How to boost your immune system?
Prevention is better than cure! … It is an old wise saying.
After covid-19 crisis, the world realized the importance of this saying because, as we know, at the beginning of the epidemic there wasn’t any effective treatment and the recovery was depending on the immune system only. each person according to his immunity!
It’s not only for covid but also for all diseases, all pandemics, the immune system is the first line of defense against any of them.
Can supplements help support your immune system?
Today, Many people have nutrient deficiencies and don’t have the daily requirements of vitamins and nutrients from their diet.
For example: in the United States about 95% of the population doesn’t meet the daily needed vitamin D, about 45% doesn’t get enough vitamin C, and 15% doesn’t get enough amount of zinc.
Studies showed that any deficiency of one or more of these vitamins may lead to impaired immune function.
What Vitamins Support Your Immune System?
It has been established that the immune system needs multiple specific micronutrients including:
- Zinc
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Folate
- Vitamin B12 , B6
- Iron
- Copper
- Selenium
Adequate amounts of these vitamins are essential to ensure the proper function of the immune system, especially for the elderly.
Zinc and immune function in the Elderly:
The diet of the elderly can’t produce sufficient needed micronutrients like zinc, this leads to impaired immunity and development of degenerative diseases.
Old people aged (60 to 65) years and older have an insufficient daily intake of zinc, lower than 50% of the recommended daily allowance.
Zinc is an important micronutrient needed for maintaining all body functions, including immune efficiency.
What foods can support your immune system?
A healthy diet which is a source of precious vitamins and minerals and dietary fibers can support your immunity like:
- Citrus fruits contain a high amount of vitamin C, your body can’t produce or store it, so you need to take it daily from your diet.
- Red pell peppers besides containing a huge amount of vitamin C contain also beta carotene which is converted in the body into vitamin A.
- Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can ever meet. It contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, like vitamins C, A, and E. as well as fibers and antioxidants.
- Turmeric is a source of curcumin, an immune booster, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory agent.
- Spinach contains high amounts of vitamins C and antioxidants and beta carotene, which increase the infection-fighting ability of your immune system.
- Almond is considered a source of vitamin E (powerful antioxidant).
There is a beautiful Scientific coincidence about almonds.
Vitamin E is one of the fat-soluble vitamins(K, E, D, A) that need fats to be well-absorbed.
Almond contains vitamin E and this needed healthy fats which maintain the best absorption.
N.B: fresh vegetables like broccoli and spinach need to be cooked as little as you can, streaming is the best way to keep more nutrients.
Is There A Difference Between Vitamins And Supplements When It Comes To The Immune System?
Sometimes, supplements contain vitamins that are identical to that found in foods, and sometimes not.
The vitamins in supplements are handled by the body more efficiently than the vitamins in foods, some of the vitamin forms found in food are less active and not easily converted into active forms.
According to the dose, synthetic supplements provide accurate and effective doses of vitamins, if a pill contained only natural ingredients it would be the size of a golf ball.
How To Boost Your Child’s Immunity?
This can be achieved by a healthy diet&healthy lifestyle.
For children, a healthy diet starts early in breastfeeding, which fosters healthy growth and boosts your child’s immunity. especially in the first 6 months, breastfeeding is important to produce a variety of safe and nutritious complementary foods at 6 months of age.
To ensure your child’s healthy diet there are some points, some of them to be followed and others to be avoided.
Diet for children must be riched in:
- Lots of fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Lean protein
- Healthy fats like vegetable oils.
- Dairy or another source of calcium
And you must avoid:
- Processed foods.
- Foods with added sugar.
- Foods with unhealthy fats.
There are lifestyle habits that should be followed also to boost your child’s immunity:
- Make sure they get enough sleep.
- Get them active by exercising.
- Manage stress and make them happy.
- Make sure they are up to date on important vaccines.
- Don’t forget the simple precautions like washing hands and staying away from sick people.
- Give them needed vitamins after consulting a health-care provider.
What are The Best Vitamins For Kids Immune Systems?
Kids are not just little people, they need vitamins and supplements to boost their immunity and other body functions like:
- Vitamin D the amount of vitamin D needed each day depends on their age
From birth to 12 months: 10 mcg (400 IU).
From 1 to 19 years: 15 mcg (600 IU). - Zinc is very important to boost a kid’s immune system. The recommended daily dose of zinc according to NIH is:
From birth to 6 months:2mg
From 7 to 3 years: 3 mg.
From 4 to 8 years: 5 mg.
From 9 to 13 years:8 mg.
From 14 to 18 years:11 mg. - Probiotics can help to protect the balance between bad and healthy bacteria in the gut.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are shown to fight illness and boost immunity.
What Immune Supplements Can You Take While Pregnant?
“Pregnancy is a unique immunological state,” said Brice Gaudilliere.
The risk and severity of infections increased during pregnancy due to the physiological and immunological changes in the body.
Some supplements can be taken during pregnancy to enhance immunity like:
- Zinc: it’s well known to help support the immune system of pregnant women. you can check Zinc select®.
- Vitamin C: it’s known to boost immunity during pregnancy, as well as add the benefit of helping produce energy and therefore reduce tiredness and fatigue, like Vitamin C gummy®.
- Vitamin D: it is a very important factor to boost immunity during pregnancy and moderate our inflammatory response to infections. Especially in winter due to less exposure to sunlight.
- Pregnancy probiotics: 70% of the immune system is present within the gut and fights unwanted illnesses!
Microbiomes send signals to the brain to fire up the immune system. - Folic acid: besides its role in early and before pregnancy to prevent birth defects like; neural tube defects, it is very important for boosting the immune system. The daily dose recommended during pregnancy is 400 micrograms like Folic acid®.
- Iron: it is very important during pregnancy to avoid iron-deficiency anemia which may affect the immunity and the fetus’s health, so it is highly recommended to take an iron supplement from the second trimester until the end of pregnancy.
- Calcium: besides its importance for your fetus’s bones and teeth, studies showed that a low serum level of calcium may lead to weaker immunity. you can check the unique formula Calcium select®
- Vitamin B12: it is necessary to maintain a healthy immune system and helps with iron to prevent anemia.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: it is obtained from fish oils and is very important for brain development before and after birth. DHA®(Docosahexaenoic acid) is a vital omega-3 fatty acid with purity and bioavailability characteristics that support fetal brain growth and formation of the retina and visual cortex.
- Iodine: it is very essential during pregnancy to boost immunity and for the development of the fetus’s brain health.
- Vaccination: pregnant women should be vaccinated against microbes like influenza and covid vaccine.
Can You Take Zinc Vitamin While Pregnant?
There are no reports of fetal abnormalities from zinc supplements during all pregnancy trimesters.
It is recommended for pregnant women to take 15 mg of zinc daily to support the normal growth and development of the fetus.
For keeping you and your infant safe, you should consult a healthcare professional about the safety of any drug before administration during pregnancy.
You can contact with Welltopia team any time to get your online consultation.
What Supplements To Take While Pregnant With Covid?
Supplements are recommended for pregnant with covid-19:
- Zinc.
- Vitamin C.
- Magnesium.
- Calcium.
- Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Vitamin B12.
- Folic acid.
A study showed that The low serum concentration, or no supplementation of these micronutrients during pregnancy may lead to a weaker immune status.
How Do You Get the Best Supplement for your Immune System?
You can start boosting your immunity now and get Zinc select® supplement that contains 54 mg of zinc as (zinc bis-glycinate acetate).
Other benefits of zinc…
Zinc is a critical element that has huge benefits, not only for immunity but also for all body functions:
- Tissue growth: plays a role in the integrity of skin and mucosal membrane
- Eye health: prevents damage of the retina, especially in patients with age-related loss of vision.
- Important for the activity of many enzymes, proteins, genomic stability, and cellular proliferation.
- Plays a role in preventing apoptosis.
- For Bone mineralisation.
- Proper Thyroid function.
- Cognitive functions
- Blood clotting
- Fetal growth and sperm production.
- For age-related macular degeneration: plays a role in slowing and preventing it.
- For hair growth: promotes hair growth and prevents hair loss.
- For skin injuries: has a role in wound healing and treatment of warts and other skin defects.
why do we recommend (zinc select)® over other zinc supplements?
- It is ideally formulated, The active ingredient is “zinc bis-glycinate acetate” which doesn’t ionize in the gut and promotes high absorption.
Optimal utilization.
Gastrointestinal comfort. - It doesn’t contain gluten, corn, yeast, artificial colors, and flavors.
- Contains a high concentration of zinc (54 mg) to boost immune function.
References
- Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc Supplementation during Pregnancy: The Additive Value of Micronutrients on Maternal Immune Response after SARS-CoV-2 Infection
- Do supplements really benefit the immune system?
- 15 Foods That Boost the Immune System
- Do vitamins in pills differ from those in food?
- Healthy diet
- Boosting your child’s immune system
- How To Build Up Your Kid’s Immune System