Immune Support Herbs
The Herbs (14)
Astragalus
A prized tonic root of Traditional Chinese Medicine, studied for immune support, heart and kidney protection, stamina and longevity.
Read the deep dive →Amla
Sour Indian gooseberry fruit from Triphala and chyawanprash, studied in small trials for cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.
Read the deep dive →Cats Claw
Inner bark of a thorny Peruvian Amazon vine, traditionally used for inflammation and infection and studied for immune and antibacterial effects.
Read the deep dive →Manuka Honey
New Zealand honey whose methylglyoxal gives stable antibacterial activity, studied for wound care, resistant infections and oral health.
Read the deep dive →Noni
Pungent Pacific fruit sold as juice for nearly everything; evidence is thin, with liver-injury case reports and potassium risks in kidney disease.
Read the deep dive →Licorice
The ancient sweet root, used for coughs and stomach ulcers; deglycyrrhizinated forms avoid glycyrrhizin's blood-pressure and fluid-retention effects.
Read the deep dive →Mullein
Soft-leaved Western herb traditionally used to soothe airways, loosen mucus and calm coughs, with flower oil a folk ear remedy.
Read the deep dive →Elderberry
Dark berries of the European elder, a centuries-old folk remedy now studied mainly for shortening colds and influenza.
Read the deep dive →Slippery Elm
Inner bark of a North American elm whose gel-like mucilage has long been used to soothe sore throats, coughs and an unsettled gut.
Read the deep dive →Marshmallow Root
Mucilage-rich root of a marsh mallow plant; its best-supported use is soothing a dry cough and sore throat, brewed in cold water.
Read the deep dive →Echinacea
Great Plains coneflower root used by Native American nations, now studied as an immune herb for colds, flu and respiratory infections.
Read the deep dive →Moringa
Fast-growing drumstick tree whose nutritious leaves are eaten as a vegetable, studied for blood sugar, cholesterol and inflammation.
Read the deep dive →Tinospora
Ayurvedic rejuvenating vine known as giloy, promoted as an immune booster; its one real human trial is for allergic rhinitis, and liver-injury reports exist.
Read the deep dive →Boneset
North American wetland wildflower once a trusted fever-and-flu tea; named for break-bone fever, with promising lab work but few human trials.
Read the deep dive →Herbs traditionally reached for during infection or convalescence. The evidence here is uneven and the pages say so per herb: echinacea and elderberry have trials worth reading, others rest on long use alone.
A herb is filed here by what it is traditionally used for, not by a claim that it works. Each herb page states its own evidence tier, its documented harms and its drug interactions — read those before the category name.