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What actually strengthens the immune system, and what we see in the practice

by Team RetreatPublished Medically reviewed by Dr. med. univ. Maria-Theresa Thiede

Four things are well documented, three are overrated, and an infusion is no substitute for evidence of a deficiency. What we measure before we recommend anything.

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Show contents
  1. What is well documented
  2. What is overrated
  3. What we measure first
  4. When an infusion makes sense, and when it does not

What is well documented

Four things come up again and again in the literature: enough sleep, a fibre-rich and plant-forward diet, regular moderate movement, and daylight. None of them is spectacular, and that is exactly the point. The effect comes from the regularity, not from the dose.

  • Sleep. Seven to eight hours, at consistent times where possible.
  • Food. Vegetables, pulses, whole grains, plus fermented foods such as sauerkraut or kefir.
  • Movement. Moderate and daily rather than hard and rare. Overtraining works in the other direction.
  • Daylight. In winter too, and on overcast days.

What is overrated

Supplements without a demonstrated deficiency. Individual foods sold as superfoods. And infusions offered as a course of treatment against colds.

What we measure first

Before we plan an infusion we look at blood values and talk about daily life, sleep and strain. If no deficiency emerges from that, we advise against it, and we say so.

When an infusion makes sense, and when it does not

It makes sense when a deficiency has been shown, or when absorption through the gut is impaired. It does not make sense as a seasonal routine, and not as a substitute for what stands above.

The sources below are the papers the statements in this text rest on. They are no substitute for a medical consultation.

Sources

Show sources (5)
  1. Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M. The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiological Reviews 2019;99(3):1325–1380.
  2. Prather AA, Janicki-Deverts D, Hall MH, Cohen S. Behaviorally Assessed Sleep and Susceptibility to the Common Cold. Sleep 2015;38(9):1353–1359.
  3. Nieman DC, Wentz LM. The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defense system. Journal of Sport and Health Science 2019;8(3):201–217.
  4. Martineau AR, Jolliffe DA, Hooper RL, et al. Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data. BMJ 2017;356:i6583.
  5. Hemilä H, Chalker E. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013;(1):CD000980.

Results vary from person to person. This page does not replace medical advice.

Understand first, then treat

If you would like to place any of this in the context of your own health: the next step is a conversation.

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