Understanding Your Immune Health Supplement Label

Written by Dr. Brian Greenberg, for 1MD Nutrition

In addition to a healthy diet, supplements can help support a healthy immune system and respiratory health. Unfortunately, some supplement labels misrepresent what’s inside, so it is important to understand your supplement label to make sure you are getting optimal support.

Important Information to Look For

You have made the decision to add supplemental support to your immune health routine. But, there are so many options out there.

Having the right information will help you make the right purchase and ensure you use your supplement effectively and safely. Your bone health supplement label is the place to go for the information you need. The important features to look for include:

• Suggested use: Every label must provide information about suggested use or servings.
• Cautions or warnings: Any cautions regarding ingredients need to be clearly stated. This lets you know if you need to avoid or take precautions when taking certain products.
• Storage: This information helps to preserve the quality and potency of the supplement to maintain its effectiveness and freshness for optimal health results.

As an example, you can find these details on the box and right side of the bottle of 1MD Nutrition’s ImmunityMD®:

• Expiration date: This should be provided on every label, assuring you that your supplement will contain the claimed potency until the date provided.
• Dietary seals: All dietary restrictions must be addressed on the label.

• Quality standards: The GMP logo assures that the supplements are made according to the current FDA good manufacturing practices (cGMPs).
• Manufacturer information: A quality supplement will provide the manufacturer’s information, including phone number, email, and website, so that you can reach out to them with any questions or concerns about their product.

One final thing to look for is a statement of FDA compliance. Including a statement like the one below shows that the manufacturer is compliant with FDA regulations and that the company has integrity for their products and the statements that they make.

Failure to include this statement would be a red flag that the company is not following basic regulations to ensure their product is safe and effective.

Immune & Respiratory Health Supplements

You have the information you need to identify the quality supplements. Now, you can take a deeper dive into which ingredients are included, and what benefits you can expect.

The key features you want to focus on include functional description, health category, function claims, and ingredients.

The label should include a functional description that tells you how the product and its ingredients support your health. 1MD Nutrition’s immune supplement descriptions can be found on the box.

For a quick reference of which system in your body the supplement is designed for and how it will benefit your health, labels will provide the health function category and highlighted function claims.

When looking at 1MD Nutrition’s immune health supplements, the box and bottle labels feature the main product attribute in bold and the key health benefits you need to know at a glance.

Immune & Respiratory Health Supplement Ingredients

After these features have been identified, it’s time to look over the ingredients. Every supplement should include a supplement facts table listing every ingredient, the amount per serving, and the %DV (the percentage of the daily recommended value, this amount of a given ingredient is).

Not every list will include a number in the percentage daily value column. This is nothing to worry about, and simply means that the FDA has not made an official recommendation for how much of this nutrient you should have.

• Zinc is essential for overall health and should be consumed daily, up to 11 milligrams per day for men and 8 milligrams per day for women. This essential mineral supports immune cell activity to boost immune responses that protect against illness.
• Lactobacillus Acidophilus is safe when taken as directed and helps ensure the growth of the beneficial gut bacteria at the root of immune system strength to help promote strong immune responses.
• Lactobacillus Rhamnosus should be taken according to the recommended dosage and helps keep your gut bacteria in balance, which boosts immune responses, so your body can take on everyday threats.
• L-Lysine at a 1000 milligram dosage per day is considered safe and effective, helps support immune cell activity, and reduces inflammation and stress that can lead to mouth sores.
• NutraFlora® Prebiotic fibers help nourish probiotics to help maintain a healthy balance in the gut microbiome to support healthy immune system function.

• Vitamin C daily doses are 120 milligrams for adult men and women. This vitamin is a key player in immune system activity, supporting white cell production and strengthening the epithelial lining of the respiratory tract, which is the main defense of the immune system.
• Vitamin D3 is safe up to the daily recommended dose of 5000IU per day. As part of your daily routine, it helps to activate key peptides in the immune system, to better protect you from pathogens.
• Vitamin E is recommended at daily doses of 15 mg and helps support T-cell production, a broad class of immune cells responsible for identifying and killing harmful cells.
• Chromium is safe up to 1,000 mcg per day and helps reproduce crucial immune cells known as T-cells and macrophages.
• African Geranium is an herbal extract considered safe for adult consumption and can help promote healthy immune cell activity and helps the body’s to recover faster after illness.
• Elderberry Fruit Extract can be taken safely as a supplement or syrup and helps support immune cell activity and helps relieve fatigue, nasal congestion, and cough.

• Marshmallow Root Extract is considered safe for adult supplementation up to 100 milligrams per day. It helps maintain mucus production, allowing it to be coughed up normally and be removed from the airways to support respiratory and lung health.
• L-Cysteine should be taken according to recommended dosages and helps support lung health by reducing oxidative stress and relieving respiratory symptoms such as cough and congestion.

Be sure to check the ‘other ingredients’ section of the supplement facts to make sure you are not getting a bunch of fillers and additives. Some additives help bind the ingredients together or make up the capsule, like vegetable cellulose and silica, but others are unnecessary and should be avoided.

Final Thoughts

I have a strong appreciation for the benefit that naturally-sourced supplements have for immune and respiratory health. But, you want a supplement you can trust. I stand behind 1MD Nutrition’s immune health supplements.

They understand the importance of information and design labels that make the choice easy for you. Just take a look at ImmunityMD® and BreatheMD labels — all the information you want and all the ingredients your immune system needs!