Concerns related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have spurred interest in dietary supplements and alternative therapies with purported “immune boosting” effects. These products and therapies are marketed as being able to promote or “boost” the body’s natural immune function. Consumers may be led to believe that by boosting immune function, these products or therapies help the body fight off infections such as COVID-19. However, there is no good evidence that "immune boosters" or other supplements can prevent, treat, or cure COVID-19 or other viral infections.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to issue warning letters to companies selling fraudulent products with claims to prevent, treat, mitigate, diagnose, or cure COVID-19. A list of firms that have been issued such warning letters from the FDA can be found at the following FDA website.

Below is a list of ingredients contained in products that have received warnings from the FDA for selling products with fraudulent claims related to COVID-19. To find out more about these ingredients, including potential safety concerns, click on the ingredient name to access the NatMed Pro ingredient monograph (subscription required).

Aromatherapy

Also known as:

  • Essential Oils

Astragalus

Scientific name:

  • Astragalus membranaceus
    • Astragalus mongholicus
    • Phaca membranacea

Also known as:

  • Huang Qi
  • Membranous Milkvetch
  • Mongolian Milkvetch

Baikal skullcap

Scientific name:

  • Scutellaria baicalensis
    • Scutellaria macrantha

Also known as:

  • Baikal Scullcap
  • Chinese Skullcap
  • Huang Qin
  • Scute

Note: This ingredient is not the same as skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora).

Boneset

Scientific name:

  • Eupatorium perfoliatum

Also known as:

  • Thoroughwort

Note: This ingredient is not the same as gravel root (Eupatorium purpureum).

Cannabidiol

Also known as:

  • 2-[(1R,6R)-3-Methyl-6-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol
  • CBD

Carbon 60

Also known as:

  • Buckyballs
  • Buckminsterfullerene
  • C60
  • C60 Fullerene
  • Fullerene
  • Fullerene C60

Carrageenan

Also known as:

  • Iota-Carrageenan
  • Kappa-Carrageenan
  • Lambda-Carrageenan

Ceylon cinnamon

Scientific name:

  • Cinnamomum verum
    • Cinnamomum zeylanicum
    • Laurus cinnamomum

Also known as:

  • Cinnamon
  • Cinnamon Bark
  • True Cinnamon

Chaga

Scientific name:

  • Inonotus obliquus

Also known as:

  • Birch mushroom
  • Chaga mushroom

Chlorine dioxide

Also known as:

  • ClO2

Note: These products are often sold as sodium chlorite solutions with instructions to mix the solution with citric acid or another acid to form chlorine dioxide.

Colloidal silver

Also known as:

  • Ionic Silver
  • Silver Solution

Cordyceps

Scientific name:

  • Ophiocordyceps sinensis
    • Cordyceps sinensis

Also known as:

  • Chinese Caterpillar Fungus
  • Dong Chong Xia Cao
  • Jinshuibao Jiaonang
  • Jinshuibao Pian

Danshen

Scientific name:

  • Salvia bowleyana
  • Salvia miltiorrhiza
  • Salvia przewalskii
  • Salvia yunnanensis

Also known as:

  • Chinese Sage
  • Chinese Red Sage
  • Chinese Salvia
  • Red Root Sage
  • Red Sage

Note: This ingredient is not the same as sage (Salvia officinalis).

Dong quai

Scientific name:

  • Angelica sinensis
    • Angelica polymorpha var. sinensis

Also known as:

  • Chinese Angelica
  • Dang Gui Shen
  • Dang Gui Tou
  • Dang Gui Wei
  • Tang Kuei

Echinacea

Scientific name:

  • Echinacea angustifolia
    • Brauneria angustifolia
  • Echinacea pallida
    • Brauneria pallida
    • Rudbeckia pallida
  • Echinacea purpurea
    • Brauneria purpurea
    • Echinacea intermedia
    • Echinacea serotine
    • Echinacea speciose
    • Helichroa purpurea
    • Rudbeckia purpurea

Also known as:

  • Coneflower
  • Kansas Snakeroot
  • Narrow-Leaved Echinacea
  • Narrow-Leaved Purple Coneflower
  • Pale Coneflower
  • Pale Flower Echinacea
  • Pale Purple Coneflower
  • Purple Coneflower

Elderberry

Scientific name:

  • Sambucus nigra

Also known as:

  • Black Elder
  • Black Elderberry
  • Elder Berry
  • European Elder
  • European Elderberry

Fulvic Acid

Also known as:

  • Fulvic

Green Tea

Scientific name:

  • Camellia sinensis

Also known as:

  • Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG)
  • Green Tea Extract

Halotherapy

Also known as:

  • Saline Therapy
  • Salt Therapy

Homeopathy

Also known as:

  • Homeopathic Medicine
  • Homeopathic Nosodes
  • Homeopathic Remedies
  • Homeoprophylaxis
  • Nosodes

Honey

Hu zhang

Scientific name:

  • Polygonum cuspidatum
    • Fallopia japonica
    • Reynoutria japonica

Also known as:

  • Fleece Flower
  • Japanese Bamboo
  • Japanese Knotweed

Humic Acid

Also known as:

  • Humate
  • Humic
  • Humic Extract

Kudzu

Scientific name:

  • Pueraria montana var. lobata
    • Pueraria lobate
  • Pueraria montana var. chinense
    • Pueraria thomsonii

Also known as:

  • Ge Gen
  • Japanese Arrowroot

Note: This ingredient is not the same as Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea), Brazilian Arrowroot (Manihot esculenta), or Indian Arrowroot (Euonymus atropurpureus or Curcuma zedoaria).

Licorice

Scientific name:

  • Glycyrrhiza echinata
  • Glycyrrhiza glabra
    • Glycyrrhiza glandulifera
  • Glycyrrhiza uralensis

Also known as:

  • Chinese Licorice
  • East European Licorice
  • Gan Cao
  • Russian Licorice
  • Spanish Licorice
  • Turkish Licorice
  • Ural Licorice
  • Yashtimadhu

Lysine

Scientific name:

  • L-2,6-diaminohexanoic acid

Also known as:

  • L-Lysine

Magnet Therapy

Also known as:

  • Biomagnetism
  • Electromagnetic Therapy
  • Magnetic Stimulation

Monolaurin

Also known as:

  • Glycerin Monolaurate
  • Glycerol Monolaurate
  • Lauric Acid Monoglyceride

Nasal Irrigation

Also known as:

  • Nasal Rinsing
  • Nasal Saline
  • Neti Pot
  • Saline Irrigation
  • Sinus Rinsing

Nattokinase

Also known as:

  • Natto Extract
  • Soy Natto

New Jersey tea

Scientific name:

  • Ceanothus americanus
    • Ceanothus intermedius

Also known as:

  • Indian Tea
  • Jersey Tea
  • Red Root
  • Redroot
  • Wild Snowball

Niacin

Also known as:

  • Nicotinic acid
  • Vitamin B3

Nicotinamide Riboside

Also known as:

  • Nicotinamide ribose

Propolis

Rhodiola

Scientific name:

  • Rhodiola rosea
    • Sedum rhodiola
    • Sedum rosea

Also known as:

  • Arctic Root
  • Golden Root
  • Hong Jing Tian
  • Hongjingtian
  • King's Crown
  • Roseroot
  • Rosewort
  • Sundown Rose

Quercetin

Also known as:

  • 3,3',4'5,7-Pentahydroxyflavone
  • Meletin
  • Quercetin Dihydrate
  • Sophoretin

Saffron

Scientific name:

  • Crocus sativa

Also known as:

  • Autumn Crocus
  • Azafran
  • Crocin
  • Safran

Stem Cell Therapy (Direct-to-Consumer)

Also known as:

  • Commercial Stem Cell Therapy
  • Stem Cell-Based Interventions
  • Stem Cell Treatments

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Also known as:

  • TCM
  • Traditional Asian Medicine

Vitamin C

Also known as:

  • Ascorbate
  • Ascorbic Acid
  • Calcium Ascorbate
  • Magnesium Ascorbate
  • Selenium Ascorbate
  • Sodium Ascorbate

Zinc

Also known as:

  • Zinc Acetate
  • Zinc Acetylmethionate
  • Zinc Acexamate
  • Zinc Ascorbate
  • Zinc Aspartate
  • Zinc Carbobenzoxy-beta-alanyltaurinate
  • Zinc Chelate
  • Zinc Chloride
  • Zinc Citrate
  • Zinc Difumarate Hydrate
  • Zinc Gluconate
  • Zinc Glycinate
  • Zinc Methionate
  • Zinc Methionine
  • Zinc Monomethionine
  • Zinc Murakab
  • Zinc Orotate
  • Zinc Oxide
  • Zinc Picolinate
  • Zinc Pyrithione
  • Zinc Sulfate
  • Zn