Which medicines from the pharmacy can help?
Most drugs that strengthen the immune system and are available in a pharmacy use the effect of single or combined active ingredients. These are usually vitamins, trace elements or herbal active ingredients. Often these are offered in a combination as juice, effervescent tablets or as tablets.
However, it should be remembered that for most of these products no efficacy has been proven. A possible overdose of individual substances also poses a risk. In addition to the above-mentioned ingredients, there are also products that contain bacteria, so that one can maintain one’s natural bacterial flora and thus become ill less often.
However, this should also be viewed critically, as these can only protect against bacterial infections. Sanostol® is a multivitamin blend developed for children, which is available both as a juice and an effervescent tablet. It contains vitamins A, C, D3, E, B1, B2, B3, B6 and provitamin B5.
According to the manufacturers, it is suitable for strengthening the immune system, preventing infections and for taking in case of malnutrition. The stated ingredients are in fact vitamins that strengthen the immune system and should be taken in sufficient amounts with food. According to Stiftung Warentest, however, Sanostol contains too much vitamin A, which can be harmful to health under certain circumstances.
Also the promised effect should not be able to keep the remedy. Zinc is built into numerous enzymes as a structural element and is thus involved in many metabolic pathways of the body. Studies have shown that zinc suppresses the non-specific immune system and promotes the specific system.
The unspecific, early immune system is responsible for the disturbing symptoms. In the case of a cold, for example, it would cause a cold and cough. The specific, late system, which usually becomes active only after a few days, is much more effective and can normally fight the disease well. Zinc is contained in numerous foods, and is particularly abundant in oysters, beef and pulses.