A strong, healthy immune system is integral to your ability to avoid sickness and maintain optimal health. Many things like stress or an unhealthy diet can weaken your immune system and leave you at risk of suffering from more frequent or severe illness, though. These five supplements can supercharge your immune system and help you to stay healthier as a result.
Zinc
Zinc is involved in hundreds of enzymatic processes throughout your body, and it plays an important role in your immune system too. A deficiency of this vital nutrient not only weakens immunity but also causes it to become erratic and damaging to healthy cells instead of targeting infections or cancer only.
Getting enough zinc every day helps to ease chronic inflammation and balance the immune system. It has also been shown to reduce the duration and severity of certain viral illnesses like the common cold and influenza. This reduction in illness and the many other benefits it has for your body make it a crucial mineral to supplement if your diet is lacking.
Cordyceps
Cordyceps is a type of fungus that contains many novel bioactive compounds. Some of these compounds have immunomodulatory effects that enhance the strength and function of your immune system while others directly suppress viral replication.
The different compounds in cordyceps give it two mechanisms to fight illness and improve your health:
• Lowering your risk of contracting viral pathogens
• Preventing viruses from multiplying in your body
Cordyceps also has several other beneficial effects though. Some compounds in this fungus have been shown to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and other conditions like diabetes and heart disease, making it a supplement that can potentially improve human health in multiple, powerful ways.
Garlic
Garlic is the classic immune-strengthening supplement that has been used for centuries to fight illnesses. Its effects mostly stem from a compound called allicin that is released when a clove of garlic is cut into or crushed. This compound strengthens immune cells and has been shown to reduce the severity and duration of the common cold and influenza when consumed regularly.
While effective, allicin is largely destroyed when heated, however, as are many other beneficial compounds and enzymes in garlic. This destruction is what causes garlic to taste sweeter and mellow after cooking, compared to the sharp flavor it has raw. Eating it raw or in a form that has had minimal cooking is the best way to gain the most benefits out of garlic, but it does still have some effect even if cooked because some allicin will survive.
Vitamin D
Although it’s referred to as a vitamin, vitamin D actually acts as a steroid hormone throughout the body and interacts with many different kinds of cells. White blood cells are one of the types of cells that are heavily mediated by the action of this vitamin, and these cells play a substantial role in a healthy immune system.
Vitamin D deficiency causes parts of the immune system to weaken and other parts to ramp up out of control. It’s been implicated as a risk factor for various autoimmune diseases and for increasing the risk of catching viral and bacterial diseases as well as leading to them being more severe. Many of the most severe cases of COVID-19 have been in patients deficient in vitamin D. That’s why it’s important to get enough vitamin D every day. It reduces chronic inflammation and lowers your risk of contracting influenza and other viruses. It also helps your body to fight off an infection before it has a chance to lead to hospitalization.
Probiotics
Probiotics might not be the first thing you think of when considering how to strengthen your immune system, but they can actually have a significant effect. This is because your digestive system plays a role in immunity, and many different strains of beneficial bacteria produce compounds that modulate your immune system to be less autoreactive and more fine-tuned towards fighting off dangerous pathogens.
Regular consumption of a broad-spectrum probiotic supplement has been shown to reduce the severity of conditions like asthma and eczema and to reduce the risk of contracting influenza and other viral conditions. It has even been shown that probiotic supplementation supports your immune response after receiving the influenza vaccine, making it more likely to only suffer mild illness or avoid it entirely if you do contract the virus afterward.
All of these supplements can support your immune system and help to keep you healthier but it’s also important to understand that no supplement can completely prevent illness or cure existing illnesses. They form part of a healthy lifestyle, but you need to take care of all the other parts of this too.