Boost Your Immune System to Fight Infection

As it's been said many times, our bodies are the perfect machine. They do countless processes simultaneously, they repair themselves, they perceive the world around them and respond to it accordingly. And one of the most intriguing things about our bodies is the immune system. This incredibly complex system is our body's defence mechanism, continuously working to protect us from all kinds of dangers.

People around the world are constantly trying to give their immune system as much strength as possible, in order to protect themselves, and this last year we've been hearing about ways to do it, probably more than ever before. Though there is a debate on how vitamin, mineras and different natural supplements work, how much they should be used, and how effective they are, there is no doubt that a lot of processes in our bodies work properly thanks to the health-promoting substances contained in them. And, while it's true that it's best to get the right amounts of them with food, many studies have shown that it's next to impossible to do so ­– which is why dietary supplements are recommendable.

Being a system, and not one single organ, in order to function properly and protect the body against infection, this complex network of hormones, cells and organs, that uses and regulates different processes in our bodies, requires balance and harmony in order to work properly. It works as an interaction and communication between the white blood cells, the lymphatic system, the spleen, the bone marrow, the thymus, the antibodies etc. This essentially means that the strength of your immune system doesn't depend on one single thing, but on many different things, such as maintaining a healthy diet, hydrating, exercising, minimising stress...

As their name suggests, dietary supplements exist to add something to the diet, rather than work as a replacement for the nutrients you get from the food you are consuming. However, most of us don't have the time, the knowledge or the discipline required to follow un optimal diet specifically for our bodies, so in order to get all the nutrients required to improve and maintain our health, we can turn to immune system supplements to help our body protect itself from infections properly.

Rather than preventing illnesses on their own, in a way vitamins and supplements help your body in defending its defence system. Eating a healthy diet and accompanying it with natural supplements can strengthen your immune system.

There are many types of supplements that you could benefit from, containing nutrients that are vital to our immune systems: vitamins, minerals, proteins and amino acids, fatty acids, probiotics, natural products.

Often supplements are made from different natural products that contain such substances, and the most popular and effective ones are propolis, oil extracts from plants (such as olive leaf, garlic, horseradish), cod liver oil etc.

Propolis, another extremely healthy product that the bees make, apart from honey, has been used for its medicinal properties since ancient times. The composition of propolis varies depending on the trees and flowers that the bees have access to, but also on the region.

With over 300 different compounds identified in propolis, it has a variety of health benefits, including antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, antioxidant, antitumour, antiallergic, dermato-protective, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and other biological properties. Because of the flavonoids present in propolis (polyphenols that fight disease and repair damage in the body), propolis not only protects, but it's even known to speed up recovery from different infections.

Containing vitamin A, one of the vital nutrients for proper immune system function, as well as cellular growth, reproduction and eye health, cod liver oil is a widely used as an immunity supplement. While it's primarily used as a supplement for vitamin D, a crucial nutrient for the human body, besides the high vitamin D content, cod liver oil also contains omega 3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties, and decrease the risk of blood clots. Vitamin D is missing from many diets, and vitamin D deficiency is a common issue, that is linked to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol – which can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Amongst the most important immune system supplements, olive leaf extract helps by adding the necessary antioxidant that often lack from our diets, which can compromise our immune systems. This natural immune boosting supplement is extracted from the leaves of the olive trees. Apart from its antioxidant properties, olive leaf extract has been shown to also have antiviral and antimicrobial effects.

There is no doubt that garlic offers many health benefits. This is why garlic is amongst the most popular supplements to boost immune system, especially considering that many people avoid eating it, whether it's because of the smell, or the taste. Amongst all other health benefits (like reducing heart disease risk), thanks to a compound called alliin, garlic has immune-boosting properties.

Rich in antioxidants, and containing so many important nutrients that help our organism work properly, such as vitamin C, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium... horseradish supplements are definitely on the list of immune booster supplements. It has anti-inflammatory properties, and it also helps to improve respiratory health, and fight cell damage.