Immune Function: What To Do
The network of cells and proteins that identifies and removes pathogens and damaged cells.
Last revised
It is a balance rather than a dial: too much activity causes allergy and autoimmune disease, which is why "boosting" is the wrong goal.
Key takeaways
- Adult sleep recommendation: 7 or more hours a night
- Restricted sleep: linked to a weaker antibody response to vaccination
- Most useful single change: Get the vaccines recommended for you, including a yearly flu shot.
- Commonest mistake: Products marketed as immune boosters.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
Do
- Get the vaccines recommended for you, including a yearly flu shot
- Protect sleep, which has the clearest link to infection risk
- Meet the vitamin D RDA of 15 mcg (600 IU) for most adults from food, fortified products or a supplement
- Wash your hands; the unglamorous measures still work
Do not
- Products marketed as immune boosters
- High-dose supplements on the assumption more is better
- Treating supplements as a substitute for vaccination
The figures behind the list
Each item above follows from these, published in the guidance named at the foot of the page.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Adult sleep recommendation | 7 or more hours a night |
| Restricted sleep | linked to a weaker antibody response to vaccination |
| Most effective specific measure | vaccination where recommended |
| Supplements | help people who are deficient, not people who are not |
| Evidence for high-dose vitamin C | at best a small reduction in how long a cold lasts |
Related topics
- The Evidence on How Vaccines Work, Without the Hype (Vaccinations)
- The Evidence on Vaccination in Older Adults, Without the Hype (Healthy Aging)
- Childhood Vaccinations: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Children's Health)
- The Evidence on Adult Vaccination, Without the Hype (Preventive Care)
Where to go next
- Immune Function: A Beginner-Friendly Start
- Immune Function: Common Questions Answered
- Immune Function — the reference entry
- Immunity: The Complete Guide
- Vaccination: What the Evidence Actually Says
- Colds and Flu: What Published Guidance Supports
When to get help
See your doctor for frequent, severe or unusually persistent infections, infections needing repeated antibiotics, or unexplained weight loss, night sweats or persistent swollen glands. People taking immunosuppressants or having chemotherapy should follow advice from their own care team. Call 911 for difficulty breathing, confusion, or a high fever with a stiff neck or a rash that does not fade under pressure.
Where this comes from
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Dietary Supplements for Immune Function and Infectious Diseases
- CDC — How Much Sleep Do I Need?
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.