Orthomol Immun: The Alternatives Compared

Search for “Orthomol Immun” on Google, and the next suggestion is often “Orthomol Immun alternative”. Usually because the price at checkout turned out higher than expected, or because you're wondering what's actually inside that small drink vial. This guide answers exactly that: what Orthomol Immun contains according to the manufacturer, what it costs per day, what really matters when comparing it with other products – and what a combination of individual products can look like, put into context: which route suits whom.

What Orthomol Immun is – and who it's for

According to its package leaflet, Orthomol Immun is a food supplement made by Orthomol pharmazeutische Vertriebs GmbH, based in Langenfeld, Germany. It combines vitamins, minerals and a few additional plant compounds in one daily portion. It comes in four forms: granulate, tablets/capsules, a combination of drink vials and tablets, and a direct granulate available in two flavours, mint-raspberry and orange. According to the manufacturer, the drink-vial version and the tablet/capsule version contain exactly the same nutrient amounts per daily portion – only the format differs.

It's aimed at adults who want to cover their daily micronutrient needs in one step, without putting together individual products themselves – for example during the darker months, when infections are more common. If you already know you're only short on one or two specific nutrients, this probably isn't the product for you; if you're after broad, ready-made coverage without doing the maths yourself, it is.

What's actually in Orthomol Immun

According to the package leaflet, one daily portion (drink-vial version: 20 ml plus 2 tablets; tablet/capsule version: 4 tablets plus 2 capsules) contains the following vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin C 950 mg, vitamin E 150 mg, vitamin B1 25 mg, vitamin B2 25 mg, niacin 60 mg, vitamin B6 8.5 mg, pantothenic acid 18 mg, folic acid 400 µg, vitamin B12 6 µg, biotin 150 µg, vitamin A 1,117 µg (667 µg of which from beta-carotene), vitamin D 15 µg / 600 IU, vitamin K 60 µg.
• Zinc 10 mg, iron 8 mg, copper 0.5 mg, manganese 2 mg, selenium 50 µg, chromium 30 µg, molybdenum 60 µg, iodine 150 µg – the iodine comes as a separate tablet.
• Plus citrus bioflavonoids 5 mg, lutein 800 µg and lycopene 200 µg.

Some values sit well above the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) under EU food information law: according to the leaflet, vitamin C reaches around 1,188% NRV, vitamin B1 around 2,273% NRV, and vitamin E around 1,250% NRV. For a specialised combination formula, that's a deliberate choice, not a mistake – you just want to factor these amounts in when comparing with other products, so you don't end up unintentionally doubling up.

Good to know: the tablet/capsule version contains beef-derived gelatine, so it isn't vegan. According to the manufacturer, both versions contain 6.4 g of carbohydrates per daily portion, which can be relevant if you have impaired glucose tolerance.

Why people look for alternatives

The most common reason is price: on price-comparison sites, the 30-pack of drink vials/tablets currently works out to roughly €1.70 to just over €2 per day, depending on the retailer. For the granulate version with 15 daily portions, one online pharmacy listed a price of around €2.55 per day. A single-nutrient or two-nutrient product usually costs noticeably less per day – but then it only covers a small slice of the Orthomol Immun formula.

The second reason is the daily routine: with the drink-vial version, two components belong together each day – the vial and the tablets. If you'd rather take a single, simpler form, that's a reason to look at tablet or capsule alternatives. One capsule in the morning or one tablet every fifth day is such a solution, for example with the Vitamin B Complex or the Vitamin D3 Depot from Scheunengut. And third, some people specifically want to cover only the nutrients where they suspect, or have confirmed via a blood test, an actual gap – rather than taking a broad, all-in-one package.

What really matters when you compare products

The price on the box alone doesn't tell you much. These four points help you make a fair comparison:

• Amount per daily dose, not per capsule. A product with “only” one capsule can still deliver more of a nutrient than one with three – what matters is the amount per day, not the number of pieces. In the Vitamin D3 Depot from Scheunengut it is 5,000 IU per tablet; at one tablet every fifth day that averages 1,000 IU a day, while the Orthomol Immun pack states 15 µg (600 IU) daily.
• Broad coverage or focus. Orthomol Immun covers 13 vitamins and 8 minerals at once. A single-nutrient product targets just one or two of them, usually at a higher dose of that specific nutrient. The Vitamin B Complex from Scheunengut is such a focus product: all eight B vitamins in bioactive form, plus myo-inositol, betaine and choline, in one capsule.
• Format and additional ingredients. Drink vials, granulate, tablets and capsules differ in handling and sometimes in additives such as gelatine or soy – relevant if you have intolerances or eat a vegan diet.
• No unintentional double dosing. The German Consumer Advice Centre generally advises against carelessly combining several products that share the same ingredients, since the amounts simply add up. That applies to any combination formula you top up with single-nutrient products.

For many of the nutrients involved – vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc, for example – there are EU-authorised claims about their contribution to normal immune system function. These apply to the nutrient itself, in a sufficient amount, regardless of brand or product.

What a comparable combination can look like

A nutrient-for-nutrient copy is not the goal. It makes more sense to pick the building blocks that fit your daily routine. From our range, these products cover areas that Orthomol Immun addresses as well:

• Vitamin B Complex: all eight B vitamins in bioactive form, plus myo-inositol, betaine and choline, one capsule in the morning. With vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid, Orthomol Immun lists building blocks from this group too.
• Vitamin D3 Depot + K2Pure®: 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 and 100 µg of K2Pure® (MK-7) in one tablet that you take only every fifth day. That is a different rhythm from the daily portion of Orthomol Immun, with the same building block, vitamin D.
• Culture Complex with 23 bacterial strains: 60 gastro-resistant capsules, one capsule a day. The nutrient list above contains no bacterial cultures; if you want to address your gut flora as well, you add it as a separate building block.
• Lungenkraft: an herbal complex for the cooler season that also brings vitamin C and selenium with two capsules a day.

We do not carry a standalone zinc supplement. What you get instead is vitamin C and selenium in the Lungenkraft complex, vitamin D in the depot and the B vitamins bundled in one capsule.

What a single-product approach does better – and what it does worse

What a single-product approach does better is, above all, being targeted. You only pay for what you actually want to supplement, choose the dose for each nutrient independently, and skip anything you already get enough of through your diet. If you have a known deficiency confirmed by a blood test – vitamin D in winter, say – this is often the more fitting and more affordable option.

A ready-made combination formula from a single source brings convenience instead: one order instead of several, amounts already balanced against each other instead of doing the maths yourself. If you'd rather not deal with reference values or possible overlaps, an all-in-one formula takes that effort off your hands – a real advantage, especially when you're just starting out. With individual products you keep control: you add up the amounts yourself, swap building blocks after a blood test and skip what your diet already provides. With a fixed core of three or four products, that quickly becomes a habit.

Honestly assessed

Neither approach is fundamentally right or wrong. Orthomol Immun is an established, clearly labelled combination formula that covers broad micronutrient basics in one step, with transparent amounts per daily portion. If you'd rather supplement only what you actually need, individual products are often cheaper and you decide on dosing and combination yourself.

In the end, the decision comes down less to price alone than to whether you already know your personal gaps or are after simple, broad coverage without getting into individual reference values.

Matching Products from Scheunengut

Vitamin D3 Depot + K2Pure®: 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 (125 µg) and 100 µg of vitamin K2 as K2Pure® (MK-7, over 99% all-trans) in one vegan tablet, high-dose. You take only one every fifth day, so on average 1,000 IU a day, at any time of day. The product page lists €0.02 a day. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to the maintenance of normal bones and to the maintenance of normal muscle function. Vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting. The high-dose depot is not suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women, children or adolescents.

Vitamin B Complex: All eight B vitamins in bioactive form, plus myo-inositol (50 mg), betaine (38 mg) and choline (20 mg), in one capsule in the morning. Each capsule holds 9 mg of vitamin B6, 400 µg of folic acid as 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid and 51 µg of vitamin B12 in three forms: methylcobalamin, deoxyadenosylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin. The product page lists €0.09 a day. Vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to the normal function of the nervous system and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin B6 and folate contribute to the normal function of the immune system.

Flora Intenso: A culture complex with 23 bacterial strains and 100 billion CFU per gram, plus Saccharomyces boulardii and acacia fibre, which serves as food for the bacteria. The capsules are gastro-resistant, you take one a day, so the 60 capsules in the pack last 60 days. The product page lists €0.33 a day.

Lungenkraft: An herbal complex with lungwort, ginger, rosehip, Iceland moss, mallow, sage and further plants that have long been valued in herbal tradition for the throat and airways. Two capsules a day provide 40 mg of vitamin C from rosehip extract, 55 µg of selenium and 700 µg of vitamin B2, filled into vegan capsule shells and free from additives, colourings and fillers. The product page lists €0.37 a day. Vitamin C and selenium contribute to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin B2 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

Scheunengut has been around since 2012, with no investors in the background and a focus on pure raw-material quality. Every batch goes to an independent laboratory; you will find the latest report on the product page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's actually in Orthomol Immun?

According to the package leaflet: 13 vitamins (including vitamin C, D, E, K and the full B-complex), 8 minerals (including zinc, selenium, iron, iodine), plus citrus bioflavonoids, lutein and lycopene – combined in one daily portion of a drink vial plus tablets or, depending on the version, tablets plus capsules.

Why does Orthomol Immun cost more than single vitamin products?

Because one daily portion delivers many nutrients in a balanced ratio, not just one. A single product with only one or two nutrients is cheaper per day, but then it only covers a small slice of the Orthomol Immun formula.

Is there an equivalent alternative to Orthomol Immun at drugstores like dm or Rossmann?

Drugstores carry their own combination formulas with vitamins and minerals, though the range changes frequently. Rather than going by the brand name, it's worth checking the back of the pack: compare the nutrient list and the amount per daily dose with Orthomol Immun's figures to spot products that are genuinely equivalent.

Can I replace Orthomol Immun 1:1 with individual products?

Nutrient by nutrient it works if you find a product at a comparable dose for every nutrient involved and combine everything daily. For building blocks like the B vitamins and vitamin D3 with K2, Scheunengut has matching single products, and vitamin C and selenium are in the Lungenkraft complex. For some trace elements, such as molybdenum or chromium, standalone products are generally harder to come by.

What should I really look for when comparing food supplements?

The amount per daily dose rather than the price on the box, how complete the nutrient list is, the format, and any additional ingredients such as gelatine or soy. And make sure you're not carelessly combining several products that share the same ingredients, so amounts don't add up unintentionally.

Is such a high dose as in Orthomol Immun necessary?

There's no blanket answer. Some values sit well above the reference amount – for a specialised combination formula, that's a deliberate choice, not a mistake. Whether you need that much depends on your diet and any deficiencies you may have; a blood test is the most reliable way to find out, not trial and error.