Dear readers,
This week’s question comes from Rada. She approached me to discern if there are supplements that are effective at boosting immunity naturally. The answer is a resounding yes, and they can be easily incorporated to help strengthen your body’s natural defenses before the holidays and flu season. If you are seeking to better understand natural immunity, you can check out another article I wrote about that by clicking here. In the article I discuss the history of the natural immunity theory and the top foods to eat to boost your immune system function.
Today we’ll discuss the top seven supplements to be taking to boost your immune system. At the end I’ll link to professional grade supplements available through my online dispensary for those who are interested in trying them. These recommendations are not specific to any one virus or flu, but can help your body to better fight whatever you come in contact with. The point is to help your body function optimally at protecting you.
The top seven supplements for building immunity:
Zinc:
By now most people have heard that taking zinc is a good idea but they may not understand why or which form is best. Zinc is shown to boost immune activity in the body. It can be depleted by viruses when they replicate. A key sign of this is loss of smell or taste. Supplementing with zinc ensures viruses do not deplete our stores. Studies show that zinc picolinate is the best absorbed form - and clinical testing supports this. Children are safe to take 10-15mg/day and adults can safely take up to 30mg per day.
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C is well understood to affect immunity and can reduce the severity and duration of colds. Taking it daily can be preventative and it’s completely safe to ramp up the dose of water soluble Vitamin C when a cold or flu hits. Recommendations vary, but 500mg for children is completely safe, and upwards of 1000mg for adults is safe, as well.
Vitamin D:
It’s difficult to get enough Vitamin D during Canadian winters and even during summer for those with darker skin tones. This is because we synthesize Vitamin D from the sun’s rays on our skin - without any sunscreen and we are so far North here that we don’t get a lot of very direct sun for much of the year. Darker skin has a protective barrier to the sun and requires more sunlight to synthesize the same amount of Vitamin D. The recommended daily intakes of Vitamin D are known to be grossly underestimated and newer data shows that higher doses are optimal. The best way to know your optimal dose is to get your blood tested and get personalized guidance. For an excellent overview of optimal dosing data, check out this post by licensed homeopathy, Brittany Harris.
Cod Liver Oil:
This also contains Vitamin D, in addition to the fat soluble form of vitamin A and a healthy dose of EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids. All of these are known to down regulate inflammation and boost immunity. This is why our grandparents used this supplement every winter - and you should, too. Doses range so it’s best to read some information before using it to understand the dosing for your family. This fact sheet is helpful. This is a supplement that can’t be overdone in pregnancy, as Vitamin A can be toxic to a developing baby in high doses.
Selenium:
This antioxidant is little known. We get it naturally in garlic. It’s not something we get enough of from foods typically, unless we eat brazil nuts regularly. One to two brazil nuts per day hold enough selenium to meet our needs. Antioxidants help our bodies clean out the debris caused by invading viruses and damaging elements or food products. The typical adult dose is 50-200mcg per day. Dosing for children is age dependent and parents should refer to the NIH fact sheet to find appropriate doses.
Deep Immune:
This is a tincture by St. Francis herbs, and is a combination of several herbs that are known to stimulate the immune system. They can be taken in water or juice and come in an adult and children’s formula.
Probiotics:
If you haven’t heard of the importance of probiotics for immune health, please read this article wherein I did a deeper exploration. More and more research is coming out all the time on the link between gut health and the health of the brain, the nervous system, the endocrine system, and immunity. The research out of CalTech is my favourite on this matter and they have some great TEDTalks on the microbiome if you’re interested.
Probiotic foods are always superior to supplements, as the strains can be damaged in the packaging process, no matter how stringent. In unpasteurized, fermented foods they strains remain active and healthy. When using supplements, the dose varies, depending on the product and purpose, so it’s best to follow manufacturer directions. Two probiotics I have found very useful clinically are Bio K and RenewLife.
For a list of my recommendations through my dispensary, click here.
Thank you to Rada for the timely question! As always, if readers have their own questions they can reach me by e-mail and they can find me online.
Namaste!
Nonie Nutritionista
