By now you've heard many products claim to boost your immune system, and you've probably

also heard the science-based response to such claims that a boosted immune system would

be the last thing in the world you'd want, because that would mean your immune system

is overactive and attacking your own healthy tissue.

So why are products still sold with this fundamentally unscientific claim?

The immune system boosting is coming up next, Unskeptoid.

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You're listening to Skeptoid. I'm Brian Dunning from Skeptoid.com.

Boost your immune system, or not. Today, we're going to point our skeptical eye at one of the most

popular marketing gimmicks from the past few years. The sales of products and services

with the claim that they will boost your immune system. It sounds simple and desirable.

Who wouldn't want a super-powered immune system capable of fighting off anything from a cold

to cancer? Is such an ability really something you can buy in a bottle?

It's an easy claim to sell to people because it's so clear and seems to make such obvious

logical sense. The stronger your immune system, the greater its ability to fight disease.

...