Boost It

The science behind the song

“Boost your immunity” is one of the most common phrases on a supplement label, and one of the least accurate descriptions of how the immune system actually works. The immune system isn’t a single dial that goes up or down. It’s a constant negotiation between many different cell types deciding what counts as a threat, a bystander, or part of the body itself. Pushing any one part of that system harder than it needs doesn’t make you more protected, it risks tipping the balance towards inflammation and autoimmunity, where the immune system starts reacting to things that were never a threat in the first place.

Where supplementation genuinely helps is in correcting an actual deficiency. Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc and selenium all play real, well-documented roles in immune function, but the evidence for benefit is strongest in people who are short of them, not in people already getting enough from their diet. Taking more on top of an adequate intake doesn’t generally improve immune function further, and in some cases, zinc in particular, can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients if taken in excess.

Much of what does support immune function reliably is unglamorous: a varied, fibre-rich diet that feeds a diverse gut microbiome, since a large proportion of immune tissue sits in and around the gut; adequate sleep; and lower chronic stress. None of that fits neatly on a bottle, which is rather the point the song is making.