Last week’s blog post was about lifestyle tips to help boost your immune system. This week we are talking about supplements to consider that help build a strong and healthy immune system. Here are my Top 5!
Vitamin D3: I am listing this one first for a reason! Vitamin D3 is huge when it comes to immunity. It is an immune modulator that activates our immune system. A deficiency of Vit. D3 means that our immune system will not work properly. We get our main source of Vitamin D3 from direct sun exposure which is non-existent in the winter, so make sure you are supplementing. Supplement 1000IU per 25# of body weight.
Probiotics: A healthy gut creates a healthy immune system. Probiotics are friendly bacteria that help to seed your digestive system with beneficial bacteria to help keep our microbiome in balance.
Fish Oil (Omega 3): Fish Oil helps to boost the immune system by enhancing the function of our white blood cells (B cells). Another benefit is that it helps to reduce inflammation which can cause immune suppression. I great starting dose is 2000mg per day.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C helps to boost multiple aspects of the immune system, including increasing natural killer cells to fight infection, improving neutrophil function, improving lymphocyte function, and increasing antibody immunoglobulins. Vitamin C is water soluble and best taken in either sustained release or multiple times throughout the day. 500 mg-1000 mg is a good starting point (more when dosing if you are ill).
Zinc: Zinc is a mineral that helps to boost the immune system by increasing neutrophils and natural killer cells. Take 30mg per day (more if dosing when ill)
Bonus Items:
Echinacea: Echinacea is an herb that helps to boost white blood cells and can shorten the duration of a cold. For it to work best, it needs to be started at the first sign of a sniffle or scratchy throat. It is not designed for long-term use so it should not be taken every day.
Oscillococcinum (homeopathic): Oscillococcinum is not really a supplement but rather a remedy and I am including it here due to the positive role it can play in decreasing the symptoms of the flu. It is a homeopathic remedy that when taken at the first sign of the flu, can decrease the severity and duration of the virus.
Elderberry syrup: Elderberry syrup is another remedy known to decrease the severity of cold and flu. It can be taken at the first sign of illness to decrease the severity and duration of the illness. Some people also take this as a preventative measure through the winter. Email me if you would like the recipe that I use to make my own elderberry syrup!
I hope you find this information helpful in keeping your family healthy this cold and flu season. As always with ANY supplements please only use quality products from reputable companies. I have a list of many good companies that I know and trust. Please don’t ever purchase your supplements on Amazon. I love Amazon as much as the next person, but their quality control is really lacking in the supplement category. There are a lot of fake/knock-off products that they are selling as real items. We use FullScript and Emerson Ecologics to order supplements. They offer a huge variety of name brand supplements at competitive prices with free shipping. It is easy to set up an account and you can rest easy knowing you will always be getting the real item.
In Health,
Dr. Cathy