MYTHS AND TRUTHS ABOUT BOOSTING IMMUNITY: A SCIENTIFIC REVIEW OF THE ROLE OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.1595242511063

• Palavras-chave: Immune system; Food supplementation; Myths about immunity; Vitamins and minerals; Public health.

• Keywords: Immune system; Food supplementation; Myths about immunity; Vitamins and minerals; Public health.

• Abstract:

   This study discussed the misconception of "boosting immunity" and the real importance of balancing the immune system. Discussions on this topic are justified due to the population's lack of knowledge about the real benefits of vitamin and mineral supplementation and the indiscriminate consumption of food supplements, often encouraged by marketing strategies, especially in the post-Covid-19 pandemic context. Therefore, the general objective of this study was to clarify the myth of increased immunity and, to this end, it was necessary to review the scientific literature on the functioning of the immune system and the influence of nutrients and supplements on the immune response, analyze clinical studies that evaluated the effectiveness of supplements in immune modulation and identify myths and truths about the role of diet and supplementation in maintaining immunity. A literature review was carried out, based on a selection of articles published between 2010 and 2024 in the PubMed, Scielo and VHL databases, using specific keywords related to the topic, with the aim of gathering up-to-date scientific evidence on the relationship between supplementation and immunity. The results showed that immunity is a complex system that must be kept in balance through healthy habits, that vitamin and mineral supplementation is only indicated in cases of diagnosed deficiency and that excessive consumption can generate health risks, which imposes the observation that there is no scientific support for the idea of "boosting immunity" indiscriminately, and that evidence-based guidance for the population is essential.