5 supplements to Help Boost Your Immune System
It’s that time of the year again! The leaves are changing more by the day, you're dusting off your plastic storage bins of Christmas decor from the garage, wondering if it’s appropriate to put them out yet (it totally is, by the way!). It’s also the time of year where we start hoping we don’t get the nasty cold or flu bug that our co-worker had last week. It’s a fun time of the year, but we are also more prone this time of the year to come down with something. While a healthy, balanced diet is so important and essential to immune health, and should be looked at and focused on first, there are some other things we can add to our daily routine that can help support us a little extra during this time. A couple of these I take all year long, but others I just use seasonally or take extra when I feel like I am coming down with something or just need extra support. Insurance and a little extra armor is never a bad thing! Here are 5 supplements to help boost and support your immune system:
1. Vitamin C- One of the most common “go-to” vitamins when someone is sick. It is definitely one of the most well known, and for good reason. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant and a cofactor to many enzymes. Supplementation of vitamin C has been found to contribute greatly to immune health by helping many components of the immune system (antimicrobial and natural killer cell activities, phagocytes, t-cells, lymphocyte proliferation).
Whether helping as a cofactor or antioxidant, vitamin C enhances several immune system parameters. Knowing how many front line defenses of our immune system are dependent on vitamin C, it makes sense that being low/deficient in vitamin C can lead to a reduced resistance to certain pathogens.
While vitamin C supplementation isn’t proven to prevent you from catching a cold, not getting enough of it can significantly weaken the immune system therefore increasing the risk of infections, while a higher supply can enhance and support several parameters of the immune system, through the mechanisms mentioned above.
It is extremely rare these days to be deficient in vitamin C. One orange can provide you with enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy, the disease caused from vitamin C deficiency. However, more is needed during illness and/or stress. Concentrations of vitamin C in the leukocytes and plasma decline rapidly during infection and stress (1).
Since vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, it isn’t stored in the body. Thus, it is best to take several smaller doses throughout the day, rather than one bigger one. I typically only up my dose, spreading it to a few times a day when I feel like I could be catching something. While vitamin C is very safe, and very unlikely to be harmful, megadoses of it as a supplement may cause diarrhea and GI distress. The “upper limit” is 2,000 mg/day.
2. Echinacea- Echinacea purpureais a very well-known medicinal herb. It is one of the most popular herbs worldwide. Research has linked active compounds found in echinacea to health benefits such as improved immunity and reduced inflammation. This may be through an increase in white blood cells, helping to fight infection, and/or macrophage T-cell activity, which boosts the body’s first line defense against illnesses such as cold and flu. A meta-analysis found that a sample group who was supplemented with echinacea was 55% less likely to develop a cold than the placebo group not taking echinacea (2). Another study found a decrease in total daily symptoms of the common cold with an echinacea supplemented group. The dose for this study was 5 ml, 3 times a day (3). All parts of the plant (leaves, root, and flowers) can be taken to support the immune system. Best taken in frequent small doses. Most commonly consumed as tea or tincture.
3. Zinc- Zinc is an essential trace mineral. The body only needs this mineral in small amounts, but nearly 100 enzymes need it to carry out essential chemical reactions. It influences growth and affects multiple aspects of the immune system. It plays an essential role in building proteins, cell growth, and the creation of DNA. It is a micronutrient needed for proper growth and development.
SInce zinc is needed for cellular functions, the cells of the immune system are also affected by it. Zinc deficiency adversely affects the key players of the immune system like T and B cells and macrophages. It also helps with free-radical induced inflammation, because it functions as an antioxidant. Don’t overlook this important micronutrient when you are sick or during the winter months. This tiny little nutrient supports a healthy immune system and can help heal damaged tissue.
Evidence supports the efficacy of taking zinc within 24-48 hours after feeling a cold coming on, reducing symptoms and duration. So as soon as you start feeling a little funky, or getting the sniffles, start popping the zinc! One study that included multiple Randomized control trials found the minimum effective dose of zinc lozenges, specifically, to be 13.3 mg. (4) It is not recommended to take more than 40 mg of zinc a day (upper limit).
4. Vitamin D- A fat-soluble vitamin that many people are low in and don’t even know it. Our vitamin D levels can fluctuate over the year. Since vitamin D is synthesized from the cholesterol on our skin via the sun, the winter months can leave us lower in the vitamin than summer months. Vitamin D is very important for many aspects of health, and immune support is one of them. There have been several studies associating lower levels of the vitamin with increased risk of infection, including upper respiratory infection (5).
The supplement dosage should be based on your personal blood levels, and whether you are low or not (most people are). A general recommended intake for vitamin D supplements ranges from 400-800 IU's a day, while some studies suggest a higher intake of 1000-4000 IU’s a day. I recommend lab work to see where you are personally at, so you can further discuss dosage with your doctor or health care professional. This will help to determine an appropriate and effective dose for your personal needs. Fun fact: vitamin D is not naturally occurring in milk, it is added (fortified) to it. Vitamin D aids in calcium absorption, so that's why it is added to milk (typically around 100 IU’s). I personally just cut out the middle man :)
5. Elderberries- While black elderberries are a traditional folk remedy, there are many observational and clinical studies that show promising research for them as a supportive agent against the flu and common cold. One study found that 15 ml of elderberry syrup, four times a day, relieved symptoms of the flu 4 days quicker than the group not receiving the syrup (placebo controlled group)(6). While another found that elderberry supplementation greatly reduced upper respiratory symptoms, due to viral infections (7). Elderberry is considered a safe and effective remedy for influenza. They contain antioxidants and vitamins that help boost the immune system. They are also rich in anthocyanins, giving them their beautiful deep color. Anthocyanins are polyphenolic pigments found in plants that give them their red, purple, or blue color. Anthocyanins contain anti-viral, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory benefits. Elderberries are especially effective when combined with echinacea. That’s why you see most elderberry syrups contain echinacea in some form. Elderberries, overall, have been shown to be beneficial for colds, flu and upper respiratory infections.
Stay healthy and happy, friends! <3
Always consult with your doctor before starting a new supplement regime :)
Resources
(1) Carr, Anitra C, and Silvia Maggini. “Vitamin C and Immune Function.” Nutrients vol. 9,11 1211. 3 Nov. 2017, doi:10.3390/nu9111211
(2) Schoop R, Klein P, Suter A, Johnston SL. Echinacea in the prevention of induced rhinovirus colds: a meta-analysis. Clin Ther. 2006 Feb;28(2):174-83. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2006.02.001. PMID: 16678640.
(3) Goel V, Lovlin R, Chang C, Slama JV, Barton R, Gahler R, Bauer R, Goonewardene L, Basu TK. A proprietary extract from the echinacea plant (Echinacea purpurea) enhances systemic immune response during a common cold. Phytother Res. 2005 Aug;19(8):689-94. doi: 10.1002/ptr.1733. PMID: 16177972.
(4) Marshall S. Zinc gluconate and the common cold. Review of randomized controlled trials. Can Fam Physician. 1998 May;44:1037-42. PMID: 9612589; PMCID: PMC2277668.
(5) Aranow C. Vitamin D and the immune system. J Investig Med. 2011;59(6):881-886. doi:10.2310/JIM.0b013e31821b8755
(6) Zakay-Rones Z, Thom E, Wollan T, Wadstein J. Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections. J Int Med Res. 2004 Mar-Apr;32(2):132-40. doi: 10.1177/147323000403200205. PMID: 1508001
(7) Hawkins J, Baker C, Cherry L, Dunne E. Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) supplementation effectively treats upper respiratory symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. 2019 Feb;42:361-365. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.12.004. Epub 2018 Dec 18. PMID: 30670267.