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This immune booster shot recipe has everything you need to support that immune system! With everything from garlic, ginger, lemon, and orange juice, to apple cider vinegar, honey, and turmeric, it’s jam-packed with immune boosting, good-for-you ingredients.
Why This Recipe Is So Good!
- It’s packed full of good-for-you ingredients that have been shown to provide a variety of health benefits. Am I claiming it’s a miracle cure for whatever ails you? Of course not! But there is some research and logic behind this combo of spices and liquids.
- Ever had fire cider? Well, this immunity shot is like that… only it’s way easier to drink. No onions, no horseradish, and you don’t have to soak the ingredients in ACV for days or weeks ahead of time. Honestly, this one is really pretty tasty!
- Other than the orange and the lemon, you can keep all the ingredients for an immune booster shot on hand in your pantry or fridge, meaning you’re well prepared whenever you start to sniffle or feel that tingle in the back of your throat. Even if you don’t have the ingredients handy, though, you shouldn’t have to go out of your way to track anything down. Everything is most likely available at your local grocery store!
What’s In an Immune System Booster?
Don’t let the ingredients scare you away. I promise, this elixir is ridiculously delicious! Naturally sweet with a little zing for an at-home remedy that you’ll actually look forward to drinking.
- Honey. Rich in antioxidants and often used to soothe sore throats. It adds a natural sweetness to the drink.
- Lemon Juice. Very high in vitamin C and can help to support heart and digestive health.
- Orange Juice. Naturally high in vitamin C, folate, and potassium, as well as being a great source of antioxidants.
- Garlic. Known to boost the function of the immune system, and in studies it has been shown to reduce the symptoms of a common cold.
- Ginger. Has a very long history of use in traditional and alternative medicine. Is commonly used to help digestion, reduce nausea, and help fight the common cold and other illnesses. It also gives the immune booster shot a little zing.
- Cayenne. Contains capsaicin which is known to have a number of health benefits. It’s said to help boost metabolism and lower blood pressure.
- Turmeric. A great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
- Black Pepper. Just a pinch, used to activate the curcumin in the turmeric.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. Can kill harmful bacteria, keep your digestive system on track, and support your immune system. It’s important that you use an organic, raw, unfiltered ACV that contains “the mother”, which is made up of strains of proteins, enzymes, and good bacteria (a.k.a. probiotics!).
Chef’s Tips
- Make sure all of your ingredients are fresh, especially the spices! Avoid bottled orange juices, since they’re highly processed and full of added ingredients. Use raw ACV rather than filtered, and fresh garlic and ginger rather than jarred, dried, or paste.
- Let the garlic rest a little. Cutting garlic cloves releases enzymes that form antioxidants and healthy compounds like allicin. Just cutting it isn’t enough, though – those enzymes need to react to oxygen in order to form those compounds, and the longer you can let the cut garlic sit and oxidize, the stronger those compounds will be. That’s true whether you’re making an immune system booster or just cooking dinner as usual, so let your garlic rest for extra benefits each and every time you use it!
Can I Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?
Technically, yes! The ingredients are most potent when they’re fresh, so it’s best to consume the mixture immediately for maximum immune boosting benefits. That being said, you can make it ahead of time if you need to. Simply prepare the mixture exactly as written, then refrigerate it in an airtight container until you’re ready to drink it. Consume the refrigerated immunity shot within 2 days of preparing it!
Does This Immunity Shot Really Work?
Look, I’m not a doctor, and I don’t pretend to play one on the internet. I won’t make you any promises that this immune booster shot will rid you of a fever or eliminate your sinus issues or anything like that.
What I can tell you, though, is this: whenever I start to feel like I’m coming down with that infamous crud, I down one of these bad boys and get a little rest. Sure enough, every time I’ve done it, I’ve never gotten fully sick. When I haven’t done it? UGH. So, I’ll let you decide for yourself if it “works” for you or not. For me, I figure there’s no harm in consuming any of the ingredients (for me personally at least), so why not take all the precautions I can?
Please note that we are not medical professionals, and the information contained on this blog should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult with a qualified healthcare professional before acting on any information presented here.
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Immune Booster Shot Recipe (Maximum Strength!)
Equipment
- garlic press or sharp knife; press preferred
- Small bowl
- juicer optional
- glass or cup
- whisk
- cheese grate
Ingredients
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice juice of 1 medium lemon
- 4-5 tablespoons freshly-squeezed orange juice juice of 1 medium navel orange
- 1 dash cinnamon
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1 dash sea salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar see Notes
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Instructions
- Press garlic cloves through garlic press and into small bowl. Set aside 10 minutes (see Notes). Alternately, finely mince and mash garlic cloves with knife, then set aside.
- Once garlic has rested close to 10 minutes, add 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon hot water, and ¼ teaspoon turmeric to glass or cup. Whisk until ingredients are fully combined.
- Add fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper to glass with honey. Whisk until ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add apple cider vinegar, ginger, and garlic to glass. Whisk until ingredients are fully incorporated. Consume mixture immediately for maximum benefits.
Video
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Use a raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar that includes the mother. Pasteurized apple cider vinegar won’t have the same health benefits since it doesn’t contain the mother.
- Garlic: Pressed or crushed garlic releases enzymes that react with oxygen, triggering the formation of healthy compounds. The longer it sits in open air, the more time the enzymes have to form these compounds. Before making your immune booster shot, let the cut garlic oxidize 10-15 minutes, for maximum health benefits.
- Make Ahead: For maximum benefits, this booster shot should be consumed immediately after making. It can be made ahead of time, though, if needed. Simply prepare the mixture as written, then refrigerate it in an airtight container. Consume within 2 days of making.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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I have been taking this nearly everyday for 7-months. Coming from someone who was sick or not feeling well every other month; this works wonders. I haven’t been sick at all since taking this recipe daily. Only thing I changed was ground to Ceylon cinnamon. Thanks for this booster!!
Love that it’s working so well for you, Brandee! Thank you for your review!
This is one of my go to recipes when someone is starting to not feel well in the house. I would so much rather make something at home that works better than any over priced gimmick at the store! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Thank you, Kendra!
This tastes so much better than any expensive immunity booster shot I’ve gotten at a juice bar and it’s so easy to make!! I swear it’s what stopped me from getting the stomach flu my boyfriend just had. Thank you so much!
We’re so glad you love it, Claire! Thanks for sharing! 😊
I am giving a rating of 5 because I love the choices of ingredients.
I have not it all together yet because I have a question or 2.
I have made the fire cider recipe in the past from another person’s recipe. Why do you have to consume right away or within days? Why do you not let it brew for a few weeks as some others do?
Please share the cons to not letting it sit.
Thank you!
Hi! This isn’t the same as fire cider, so it’s not made the same way. This booster doesn’t include horseradish, onion, peppers, or other ingredients that need to infuse over time and then be strained out. We developed this recipe to be consumed right away and the ingredients used reflect that. They’ll lose their potency over time, though, which is why we don’t recommend making this in advance.
thank you for the explanation…makes sense.
1. Can you make more of this to last a full week? 2 what can I use instead of honey (I am Keto and this is a lot of carbs)
No, like we mention in the recipe, for maximum effectiveness this should be consumed immediately. You can make it ahead of time, but it should be consumed within 2 days max.
Unfortunately, there’s not really a good keto substitute. The honey is here for its benefits, not just for its flavor. By swapping it out for a keto sweetener, you’d lose all the benefits of the honey, and make this concoction much less effective.
Very yummy. My hubby has covid this week, hoping garlic kills it
So glad you enjoyed it. Hope your husband has a quick recovery!
Can you make this as a hot toddy also?
We didn’t try it that way, but I’m sure you could! It may not be as effective, though, since alcohol can make it harder for your immune system to fight off a cold and delay recovery. You can read more about it here: https://www.theraflu.com/treating-cold-flu/should-you-drink-alcohol-when-you-have-cold/
Hello, I was wondering how often can this Immune Booster Shot be taken? Is it ok to take it every morning during autumn/winter or it can have some negative effects if it is taken too often? Many thanks!
Hi Andrea! We don’t recommend drinking this mixture every single day, as prolonged consumption of high doses of ACV can lead to a handful of negative health effects. Hope this helps!
What time of the day should we consume this ???
Hi there! This would be best taken in the morning. 🙂