Immunity Support
Ayurveda describes immunity as Vyadhikshamatva: the body’s ability to resist and recover from illness. It depends on good digestion, nourishing food, sound sleep, regular routine, physical activity, a calm mind and, in Ayurvedic tradition, Rasayana (rejuvenating) herbs.
This page is for people who catch infections often, take a long time to recover from illness, or want a steady routine to support general health. For everyday habits, see Immunity & Wellness.
Visit us in Sector 75, Noida
C8, 5th Floor (Medical Floor), C-Tower, Spectrum Mall, Phase 1, Sector 75, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201301How We Help
- Consultation on your health, frequency of infections, sleep, stress and diet.
- A personal diet, routine and seasonal plan.
- Rasayana herbs where suitable.
- Therapies for general wellbeing, such as Abhyanga (a warm medicated-oil massage) or Panchakarma Rejuvenation (a rejuvenation programme of traditional Ayurvedic treatments). This page does not cite research on these therapies and immunity.
Precautions & When to See a Doctor
Frequent, severe or unusual infections need medical assessment. See a doctor promptly if you have a fever that lasts more than three days or is very high, unusual bleeding or bruising, blood in your urine or stool, unexplained weight loss or night sweats, swollen glands that last more than three weeks, or infections that keep coming back. Seek emergency care straight away for severe breathlessness, chest pain, confusion, fainting, or a stiff neck with fever. Keep up recommended vaccinations. People with autoimmune disease, organ transplants or on immune-suppressing medicines should not take immune-stimulating herbs without their specialist’s advice. Do not stop or change any prescribed medicine without talking to your doctor. Herbs such as Ashwagandha and Giloy can interact with some medicines, and people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have liver disease should check with a doctor before taking them. Ayurvedic care is complementary to medical care, not a replacement for it.
Learn More
Tap a topic to read more.
What the Evidence Shows
- A small, exploratory randomised trial in healthy adults aged 18 to 35 tested one proprietary herbal tablet against a placebo for two months. Only 28 of 52 recruited people completed it. Most results compared people with their own starting point, and the study did not report how often people got infections. One co-author represents the study sponsor, Charak Pharma, a pharmaceutical company [1].
- Reviews describe how Ashwagandha [2] and Tinospora (Giloy) [3] act on the immune system, mostly from laboratory research. The Giloy review says more animal and toxicity studies are needed before clinical trials, and the Ashwagandha review calls for well-designed clinical trials.
- Reviews have discussed Rasayana herbs and Ayush Kwath, a traditional herbal brew from India’s AYUSH system of medicine, during COVID-19 [4, 5]. Both call for more study, including clinical trials, and neither reports how often people actually got infected. These are not proof of protection against infection.
There is no herb or treatment that can guarantee protection from infection.
Prepared by the AyurSoul Healthcare team from the published research listed below. Medical review by Dr. Hemlata Soni, BAMS is in progress. This page is for education and does not replace individual medical advice. Medical disclaimer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take Giloy every day?
Giloy has been linked to rare liver problems in some reports. More toxicity studies are needed before clinical trials [3]. It can interact with some medicines. People who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have liver disease should not take it without medical advice. Ask your doctor or Ayurvedic doctor before taking it every day, and do not stop or change any prescribed medicine without talking to your doctor.
Do Ayurvedic herbs replace vaccines?
No. Keep up recommended vaccinations.
What is the simplest way to support immunity?
Regular sleep, balanced meals, activity, stress management and not smoking.
Clinical Research
5 studies: 1 randomised trial, 4 review articles.
Show the 5 studies
Numbers in the text refer to this list. Each study is labelled by type: systematic reviews and randomised trials are stronger evidence than pilot studies or single case reports.
- Khadke S, Gupte P, Mourya A, et al.. Immunomodulatory effect of a proprietary polyherbal formulation on healthy participants: A single- blind, randomized, placebo- controlled, exploratory clinical study. Perspectives in clinical research, 2023. Randomised controlled trial PubMed
- Yukta R, Gupta S, Kaur G, et al.. Immunomodulatory Properties of Withania somnifera: Regulation of Innate Immune Cells and Clinical Implications. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 2026. Review article PubMed
- Haque MA, Jantan I, Abbas Bukhari SN. Tinospora species: An overview of their modulating effects on the immune system. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 2017. Review article PubMed
- Singh R, Goel S, Bourgeade P, et al.. Ayurveda Rasayana as antivirals and immunomodulators: potential applications in COVID-19. Environmental science and pollution research international, 2021. Review article PubMed
- Gautam S, Gautam A, Chhetri S, et al.. Immunity against COVID-19: Potential role of Ayush Kwath. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 2022. Review article PubMed