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Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc and selenium contribute to the normal function of the immune system. Here you will find single-nutrient products and complexes with these nutrients. Our picks: Optiolex Alkaline Vitamin C and Espara Acerola chewable tablets. Read the guide ↓
Organic acerola powder with natural vitamin C. Supports energy, the immune system, and collagen formation. Allergen-free, vegan, and suitable for diabetics.
Your immune system works around the clock, even when you do not notice it.
Trillions of cells in the blood, lymph, mucous membranes and gut are constantly at work. To do their job, the body needs certain vitamins and trace elements, every single day.
Here you will find out which nutrients have a claim assessed by the EU, which foods provide them and how the products in our range differ. Numbers, not promises.
Symbolic image: AI-generated
Ten nutrients with an EU-authorised claim
For food supplements, only what the EU has assessed and authorised may be said about the immune system. Exactly ten vitamins and trace elements carry the claim that they contribute to the normal function of the immune system. The chart shows which foods are particularly rich in them.
10
nutrients with an immune claim
95 to 110 mg
vitamin C recommended per day
Oct. to March
the skin makes hardly any vitamin D
25 mg
zinc per day: EFSA upper limit
Good to know: The claim is worded the same for all ten nutrients. A product with 1,000 mg of vitamin C does not get a stronger claim than one with 100 mg. The difference lies in dose, form and ingredients, not in the promise.
Vitamin C has a second claim: it contributes to maintaining the normal function of the immune system during and after intense physical exercise. It applies to a daily intake of 200 mg in addition to the recommended amount. This is mainly of interest to people who train a lot and hard.
The four classics: vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc and selenium
These four nutrients are found in almost every product in this category. The authorised claim word for word:
Vitamin C
“Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system.”
Recommended per day: 95 mg (women), 110 mg (men)
Found in: peppers, broccoli, kiwi, sea buckthorn
Curious fact: A red pepper provides more vitamin C than an orange of the same weight.
Vitamin D
“Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system.”
Recommended per day: 20 µg when sunlight is not enough
Found in: herring, salmon, egg yolk, mushrooms
Curious fact: Most of it is made by the skin itself when enough UVB light reaches it.
Zinc
“Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system.”
Recommended per day: 7 to 10 mg (women), 11 to 16 mg (men)
Found in: pumpkin seeds, oats, lentils, cheese
For vegans: Phytate from wholegrains slows absorption. Soaking, sprouting and sourdough help.
Selenium
“Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system.”
Recommended per day: 60 µg (women), 70 µg (men)
Found in: Brazil nuts, fish, eggs
Curious fact: European soils tend to be low in selenium, so levels in cereals vary widely.
The basis comes from your plate. An ordinary day might look like this:
Breakfast
Porridge with pumpkin seeds and kiwi
Zinc, vitamin C
Lunch
Lentils with red pepper and broccoli
Zinc, vitamin C, folate
Snack
One or two Brazil nuts
Selenium, copper
Dinner
Salmon with potatoes and spinach
Vitamin D, selenium, vitamin B6
Vitamin D is usually the tricky one: food provides only a small share, and in Central Europe the sun from October to March is hardly strong enough for the skin to make enough of it.
Vitamin C compared: buffered, from acerola or high-dose?
Vitamin C comes as an acid, as a buffered salt or from the acerola cherry. The boxes show the amount, nutrient reference value and dosage form.
Immune complexes: several nutrients in one capsule
If you would rather not have four jars on the table, a complex is the answer. The boxes show how much vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc and selenium a daily dose provides.
Echinacea, mushrooms, lactic acid bacteria: what is behind them
Many products in this area rely on plants, mushrooms or bacterial cultures. They often have a long tradition. We show you what is behind them, so you know what you are buying.
Echinacea and rock rose
Echinacea purpurea, Cistus incanus
Purple coneflower comes from North America, rock rose from the Mediterranean. Both are found, for example, in Cosphera Immune Active Plus, alongside vitamins C and D, zinc and selenium.
Functional mushrooms
Turkey tail, reishi, shiitake
Known for centuries in traditional Asian cooking and teaching. The Paracel Immune Complex combines turkey tail with astragalus root and L-lysine.
Lactic acid bacteria
Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium
They also occur in yoghurt, sauerkraut and kefir.
Our view: These products may interest you, for example because you know them from tradition. If you want evidence, look for the ten nutrients above in the ingredients list.
Three myths that refuse to go away
Myth 1
“The more vitamin C, the better.”
Fact: 95 to 110 mg a day is recommended. What the body does not need beyond that is excreted via the kidneys. Several grams at once can upset the gut.
Myth 2
“A winter walk is enough for vitamin D.”
Fact: In Central Europe the sun is too low from October to March. UVB radiation is then hardly strong enough for the skin to make meaningful amounts of vitamin D, however long you are outside.
Myth 3
“You cannot take too much zinc.”
Fact: EFSA sets 25 mg a day as the upper limit, from all sources combined. Too much zinc over a long period can impair copper absorption.
Good to know when taking them
✓
Add up, don't double up
Complexes often contain the same nutrients as single products. EFSA sets tolerable upper intake levels of 25 mg zinc, 255 µg selenium and 100 µg vitamin D a day, from all sources combined.
✓
Take vitamin D with a meal
Vitamin D is fat-soluble. Ideally take drops or capsules with a meal that contains some fat, for example breakfast with buttered bread or yoghurt.
✓
Alkaline means buffered
Alkaline vitamin C comes as a salt, for example calcium or magnesium ascorbate. It tastes less sour and also provides small amounts of these minerals, and some sodium in the Optiolex product.
✓
Chewable tablets: read the ingredients
Chewable tablets taste good but often contain sugar. Espara Acerola chewable tablets, for example, contain sucrose. Full ingredients are listed on every product page.
Which vitamins and minerals are authorised for the immune system?+
Ten nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, folate, zinc, selenium, copper and iron. All of them carry the claim that they contribute to the normal function of the immune system.
How much vitamin C do I need a day?+
The nutrition societies of Germany, Austria and Switzerland recommend 95 mg (women) and 110 mg (men) a day for adults. With peppers, broccoli and a kiwi, that is easy to reach on an ordinary day.
What is alkaline vitamin C?+
Vitamin C that comes as a salt rather than an acid, for example calcium or magnesium ascorbate. It tastes milder. Optiolex Alkaline Vitamin C provides 500 mg of vitamin C per capsule from three ascorbates.
Do I need vitamin D in winter?+
From October to March the skin in Central Europe makes hardly any vitamin D. For this case, the nutrition societies of Germany, Austria and Switzerland give 20 µg a day as an estimate for adults. The EFSA upper limit is 100 µg.
Can I combine an immune complex with single-nutrient products?+
Yes, as long as you add up the amounts. Zinc and selenium matter most: EFSA sets 25 mg zinc and 255 µg selenium a day as upper limits, from all sources combined.
In short
Ten nutrients have an assessed claim for the immune system. A good plate provides most of them, while in winter vitamin D often needs topping up.
KEY POINTS
Authorised: vitamins A, B6, B12, C and D, folate, zinc, selenium, copper and iron.
A varied diet provides most of them, but hardly any vitamin D in winter.
More is not automatically better: amounts count, not percentages on the pack.
Add up the amounts, especially for zinc and selenium.
Note: Health claims refer exclusively to the nutrients named and comply with Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily intake. Keep out of the reach of young children.
