Key Nutrients to Support Your Immune Systems

Supporting your immune system requires a comprehensive strategy to provide your body with what it needs to function at its best. As there are no guarantees that you won’t be exposed to the virus, you can incorporate the below key strategies to aid in keeping you and your family healthy. The more proactive you are in supporting your own health, the better your body will be able to cope with illness, potentially minimizing symptoms and shortening the duration of the illness.

During these changing times my heart is uplifted with stories of communities expressing gratitude, families reaching out to help others, shopping for those in need, donating excess supplies, and changing production lines to provide needed equipment and supplies. Many communities have set up facebook groups to ask and offer assistance. To find a group near you search “COVID-19 coming together”. 

Even with this generosity and love; working from home, missing school, losing jobs and the stress that comes with it may affect your physical and mental wellbeing.  You need to do all you can to stay safe, healthy, and manage stress.

What Can You Do to Support Your Immune System?

Addressing your food choices, volume of exercise, stress, and quantity of sleep can help support your immune system and help your body’s ability to fight infections and viruses. In this post I will help you understand what particular nutrients you need to support your immune system and which foods can best help you achieve this balance.

Eat a balanced diet to support the health of your immune system

Supporting your immune system can be simple once you know the basics.  Start by focussing on whole foods and paying attention to your food habits. 

Eat fruit and vegetables in all the colours of the rainbow.

Eating a wide variety of foods that include fruits and vegetables from every color of the rainbow will help ensure that you’re getting as many nutrients as possible.

When possible, replace inferior foods with quality choices (whole grains vs refined grains, unrefined monounsaturated oils vs rancid oils, organic foods vs sprayed/processed foods) and reduce excess eating (what is your trigger for heading to the kitchen for a snack?  Do you choose fresh or packaged snacks?). 

Visit How Core Potentials is managing Covid-19 day-to-day to review simple tips for meal planning so you can make the most of your precious time with family while balancing work, school, and stress.

By incorporating these nutrients you will show your immune system the love it needs to give you the support you deserve:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is anti-inflammatory and helps increase white blood count which strengthens your ability to protect you from infection. In a healthy individual, eating whole, fresh foods high in Vitamin C should give a sufficient daily amount. 

Rosehips, kiwi, citrus fruits, mangoes, tomato, bell pepper, broccoli, brussels sprouts, strawberries and other berries

B Vitamin Group

The B Vitamin group is named B complex vitamins as they are commonly found together in foods.  Although they have similar roles, needing each other to perform best each of the B vitamins have unique functions.  B5 helps counteract stress, B6 can aid in an immune response, and B12 is important for the health of the entire nervous system and overall adrenal health. Coping with stress may be easier with sufficient B vitamin intake. 

Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 has become known as the “anti stress” vitamin.  It supports the adrenal glands to help counteract stress and help relieve fatigue.  B5 is available in many foods and, with a healthy diet, can be produced by intestinal bacteria. Diets high in refined and processed foods, or when antibiotics are used, can lead to Vitamin B5 deficiency. 

Grass-fed meat, wild caught salmon, free-range eggs, sunflower seeds, avocado, portobello mushrooms, beans, legumes

Vitamin B6

Improves the level of antibodies that help your immune system to fight bacteria, viruses, and disease. Reduced stress levels from Vitamin B6 helps protect against harmful effects of excessive stress. It is also an antioxidant and helps destroy harmful free radicals.

Grass-fed beef, pasture raised poultry, wild caught salmon, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, dark leafy greens, papaya, avocado, oranges, cantaloupe, beans, legumes

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 can increase energy levels as it stimulates the body’s use of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. It is required for proper red blood cell formation, DNA creation, and proper functioning and development of the brain and nerve cells. 

Grass-fed beef, pasture raised poultry, wild caught fish, (salmon, trout), free-range eggs, milk and milk products, fortified nutritional yeast, fortified breakfast cereal

Zinc

Zinc supports the body's natural defence system.  It is crucial to the development and function of immune cells and the immediate immune response that responds to threats.

Grass-fed meats (zinc is often added to feed), lentils and legumes, oysters (may also contain pollutants), pumpkin seed, nuts: pecans, brazil nuts, cashews

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and plays a vital role in protecting cells from the damage caused by free radical molecules. Ensure oils and grains are preserved and used correctly to avoid rancidity and high heat. 

Wheat germ/oil, whole grains (wheat, rice, oat, quinoa), outer leaves of cabbage/broccoli/cauliflower, sprouts, spinach, dandelion greens, carrot tops, mint, nuts and seeds (almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds)

Vitamin D

Vitamin D receptors can be found on a number of immune cells.  Levels of Vitamin D can fluctuate during the year with seasonal changes. In addition to eating foods containing this vitamin, if safe for you, spend approximately 15-20 minutes each day exposed to sunshine.

Cod liver oil, wild caught salmon, free range egg yolks, mushrooms, fortified milk substitutes

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential for the correct metabolism of protein by the body. It protects the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs and reduces susceptibility to infections. It also activates the thymus gland and immune system.

Spirulina, Wheat/barley grass, chlorella, carrots, sweet potatoes, green onions, kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, beet and turnip greens, swiss chard and collards, parsley

Help support your immune system with supplements

While supplements can help fill gaps in your diet, vitamins and minerals within plants and living organisms are much more complex than synthetically derived supplements.  Living organisms are composed of multiple nutrients, the patterns for which cannot be duplicated in a lab. Studies indicate that long-term supplementation with isolated vitamins neither cure nor prevents serious diseases. 

Adding supplements to your immune-support regime may be helpful when you find stress and anxiety levels rising, sleep deteriorating, or just feel the need for a little extra help.  When choosing a supplement, talk to a professional, nutritionist, naturopathic doctor, or staff with a natural healthcare pharmacy. High quality supplements make a difference to your overall well being and worth the additional cost if you can afford it. A combination of zinc, an active B complex, and vitamin C is an optimal for managing stress.  

Some types of supplements can be misunderstood when they’re called “immune boosters” so we refer to them as “immune balancers.” These supplements can be very helpful to your immune system to fight pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Examples of these immune-support supplements include elderberry, echinacea, astragalus, plant sterols, garlic, and algae such as chlorella or spirulina.  

A note of love

Staying home can cause one to feel isolated, and experience a sense of loss and grief.  Society has typically encouraged us to fight these feelings, get past them. It’s okay to feel loss and grief at this time as life has changed and communities are in the process of catching up.  Take a moment to acknowledge and express your feelings. Practice meditation and deep breathing, write, talk to family and friends. Emotions need motion so in stating them you allow them to move through you, enabling you to keep balance and be resilient.  We’ve got this.

Love and blessings,

Krista