Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Health Boost Effect in Minecraft: Causes and Cures
Health Boost raises your maximum health by 2 hearts (4 health) per level. Unlike Absorption, the new hearts start empty and you heal them normally. When the effect ends, the extra hearts vanish. It cannot be obtained in normal play; only the /effect command gives it, so you see it on servers and maps.
What gives Health Boost?
| Cause | Notes |
|---|---|
| /effect | With cheats |
| Server plugins and maps | Often used for custom challenges |
Every effect in the game: status effects.
What does Health Boost do?
Health is capped at 1,024, so Health Boost cannot push you past that. Extra hearts on a mount show while you ride it. See Absorption.
How do you remove or counter it?
Nothing to cure: it only adds hearts. Combine it with Regeneration to fill the new hearts quickly. Most effects show an icon in your inventory and at the top right of the screen, with the time left; the /effect command can give or clear any of them.
More about Health Boost
In normal Survival play it has no natural source at all; you mostly see it on servers, in maps and through commands. Because the new hearts start empty, give Regeneration or Instant Health at the same time if you want players to start with full health.
Status effects come from potions, food, beacons, conduits, mobs and blocks. Each has a level and a timer, and most can be cleared by drinking milk; beacon and conduit effects keep refreshing while you stay in range, so they never run out there.
Tips
On Java, losing the extra health when it ends causes a damage tilt even in Creative. Related: health and damage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Health Boost and Absorption?
Health Boost adds empty max-health hearts; Absorption adds full temporary yellow hearts.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.