12 Immune System Booster Vitamins To Consider
When we are healthy, it’s easy to take our immune system for granted. But when you get sick, your body will fight to get back to a state of health as quickly as possible. And that’s where immune system booster vitamins and minerals come in.
The human body requires thousands of different vitamins and minerals in order to function properly. Vitamins are organic compounds that are metabolized and utilized by the body when there is a deficiency or lack of normal amounts. Minerals are found naturally in soil and rocks and in many foods. They contribute to the health of our bodies including building tissue and regulating bodily functions.
By not keeping our immune system in check, we could be making it vulnerable to several conditions, the most common of which is the CIRS condition.
What is chronic immune response syndrome (CIRS)? More commonly known as “chronic inflammatory response syndrome”, CIRS is defined by Mayo Clinic as one of the most common immune system-related problems.
It’s caused when your body is exposed to toxic compounds, such as those commonly found in air fresheners and cleaners. CIRS can cause a wide range of symptoms, including brain fog, migraine headaches, muscle/joint pain, and fatigue.
12 Immune System Booster Vitamins That Keep Your Immune System Strong
Your immune system works hard: it’s the very front line of defense between you and the bacteria, viruses, conditions like the CIRS disease, and other pathogens trying to make their way into your body. It’s always on—even when you’re sleeping at night, your immune system is waging a war against any potential invaders.
And sometimes, even your immune system needs some help. That’s where these booster vitamins come in—they can help power up your immunity so that you can stay strong and healthy throughout any season of sickness.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins when it comes to boosting and maintaining your immune system. The vitamin is a powerful antioxidant, which can help strengthen your body’s natural defenses. Vitamin C is also involved in the production of white blood cells, which are crucial for fighting off infections.
It’s easy to get a daily dose of vitamin C by eating fruits and vegetables like oranges, strawberries, peppers, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts (which can be roasted for an extra-delicious treat!).
Vitamin D
It’s important that you get enough vitamin C in your diet, but it’s also crucial that you get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D helps your immune system stay strong and effective by supporting the health of your skin and mucous membranes—the parts of your body that are responsible for protecting you from invading bacteria and viruses. And it does this by helping to regulate the expression of genes that directly control the strength of your immune responses.
While its primary role is to help keep you healthy, scientists believe that vitamin D plays a role in other processes in the body, which includes cell growth regulation, and aiding in calcium absorption, which helps to keep bones strong.
Vitamin B6
When you’re feeling under the weather, you might have a case of the sniffles, but it could also be a sign that your immune system isn’t working as well as it should.
Boosting your immune system is easy if you’re getting enough vitamin B6. This nutrient helps your body make antibodies, which are little protein molecules that work to keep you healthy by protecting your body against all sorts of nastiness—everything from viruses to bacteria to parasites.
Getting enough vitamin B6 can be a challenge. The best source of B6 is meat (and fish), but if you’re following a vegetarian or vegan diet, you need to be sure that the foods you eat are rich in B6, including sweet potatoes, avocados, and bananas.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant. That just means it helps prevent the damage caused by free radicals in your body, which can lead to sickness if they get out of control. It’s found naturally in a lot of foods, including almonds, spinach, sunflower seeds, and avocados. If you don’t feel like adding more nuts to your diet or buying a whole tub of guacamole, there’s no problem—you can also take supplements!
Beta Carotene
Beta carotene is an antioxidant that fights free radicals, which are molecules that damage healthy cells. It also helps your body fight off infections, so it’s a nutrient that can help to boost and keep your immune system strong. You can find beta carotene in a variety of different foods: carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, apricots, mangos, spinach, kale, and winter squash are all great sources of beta carotene.
Need a little more beta carotene in your life? Try adding more orange fruits and veggies to your diet. A great way to do this is with a smoothie for breakfast. Cut up some fresh apricots or mangoes and add them to greens like spinach or kale (or even some pumpkin puree if you have it on hand!). Blend it up with some ice and enjoy! You can also try mixing these ingredients with some yogurt or milk for a thicker smoothie base.
Protein
Protein is essential for making blood cells which are crucial for carrying oxygen and nutrients throughout the body—and preventing illness from setting in. The important thing to remember about protein is that there are many different kinds, some of which are more effective than others in keeping your immune system strong. Here’s why:
First, some protein sources contain more essential amino acids than others. Amino acids are essential because they help produce antibodies—which are what you need to fight off illness. If you’re lacking in amino acids, then your body will be less able to make those antibodies!
Second, the best sources of protein will come from high-quality food (like fish or eggs) or supplements that use natural ingredients (like mushroom powder). These kinds of protein sources are better at helping the body fight off pathogens than foods like meat or dairy products which may have been processed or treated.
Probiotics
We all know that probiotics help keep your gut healthy, but did you know that they also help keep your immune system strong? Probiotics are part of a group of microorganisms found in our bodies (called the microbiome) that can help prevent illness and disease. They can also help with digestion, nutrient absorption, and even hormone regulation.
If you’re wondering how to get these benefits, it’s easy! By eating fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, taking supplements containing probiotics or prebiotics (the food that feeds them), and making sure to get enough fiber every day, you’ll be on your way to a healthier immune system.
Garlic
Garlic has long been used as a medicine in many cultures, and for good reason—it’s got a ton of antioxidants and vitamins that help your body stay healthy. Recent studies have shown that garlic can also be used to help you reduce your risk of heart disease.
We love to snack on roasted garlic cloves with a little olive oil and salt—it’s a delicious way to add some flavor to your meals while also getting those immune-boosting benefits.
Propolis
Propolis is a resin-like material created by bees. It is mixed with pollen and beeswax, and it acts as a barrier against invaders, protecting hives and colonies from diseases and other threats. But when taken orally, propolis can have some serious health benefits for humans, too.
Propolis, like other bee products such as honey, royal jelly, and bee pollen, provides antioxidants that help keep your immune system healthy. The antioxidants in propolis are known to reduce inflammation in your body—which means they can help alleviate symptoms of colds or flus while they’re happening—and they also help to stop viruses from reproducing, which gives your body a chance to catch up to them.
In addition to these benefits relating directly to the immune system, propolis has also been shown to lower cholesterol, reduce pollution-related cell damage from cigarette smoking, and even improve your dental health!
Medicinal Mushrooms
One example of a superfood you should consider adding to your diet is medicinal mushrooms. Medicinal mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine for their unparalleled ability to increase immunity and fight illness.
They’re also delicious (seriously!), and can be added to your coffee or tea for a morning immune boost, or substituted for meat or chicken in recipes like stir-fries. You can check out an article I also wrote about the best mushroom for gut health.
Herbs
Herbs like ginger, curcumin, and echinacea. Herbs like ginger, curcumin, and echinacea are great immune boosters. Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties and a history of use for treating colds and flu.
Ginger naturally boosts the immune system. It is antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic—meaning it can help fight off several different types of germs. Echinacea is one of the oldest immune boosting herbs. It is known to stimulate white blood cells, which in turn fight bacteria and viruses that could potentially make you sick.
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Immune system boosting supplements such as the Infinity, which is a type of NAD+ booster supplements.
Tips For Boosting Your Immune System During Seasons Of Cold & Flu
Maintain A Balanced Diet
A healthy immune system requires more than just vitamins and supplements—it needs a balanced diet. So what does a “balanced diet” look like? According to the Mayo Clinic, a balanced diet means eating a variety of foods that provide the nutrients your body needs, including protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals (plus lots of water!).
A balanced diet also includes foods like fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidants, which help protect your cells against free radicals (which can cause cancer).
Consume More Chicken Noodle Soup
When it comes to boosting your immune system, you can’t really go wrong with chicken noodle soup. First of all, chicken is a great source of protein, and your body needs protein to build new and healthy cells.
Chicken is also rich in selenium, which is an antioxidant that makes it harder for viruses to replicate in your body—and the broth has all kinds of vitamins and nutrients as well. It’s also just delicious, so gaining this benefit doesn’t feel like a sacrifice at all!
Drink More Water
You also try these drinks to boost the immune system as a supplement to your hydration habit.
Reduce Stress
When you’re feeling stressed out or overwhelmed, it can be hard to think about anything but the source of your stress—whether that’s a big project at work, a deadline for a bill, or a fight with a friend. But did you know that focusing on reducing your stress level is actually one of the best things you can do for yourself?
That’s because stress is one of the biggest threats to your immune system. And if your immune system is compromised, you’re more likely to get sick and less likely to bounce back quickly when you are sick.
Increase Sleep
It’s hard to believe that the restorative powers of sleep aren’t well known, but there was a time when science didn’t fully understand the importance of snoozing on a regular basis. Now we know that sleep is an essential part of our health and well-being, and getting enough of it can help boost our immune system, lower blood sugar levels, and even reduce stress.
Maintain Good Hygiene
Good hygiene is often overlooked as a way to boost your immune system. Most people think of vitamins and other supplements when they hear the term “immune system booster,” but you can actually support your body’s natural defenses by keeping yourself clean.
It’s common knowledge that washing your hands regularly with soap and water is important for helping to prevent the spread of germs. But it’s also important for keeping yourself healthy. Germs are everywhere, and we’re all bound to pick some up during the course of our daily lives, even if we’re just hanging out in our own homes.
Keeping your hands clean helps ensure that these germs don’t make their way into your body and cause things like the flu or a cold. If you’ve ever had the flu or a cold, then you know how miserable it can be!
Conclusion
The human body is a complex and intricate system. It can be very difficult to understand how all of its processes function together in order to result in good health. The more educated you are about the ways that your body works, the better your chances of maintaining good health. Listed above were just a few of the most basic ways to keep your immune system healthy.
Keep reading and researching new information so that you can continue to maintain good health. Join the SUPERHUMN Facebook group and learn more about wellness and longevity. Get to meet the other cool community members that you can exchange tips and ideas with. See you!
