COVID-19 Advisory

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: