With such busy lives, many of us are chronically stressed which weakens our immune system and can eventually lead to serious health problems like heart disease and hypertension. While endless responsibilities and challenging life events like losing a job or getting divorced can obviously cause stress, even exciting events like getting married or searching for the perfect new home among all San Diego houses for sale can lead to higher stress levels.
No matter what the reason for your stress, taking certain natural supplements can help lessen the impact it has on your immune system, helping it to function at its best, potentially preventing all sorts of illness and disease.
Vitamin D
When your body doesn’t get the vitamin D it needs, your immune system won’t be able to function at its best. The sunshine vitamin, as D is often referred to, is an important immune enhancer. When researchers tested the idea of using vitamin D to boost the immune system on children who were suffering a severe deficiency in one study, children given milk fortified with 300 IU of the vitamin for three months experienced a significant increase in vitamin D levels, and in turn, had half as many colds as those who remained deficient.
As it can be challenging to get this vitamin from foods, particularly if you live in a northern climate without a lot of sunshine, taking a vitamin D supplement can make a big difference in the health of your immune system.
Fish Oil
Studies have also uncovered that fish oil may be beneficial to the immune system. Research conducted in 2013 published in Science Daily revealed that fish oil managed to heighten activity of a white blood cell known as B cell, a critical part of the immune response. Scientists noted that this finding may lead to special applications for those who have a compromised immune system.
Echinacea
Echinacea has become increasingly popular in recent years for strengthening the immune system, though it’s been used for centuries, traditionally for treating open wounds to prevent infection as well as blood poisoning and diphtheria. While many people use it in the form of a tea to combat the flu or a cold, it’s particularly powerful for battling infection as it helps to strengthen the defense system in the body. It serves to fight off those bacteria, rather than coming in and killing off everything like pharmaceutical antibiotic drugs.
Probiotics
Probiotics may be one of the most effective immune boosters of all as they have an especially far-reaching mechanism of action, impacting B-cells, T-cells, lymphocytes, epithelial cells and dendritic cells. These healthy bacteria, naturally found in yogurt and other foods as well as beverages like kombucha, can also be taken as supplements. The “live active cultures” help to maintain optimal gut health while keeping the intestinal tract free of germs that cause disease. Swedish researchers found that those who took a probiotics supplement daily took a third less sick days than those who were given a placebo.
