MD, PhD, MAE, FMedSci, FRSB, FRCP, FRCPEd.

On Twitter, I recently found this remarkable advertisement:

Naturally, it interested me. The implication seemed to be that we can boost our immune system and thus protect ourselves from colds, the flu and other infections by using this supplement. With the flu season approaching, this might be important. On the other hand, the supplement might be unsafe for many other patients. As I had done a bit of research in this area, I needed to know more.

According to the manufacturer’s information sheet, Viracid

  • Provides Support for Immune Challenges
  • Strengthens Immune Function
  • Maintains Normal Inflammatory Balance

The manufacurer furthermore states the following:

Our body’s immune system is a complex and dynamic defense system that comes to our rescue at the first sign of exposure to an outside invader. The dynamic nature of the immune system means that all factors that affect health need to be addressed in order for it to function at peak performance. The immune system is very sensitive to nutrient deficiencies. While vitamin deficiencies can compromise the immune system, consuming immune enhancing nutrients and botanicals can support and strengthen your body’s immune response. Viracid’s synergistic formula significantly boosts immune cell function including antibody response, natural killer (NK) cell activity, thymus hormone secretions, and T-cell activation. Viracid also helps soothe throat irritations and nasal secretions, and maintains normal inflammatory balance by increasing antioxidant levels throughout the body.

This sounds impressive. Viracid could thus play an important role in keeping us healthy. It could also be contra-indicated to lots of patients who suffer from autoimmune and other conditions. In any case, it is worth having a closer look at this dietary supplement. The ingredients of the product include:

  • Vitamin A,
  • Vitamin C,
  • Vitamin B12,
  • Pantothenic Acid,
  • Zinc,
  • L-Lysine Hydrochloride,
  • Echinacea purpurea Extract,
  • Acerola Fruit,
  • Andrographis paniculata,
  • European Elder,
  • Berry Extract,
  • Astragalus membranaceus Root Extract

Next, I conducted several literature searches. Here is what I did NOT find:

  • any clinical trial of Viracid,
  • any indication that its ingredients work synergistically,
  • any proof of Viracid inducing an antibody response,
  • or enhancing natural killer (NK) cell activity,
  • or thymus hormone secretions,
  • or T-cell activation,
  • or soothing throat irritations,
  • or controlling nasal secretions,
  • or maintaining normal inflammatory balance,
  • any mention of contra-indications,
  • any reliable information about the risks of taking Viracid.

There are, of course, two explanations for this void of information. Either I did not search well enough, or the claims that are being made for Viracid by the manufacturer are unsubstantiated and therefore bogus.

Which of the two explanations apply?

Please, someone – preferably the manufacturer – tell me.

28 Responses to Viracid: boosting the immune system or the manufacturer’s profit?

  • Sounds like Tamiflu. Maybe they also could get a billion dollar contract to stockpile it. They just need to kick a few mill in the back door of the CDC.

  • Thank you for the support.

  • Hmm, I can’t find any research about Viracid either. But what I can find, doesn’t look good.

    First, there is the recommended dosage:

    Suggested Use:
    For immediate immune support: 1-2 capsules per hour or as recommended by your health care professional.
    For immune maintenance: 2 capsules per day or as recommended by your health care professional.

    Which of course raises the question what those people from OMP think of as a “health care professional” – I’m pretty sure that they don’t mean ordinary GP’s.

    Anyway, at $ 0,50 per capsule with most retailers, this ‘immediate immune support’ with up to 20 capsules per day (2 per hour) is already rather pricey – and it raises another question: how long does one need to take this high dosage ‘for immediate immune support’? One day does seem rather short, so I take it that people who suffer from e.g. the sniffles (a.k.a. the common cold) are supposed to keep up this regimen for at least 3 or 4 days.

    Then the question arises whether or not this is actually healthy – time to take a closer look at the ingredients.
    On page 2 it says that ‘one serving’ consists of two capsules, and that these two capsules contain 15,000 IU (4,500 mcg) vitamin A, or 5 times the recommended daily intake. However, this ‘one serving’ is already considered a toxic dose(*), and suggesting that people ingest up to ten times this amount daily for any prolonged time definitely sounds like a Bad Idea.
    Even though the other ingredients look harmless enough, this high vitamin A content seems to me already reason enough to actively discourage the use of this product (and, of course, because it effectively drains your wallet without any evidence that it is actually beneficial). And oh, one can only hope that the aforementioned ‘health care professional’ knows about hypervitaminosis A and how to prevent it.

    *: See e.g. this information:

    However, it’s important not to exceed the tolerable upper limit (UL) of 10,000 IU (3,000 mcg) for adults to prevent toxicity.

    • If your going to post links with “research” you’ve supposedly done please do the actual research.

      You posted a link for Vitamin A toxicity. After following your link which sent me to a blog post with another hyperlink to finally get me to the actually peered reviewed article stating the amount of Vitamin A recommended limits in a specific form – preformed Vitamin A. The study went on to conclude that other forms of vitamin A in supplements that’s are not derived from the preformed Vit. A should not be equated in the 10,000 IU limit for adults.here is the exact quote from the pub med article ” Although excess preformed Vitamin A can have significant toxicity ( known as hypervitaminosis A) large amounts of beta-carotene and other pro vitamin A carotenoids are not associated with major adverse effects” Viracid does not contain preformed Vitamin A.. Thus making the 10,000 IU limit inconsequential. Mic drop.

      • Viracid does not contain preformed Vitamin A

        From the Viracid product information sheet:
        “2 capsules contain Vitamin A 4,500 mcg (% daily value 500%) from 15,000 iu as palmitate, natural beta carotene”

        4,500 mcg (i.e. retinol equivalent dose) = 4.5g = 15,000 iu

        It is not clear how much of this is in the form of retinyl palmitate, and how much as natural beta carotene, unless all of it is palmitate and natural beta carotene is what it is derived from (this would make sense as the next ingredient is listed as vitamin C 300mg as ascorbic acid USP, acerola fruit, which implies that the acerola fruit is the source of the ascorbic acid).

        In any case, retinyl palmitate is certainly preformed vitamin A.

        It seems to me that the data sheet is ambiguous to the point where it is impossible to tell from it what would constitute a toxic dose of the product, but since it does contain retinyl palmitate there is a toxic dose.

  • Orthomolecular Medicine is a term most people are not familiar with. It has been around at least since the early 1980s, and sounds like an innocent division within medicine, like nuclear medicine. But it is emphatically not a legitimate medical discipline. It is “is a form of alternative medicine that aims to maintain human health through nutritional supplementation” [Wikipedia].

    The top right header of the Viracid information leaflet bears the words “Ortho Molecular Products”. You’ll see from the company’s website that Ortho Molecular Products cover a wide range of health situations, namely gastrointestinal health, endocrine health, cardiovascular health, immune health, speciality health (a cornucopia of products aimed at problems such as stress, sleeplessness and many others), musculoskeletal health, women’s health and men’s health.

    Blazing through many of the web pages is the company’s slogan “Because efficacy matters®” (note that they’ve gone to the lengths of registering this slogan as a trade mark). You’ll see it up there on the top right of the Viracid information leaflet. Those with a sense of irony will find themselves — I think the expression is ROFL — when they note that, at the foot of every page in the information leaflet, right alongside the words “the power of efficacy” is a footnote referring to every single ingredient in the Viracid formulation that reads “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”

    So now we know the full story. Viracid is produced by a company that believes firmly that efficacy matters, yet they can’t be bothered actually to test the ingredients of Viracid to confirm that they possess any clinical efficacy whatsoever.

    And many people reading this comment will grumble if I suggest that anyone buying Viracid or one of the many other products from Ortho Molecular Products must be easily duped and gullible.

  • Ive been taking Viracid for 2 years and my susceptibility to sinusitis and colds in general has been much reduced. As I receive a flu vaccine annually. I cannot claim that it has helped me to ward off the flu. I have not fallen ill to the flu whilst taking Viracod however.

    I fully endorse Viracid based on my own personal experience!

    • the plural of anecdote is ANECDOTES, not evidence.

    • I have not fallen ill to the flu whilst taking Viracod however.

      I have not been hit by a car since taking pomalidomide, prescribed for multiple myeloma. It is clearly very effective in prevention of road traffic accidents.

      Ive been taking Viracid for 2 years and my susceptibility to sinusitis and colds in general has been much reduced.

      Most people would not be expected to get flu during any given two-year period.

      How have you tested your susceptibility to sinusitis and colds in general? Most adults get about two colds a year, on average, which in practice varies from none to several, with a greater risk if you spend a lot of time with small children (who get on average six colds a year). Since there are random factors in play here you should expect good years and bad years. It is like tossing a coin – if you toss it three times in a row there is only a 1 in 8 chance of getting three heads, but that is no reason to be surprised when it happens, or to attribute it to wearing lucky socks.

    • Di,
      You put a supposition and immediately destroyed it with reasons why it is unsustainable. I suugest you read about jwhat constitutes evidence, as opposed to whimsical, wishful thinking.

      Thinking like yours is the reason why medicine is undermined in the (ignorant) public eye.

  • During covid i took viracid twice a day and relieved alot of my symptoms of aches and pains.

    Show me studies on taking many vitamins that do the same thing independently as compared to viracid, it would be very difficult.

    Each persons DNA ? structures are different so each person is going to give anecdotal eveidence. This is not a pharmaceutical product so doing studies on combinations of vitamins and its effectiveness is rare unless you’re taking a vitamin cocktail.

    Though I appreciate what you wrote have you taken this product? If you did what was your own experience.

    • Vince,

      Though I appreciate what you wrote have you taken this product? If you did what was your own experience.

      It is not necessary to have experienced a treatment in order to understand the evidence about it. I have never had brain surgery, bone marrow transplant, radiotherapy to my prostate or a hip replacement. That doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t recommend them for my own patients in appropriate circumstances.

      Each persons DNA ? structures are different so each person is going to give anecdotal eveidence

      This is one of many sources of variability in how individuals respond to any treatment, which is why clinical studies need to be designed and carried out using methods and statistical tools which distinguish between random and non-random findings.

      During covid i took viracid twice a day and relieved alot of my symptoms of aches and pains.

      Do you have any reason to suppose that those symptoms would not have been relieved in any case? I would venture to suggest that you may have found paracetamol to be more effective.

      Show me studies on taking many vitamins that do the same thing independently as compared to viracid, it would be very difficult.

      It wouldn’t be difficult, it would be quite straightforward. However, it would be expensive and the manufacturers of Viracid have clearly taken the view that it is more profitable to spend the money on advertising. Nobody else, of course, has any reason to conduct such a trial.

  • I am not a scientist. Viracid works for me. It has helped tremendously with allergy symptoms. I take it as directed. Why do you argue with positive results? You’re ‘scientific’ diagnosis is so odd because you dispute real results.

    • Your personal anecdotes are the lowest form of evidence, Ann. That’s why we pay them little heed. You’d understand that if you were a scientist.

    • Why do you argue with positive results?

      Nobody is arguing with positive results, but neither has anyone produced any so far.

      Viracid works for me. It has helped tremendously with allergy symptoms.

      It is not very clear to me what you mean by this. Are you saying, for instance, that you have gone from six hospital admissions a year for asthma to none, or that you don’t get a runny nose as often as you remember getting in the past, or that you have a rash that comes and goes randomly which you have self-diagnosed as an allergy?

      Allergies come and go for reasons that aren’t at all clear, symptoms can vary in severity and exposure to allergens is seldom constant from one episode to another. It is clear that you have formed a belief that Viracid works for you. However, while that might be sufficient to convince your friends to try it I hope you can understand that your beliefs are not really robust evidence of anything.

      I am not a scientist.

      You don’t have to be a scientist in order to apply scientific thinking. What scientists do is to ask themselves questions along the lines of:
      “How do I know? Could I be wrong? What if there is another explanation? How certain am I?”

      Another useful approach to help gauge the strength of your belief is:
      “How much am I prepared to stake on being correct?”

      For instance, would you be prepared to invest your life savings in this product? If there were a possibility that your symptoms indicated a more serious underlying problem would you continue to use the it rather than see your doctor? If there were a heavy fine for posting misinformation on the Internet, are you certain enough of your beliefs that you would go ahead anyway? Supposing somebody decided on the basis of your post to use the product instead of getting vaccinated, would you be happy to take responsibility for the consequences?

      Questioning your own beliefs is a good habit to get into and can be very helpful in avoiding bad decisions.

  • Well another doctor who clearly hates supplements but be sure loves to push profits for pharmaceutical companies. They sell drugs that have serious side effects

    Just taking only one ingredient Pantothenic Acid B5
    One can see the benefits if they bothered to truly research .

  • Some supplements provide faulty claims for marketing their brand, But now many brands are claiming correct information and their product also works. This is because they have craked the solution with their research.

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