4. Common herbal remedies aren't always reliable Many supplements claim to have immune-supporting powers and in the UK alone it’s estimated we spend more than £1billion per year on vitamins and supplements. At UCL’s School of Pharmacy, Dr Ronx looks at three popular herbal immune supplements - echinacea, garlic and elderberry. They dismissed the garlic and elderberry supplements right away as there was no concrete evidence these helped the immune system. Only echinacea was reliable for immune-strengthening, with ‘reasonable’ evidence to support its effectiveness in treating symptoms of cold and flu, shortening the length of sickness by up to a day and a half. However, choose your echinacea carefully. Dr Ronx tests how much echinacea is actually in the products (they don't say which brands they tested). Some had almost none of the herb in them. They advise looking for the THR mark (Traditional Herbal Registration) for a reliable product that will make a difference.