Are Immunity Shots Worth The Hype?

 

Your immunity is at the central point of your well-being. It determines how long you are likely to live and how easily you may succumb to certain illnesses. As human beings, the capacity of our immune systems differ from one another. In addition, conditions like diabetes, and other cardiovascular diseases can weaken our immune system. That’s why we have treatments to shore it up. One of such treatments going around the internet is the immunity shot. This piece explains what immunity shots are and if they really live the hype.

What Are Immunity Shots?

The Immunity Shot, also called wellness shot, is a concentrated beverage that contains a mixture of fruits or vegetable juice. The idea behind the shot is that the nutrients have immune boosting capacities. You can get it fresh or prepackaged. To clear up any confusion, ‘shots’ here don’t mean the ones delivered through a needle, but the nonalcoholic version of the kind you find at the bar.

WHAT STUDIES SAY ABOUT IMMUNITY SHOTS

People claim that immunity shots will boost and strengthen your immune system. Christine Byrne, an eating disorder dietician, says our immune system is more complicated than that. According to her, some nutrients impact our immune cells, but getting plenty of doses won’t make your immunity superhuman because our body only needs and uses so much.

Byrne countered that immunity shots won’t make you get sick; if you are sick, it will make you heal faster. However, there is no food or even diet that can prevent people from falling sick at all, as many factors, some of which are out of our control, play a huge role in our well-being.

Food specialists advise us to avoid any products that claim to be able to cure any disease. Yes, fruits, vegetables, and herbs can be part of your diet. Still, you should not rely on those products alone for your nutritional needs. Immunity shots don’t work miracles, don’t assume that a shot or two is all you need to get well; that would be a serious mistake.

Research reveals that, as with supplements, some ingredients of immunity shots can interfere with medications. For example, a shot with a high dose of grapefruit juice can make hormonal birth control less effective. It should also be noted that some wellness shots contain unpasteurized juice, which FoodSafety.gov warns should be avoided by pregnant women, children, or anyone with a compromised immune system.

Wellness shots contain medicinal ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, oregano oil, vitamin c, zinc, etc. Experts say that it is necessary to consult with your doctor before taking some shots as some of these ingredients have side effects. For example, zinc is one of the best natural remedies for the common cold but it can have some unpleasant side effects.

Immunity shots are not necessarily evil, but they are not the miracle shots that some people take them to be. It is advisable to consult with your doctor before you take a shot or two.