Echinacea purpurea or purple coneflower, source of one supplement that seems to work (Image: Monkey Business Images/Rex Features)
Read more: “Immune retune: Recharging your body’s natural defences“
From an old-fashioned faith in the healing powers of chicken soup to more modern obsessions with so-called superfoods, we like to think some things we eat can help ward off infections. The vast majority of these beliefs have little evidence to back them up, but there are dietary interventions that appear to work.
Numerous supplements are sold on the basis of supposed immune-boosting powers, but their health claims usually stem from tests done…
