The US National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) has released new fact sheets on dietary supplements for immune function and infectious diseases. Versions are available in English and in Spanish, for consumers and for health professionals. The new fact sheets review the effectiveness and safety of 16 vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and other ingredients for immune function and infectious diseases, from vitamin A and andrographis to omega-3s and zinc. Information on these substances is alphabetized, and each category is easily accessible from an online table of contents.

The introduction to the professional version provides a succinct overview of the innate and adaptive immune systems and how they are affected by vitamins, minerals, botanicals and other substances. In some cases, cited research involves intravenous, enteral, or parenteral administration, the ODS notes. Dietary ingredients administered by these routes are not classified as dietary supplements,  but the information is included for completeness.

To read the health professional fact sheet, Dietary supplements for immune function and infectious diseases, click here

For the consumer version, which can be used for resident/member education, click here