one’s immune system, that’s really not the way to deal with my allergies.

  12. Zetetic says:

    If you encounter, as I did yesterday, an enthusiastic supporter of “boosting” the immune system, tell them about the likely cause of the rapid demise of young and very healthy victims of the pandemic flu almost 100 years ago. Over activated (boosted?) cytokines, a vital component of the immune system, attacked healthy tissue in bodies – liquefying the lungs! Oh – She was an RN!

  13. Archangl508 says:


    Overactive immune systems are responsible for a whole spetrum of diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, asthma, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, and many more. Too much of anything, including the immune system, is always a bad thing!

  14. kausikdatta says:

    Great point, Archangl508! To your list, I would like to add IRIS (the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome) – very common in HIV positive individuals under HAART, when their CD4 levels start bouncing back. Similar situation is also seen in case of disease caused in immune-competent healthy individuals by certain mycopathogens. It cannot be overemphasized that immune system in health runs on a fine balance, and perturbations therein, beyond a limit, are not kindly taken to. Which is why I can’t understand this entire ‘boost your immunity’ business!

  15. Mark Crislip says:

    Nitpick away.

    Vaccine make the immune system smarter; love it. Going to steal that one.

  16. gmrath says:

    In ref. the “more is better” mindset mentioned above: I have to deal with this on an almost daily basis (this kind of thinking seems to be almost contagious).

    I’ve refined it to:

    “If some is good,
    and more is better,
    then absolutely too much should be just about right.”

    And I’m sure most know of other little ditties reflecting this somewhat puzzling, misguided sentiment.

  17. nitpicking says:



    Dr. Crislip actually did a podcast on this one, too. Essentially: the bacteria in yogurt aren’t naturally found in your gut, and even if they were they’re only one of many constituents of the normal flora.

    Hey, he wrote about it here too.

  18. Kim Barron says:

    Michele, thanks for mentioning about not wanting to boost your immune system. My husband has a couple immune system disorders and I hadn’t thought of the idea of trying to boost it causing more problems. We worry about him getting other infections and such. He has had a liver transplant so is immunosupressed.
    I don’t suppose someone has done research on that idea, if it would cause problems?

  19. Archangl508 says:


    I did a quick pubmed search and did not find any reports on immune system boosting following transplantation. But I would guess that is an extremely fine line that his doctors are trying to walk. Trying to find the dose of immunosuppressives that will prevent rejection while not completely wiping out his ability to respond to pathogens. I don’t think it would be wise to try too much on your own as that could lead to complications. The transplantation rejection response can be very rapid once it starts and can very quickly cause the organ to fail. Even the most closely matched organ will most likely be recognized as foreign since it is almost impossible to find a complete histocompatability match, unless you have an identical twin.

  20. micheleinmichigan says:

    # nitpicking

    Thanks for the link on probiotics. Very interesting article.

  21. karlSPA says:

    You’ve made an excellent and much-needed case against immme boosting claims. Thank you.

    Worth a mention I think that for cancer-treatment-related immune deficiency, growth factors (neupogen / leukine) are sometimes used to boost production of of granulcytes to reduce risk of infection and to keep you on schedule for treatment.

    - However, this kind of immune support (highly specific to the cells it stimulates) is done when the immune system is in a deficient state and the treatment is not extended once those cells reach safe levels … and it’s not used as therapy for cancer so far as I know.

    Other biologics can modulate immunity signfincantly, such as interferons, but also have signficant side effects as you know.

  22. buttonwillowsf says:

    “Aggressive treatment consisted of scenes from the movie marathon man”… orly?
    i’ll mention this to my dentist next visit.

  23. Calli Arcale says:

    Mark Crislip:
    [quote]Vaccine make the immune system smarter; love it. Going to steal that one.[/quote]

    I’m flattered! Thank you!




    It’s astonishing how often alties will suggest boosting the immune system to fix an autoimmune problem. It’s depressing how often people buy the argument. I mean, it’s common sense: if your immune system is freaking out and attacking your healthy tissues, why on earth would you want to make it stronger? It might make *some* sense if they offered an alternative theory (and a few do, like Hulda Clark’s invisible liver flukes), but most don’t. “Boost the immune system” is typically just used as meaningless advertising copy, right up there with “all natural”.

  24. kausikdatta says:

    Hmmm… is someone in NY Times paying extra attention to this thread? After all that discussion on Probiotics, suddenly there is this article on Sep 28 – Probiotics: Looking Underneath the Yogurt Label – in NY Times! :D

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