How’s your Immune System?
Every day our health and well being is threatened by the exposure to bacteria, germs, and other harmful pathogens. Thankfully our bodies have the amazing capability to protect us against these harmful pathogens through our immune system.
While modern medicine has developed methods to reduce our exposure and help us recover from sickness, wouldn’t it be nice to prevent it in the first place? There are a number of ways to naturally boost your immune system to prevent sickness. Exercise, sleep and diet can significantly impact the function of our immune system. There are also many immune boosting supplements available that can be used when your body needs a little extra help.
Diet and the Immune System
Ensuring that you have a healthy and balanced diet is very important for maintaining a strong immune system. You must eat a variety of foods that boost immune function, however nutrient dense foods such as fruits and vegetables are thought to be most important since they are high in antioxidants and vitamins C and D which help boost immunity.
Because we live in a fast-paced world, oftentimes eating on the go, we often choose nutritionally void foods. Even if we eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, their content may lack some minerals due to our depleted soils. This is when supplementation becomes extremely important, especially when trying to boost our immune system.
Key Supplements to Boost Your Immune System:
Antioxidant Complex Enhanced by Genestra: Helps to maintain immune function and healthy bones, hair, nails, and skin while providing antioxidants that help protect against oxidative damage caused by free radicals.
Mushroom Complex SAP by NFH: Mushroom Complex SAP is a synergistic blend of four hot water-extracted mushrooms: reishi, maitake, Coriolus versicolor, and shiitake. Each mushroom is a source of polysaccharides, which have immune-modulating properties and help support healthy immune function.Mushroom Complex SAP has adaptogenic properties and can help improve energy and resistance to stress. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), mushrooms can be used to dispel phlegm, stop cough, and arrest wheezing. Mushroom Complex SAP may help stimulate both the innate and humoral immune systems.
Vitamin C -1000 by Genestra: the “classic” immune boosting supplement. Aside from being critical to various other systems in the body (collagen formation, bone formation, wound healing) Vitamin C has shown to decrease the duration of the common cold as well as prevent infection. C1000 contains a combination of high-dose vitamin C, rosehips, and flavonoids from hesperidin, quercetin and rutin.
D Mulsion-1000 by Genestra: known as the “sunshine vitamin”. Low vitamin D levels are associated with frequent colds and flus. This vitamin plays a critical role in promoting immune response. It has both anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties, and is crucial for the activation of immune system defenses. Vitamin D is known to enhance the function of immune cells, including T cells and macrophages, that protect your body against pathogens
Opti-Zinc 30 by Douglas Labs: Zinc is a mineral critical to proper immune function and studies suggest that supplemental zinc could reduce the duration of colds. Numerous studies also support the fundamental role of zinc for normal immune response in humans. Immune cells must be able to rapidly divide in order to respond to daily challenges. Like all rapidly dividing cells, immune cells depend on adequate amounts of dietary zinc.
Oil of Oregano by Designs for Health: Oil of Oregano has highly effective antimicrobial properties as well as powerful antioxidant and intestinal cleansing benefits. A source of antioxidants for the maintenance of good health.
The products listed above are suggestions, but please keep in mind that there are many different products that help to boost your immunity. Here at the Nutrition Dispensary we are here to help take the guesswork out of supplementation. If you have any questions regarding boosting your immune system, please contact us info@nutritiondispensary.ca
Blog Written by: Kacia Mongeau