PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Back to school time can often mean back to sharing germs with classmates.
(Article by Lynne Adkins)
Many families rely on dietary supplements to boost the immune system, according to Dr. Sarah Erush, Pharmacy Clinical Manager at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia:
“Multivitamins, people always think good nutrition is going to help support their immune system and they’re right about that, zinc, Echinacea, elderberry.”
A majority of Americans take supplements, but the industry isn’t regulated and finding a safe and quality product , she says, isn’t always obvious:
“It’s a voluntary process through the manufacturer that they have to go to a third party to ask to be tested and certified that what’s in the bottle is what’s on the label and probably the only really reliable certifier is the United States Pharmacopeia or USP who will actually put a verified seal on the products.”
She suggests checking with the student’s doctor before taking the supplements.
