Maintain a Strong Immune System
Vitamin C and Zinc
It sounds so simple, and yet it is so powerful. Vitamin C and zinc have anti-viral and immune supporting properties. You can choose to eat a lot of citrus fruits to get your vitamin C, but it might just be easier to take a tablet to get the dose you need.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D encourages the production of Natural Killer cells, which are an essential step in any strong immune response. We know vitamin D is important for the brain and the bones, but we get so little from our natural environment. The recommended dose for vitamin D varies by your age, stage (pregnant or not) and ethnicity.
N Acetyl Cysteine
I often recommend this powerful antioxidant in my work for lowering anxiety and depression in adults. N Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) has a powerful affinity for the brain as well as the lungs. Because many viruses and infections target the respiratory tract, they can often leave scarring and damage to the lungs. This can result in lingering coughs and phlegm after you’ve fought your cold. NAC is the perfect addition to support lung health, reduce scarring and speed up recovery.
Elderberry
This herb is often used in syrup form for acute colds and flus. It helps to stimulate the immune system to fight an active infection, but can also be used preventatively.
Quercitin
Because of the hypothesis of a cytokine storm happening in the lungs during severe viral infections, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories are needed to tone down the intensity of the reaction. A cytokine storm is thought to be an episode of hyperinflammation or massive overproduction of inflammatory immune cells. This often happens at the end-stage of many severe illnesses with multiple organ failure, because the body goes into a form of shock.
This time of year is common for viral infections because of the change in temperature, but also the beginning of environmental allergy season. Quercitin is anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-histamine. It helps to support the immune system while lowering allergy symptoms. This makes it a great addition to an immune health strategy.
Echinacea
The research on this one is so difficult to come by, because the part of the plant plays a huge role in the effectiveness of Echinacea.
You’ll notice I didn’t put doses on this post. That’s because the doses are different for each person and depend on a lot of variables. The quality of supplements also make a big difference, as lower quality products will require a more frequent administration in order to reach therapeutic doses.
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