No one enjoys being sick! A stuffy nose, inflamed sinuses, and all-over aches and pains stop you in your tracks and leave you feeling miserable. But what if there were ways to boost your immune system — naturally! — to improve your body’s resistance to viruses and bacteria? Fortunately, there are many options when it comes to natural immune boosters. Each of these whole-food supplements is an amazing natural immune booster for preventing mild and acute illnesses as well as more severe and chronic illnesses. A compromised immune system can leave you susceptible to every passing germ, but with a healthy diet and a natural immune booster (or several), you can be back on the track to good health!
Natural Immune Booster #1: Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin naturally present in many fruits and vegetables, and is perhaps the most popular and widely-researched natural immune booster. According to Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, who has studied vitamin C extensively, “Higher blood levels of vitamin C may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health.” He recommends consuming much more than the RDA — at least 500mg of vitamin C a day — in supplement form, in addition to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Since any excess vitamin C is water-soluble and excreted from the body rather than stored, overdose is not a concern, but at very high doses (2000mg or more) it can irritate the stomach, loosen bowels, and stress the liver and kidneys. Whole food vitamin C contains all the co-factors needed to obtain optimal benefits from this vitamin. Studies suggest that vitamin C can strengthen an immune system weakened by stress, reduce the duration of illness, prevent complications (such as pneumonia) from the common cold, combat inflammation, and prevent more serious illnesses stemming from a compromised immune system, such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. For those that are anemic, taking vitamin C along with your iron supplement can boost your body’s absorption of iron. Vitamin C is also able to increase the production and function of white blood cells, particularly neutrophils, those cells which are responsible for fighting off invading bacteria and viruses, as well as boost interferons, which trigger the body’s antiviral response — all key components of a healthy immune system. Vitamin C is a particularly important natural immune booster in preventing colds and other illnesses in children and in those who are under hard physical stress, such as marathon runners, soldiers in harsh climates, and skiers.
Natural Immune Booster #2: Baobab Fruit
Get all the benefits of vitamin C powder, plus antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and more, all in one fruit! This amazing supplement from Limitless Good helps naturally boost the immune system. Baobab powder, made from the fruit of the baobab tree from Malawi, Africa, has limitless potential to improve your health! Not only is baobab powder an excellent source of vitamin C, with 6 times the vitamin C of oranges, but it also contains 6 times the antioxidants of blueberries and 6 times the potassium of bananas, leaving you less susceptible to colds and flus. This natural immune booster is also rich in calcium, magnesium, and iron. Baobab’s high ORAC value (a measure of antioxidant content) means this fruit is a powerhouse when it comes to fighting inflammation and scavenging free radicals, reducing the risk of illnesses related to aging or chronic inflammation. Plus, with every spoonful of Limitless Good Baobab powder, you’ll be getting a good serving of digestive enzymes and prebiotics, which boost the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system and strengthen the immune system. Mix baobab powder into your juice, smoothie, yogurt, or even plain water — it adds a delicious citrusy flavor with an immune-boosting punch!
Natural Immune Booster #3: Perfect Revive Acai
People who are run-down, tired, stressed, and burnt-out are more likely to fall ill. Stressed people’s immune cells become less sensitive to cortisol,” says Sheldon Cohen, Ph.D., a Carnegie Mellon University professor of psychology. “They’re unable to regulate the inflammatory response, and therefore, when they’re exposed to a virus, they’re more likely to develop a cold.” The research conducted by Cohen and colleagues found that when exposed to a cold virus, those who were under stress were twice as likely to develop cold symptoms than their non-stressed counterparts. But stress can be hard to avoid, particularly if you work in a demanding field (or have kids!) Perfect Revive Acai can help your body better adapt to stress with two key adaptogenic herbs: cordyceps and rhodiola rosea. Adaptogens help regulate factors like blood pressure, hormone levels, adrenal response, and other physical responses to stress, minimizing the impact all that tension has on your body and keeping the immunes system healthy. But the immune-boosting benefits of Perfect Revive don’t end there! This natural immune booster is also packed with antioxidant-rich acai and grape seed extract, lowering your risk of not only minor illnesses but also many chronic diseases. Acai berries come from the Amazonian “Tree of Life,” and the powder made from these little berries has an ORAC value 50 times higher than that of most other foods. Leave a behind stress and illness, and welcome the improved mood, energy, endurance, and health you can experience from Perfect Revive Acai!
Natural Immune Booster #4: Wedderspoon Manuka Honey
Here’s another great natural immune booster for warding off illness : Wedderspoon Manuka Honey. You might be thinking “Honey is an immune booster?”. Well, manuka honey is a special kind of honey only found in New Zealand that is an exceptionally good immune booster. Manuka honey is used for it’s medicinal purposes and has many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. It is a rich source of beneficial enzymes andantioxidants. It has even been shown to combat highly resistant strains of bacteria like E. Coli, MRSA, and Staph. Researchers have yet to find a strain of bacteria that is resistant to this super antibiotic honey. Manuka honey is great for when you’re sick and for helping to prevent sickness.
Natural Immune Booster #5: Sovereign Silver Colliodal Silver
What if you could literally shield yourself from invading viruses and bacteria? Sovereign Silver Colliodal Silver can do just that. Silver has been used for centuries as an antibiotic, and silver ions are teeny tiny particles with germicidal, fungicidal, antiviral, and antiparasitic properties. If you need a tremendous immune booster, then this is it. Lab tests suggest that colloidal silver can kill over 650 disease-causing organisms. People have used colloidal silver for colds and flus, pneumonia, sinus infections, pink eye, ear infections, swimmer’s ear, strep, staph, parasitic invasions, thrush, ringworm, wounds, burns, warts, acne, and many other conditions. If you want to prevent sickness or lessen the duration of infections, then try Sovereign Silver Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol Colloidal Silver.
