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The best way to get through the cold season is to take care of your immune system and supporting a healthy immune response requires basic nutrition. Let the power of vitamins and specific nutrients help you get the most out of this changing season.

Why do you support food supplements and vitamins?

Your immune system plays a key role in maintaining your health in general. Therefore, it is important to always make sure that he receives daily support and necessary care.

Normal aging results in a progressive decline in immune function. However, healthy immunity can be supported with nutrients that work through multiple pathways. Frequent colds, trouble fighting off infections, persistent fatigue, or indigestion may be signs that your immune system could use a boost. Long hours indoors in the winter months are tough on immune health; that doesn't mean the warmer months don't come with their own challenges, too.

Why are these supplements very important?

In order to live a long and healthy life, we need our immune system to be in top form every day. Optimal immunity requires a daily intake of vitamin C and several other immune supporting nutrients. Below you can see the three most important of them.

Vitamin C

• The activity of many immune cells is closely related to their vitamin C content, and research shows that vitamin C supports a healthy immune system in a variety of ways. The human body cannot produce or efficiently store vitamin C. To maintain optimal immunity, it is good to supplement its supply with daily supplementation.

Zinc

• Zinc is a powerful mineral that helps keep your immune system functioning at peak performance. But zinc deficiency is common, especially in older people. Your body doesn't make zinc naturally, so you need to eat a zinc-rich diet or incorporate a high-quality zinc supplement into your wellness routine to get all of its health benefits.

Vitamin D

• Vitamin D (especially vitamin D3) plays a key role in healthy immune function. Strengthens the immune system, helps protect the body from infections and reduces their severity. For most people, diet and sunlight are not enough to maintain optimal levels of vitamin D. This means that vitamin D supplementation is recommended.

Nutrients that can affect immunity

Supplementing with specific nutrients can help fight off infectious diseases. Especially with age, immune function declines significantly along with the body's natural defenses. And maintaining a healthy immune response during certain seasons is harder than others – regardless of age! The following nutrients can help support your healthy immunity:

• Vitamin C helps to increase the levels of antibody-producing cells (lymphocytes), strengthens the function of infection-absorbing neutrophils and aids the activity of NK (natural killer) cells. If started soon after the onset of symptoms, vitamin C can shorten the duration of flu-like respiratory illness symptoms such as fever, chills, and body aches.

• Quercetin can reduce inflammatory immune cells, reduces histamine levels, relaxes airway smooth muscle, inhibits replication and infectivity of cold viruses and reduces senescent cells and their pro-inflammatory signaling.

• Vitamin D interferes with viral replication and modulates the immune response via receptors on various types of immune cells, thereby promoting antimicrobial defense while limiting inflammatory signaling. A number of studies worldwide have found correlations between low vitamin D status and increased risk of respiratory viral infections and poor outcomes.

• Zinc is key to maintaining the integrity of the immune system. This mineral supports the normal development and function of natural killer cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils and macrophages. Zinc has been shown to help counter several effects of viral respiratory problems, promote clearance from airway surfaces, help prevent them from entering cells, and help suppress viral replication. Taking zinc in lozenge form within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms can shorten the duration and severity of a cold.

• Probiotics: Over 70% of your immune system is in your gut. With over 100 trillion gut bacteria that outnumber normal body cells 10 to 1, a healthy bacterial balance in your gut is essential to your health and immune system! A probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505, has been shown to significantly increase levels of secretory IgA – critical antibodies that target viral and bacterial invaders in the upper respiratory tract – providing a mucosal defense system against cold and flu viruses.

• Lactoferrin is a protein found in milk and produced in tears, saliva, mucus and some immune cells. Lactoferrin (as apo lactoferrin) is an immune modulator and can help prevent a wide range of pathogens from penetrating the linings of the oral cavity, nasal cavity, respiratory tract, and digestive system. In conjunction with increasing antimicrobial immune activity while reducing inflammation, it shows signs of supporting a broad spectrum of activity against the bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses that cause the common cold.

• Garlic: Garlic compounds have shown antiviral activity against respiratory viruses such as rhinoviruses and influenza viruses and have broad antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal causes of disease. Ripe garlic extract has demonstrated strong antiviral and immune-boosting properties.

• Beta-glucans: This prebiotic fiber can stimulate the body's antimicrobial defenses and prevent infection, as well as reduce symptoms of upper respiratory infections. Mushrooms contain beta-glucans and other compounds known to activate critical immune functions. Shiitake, maitake and chaga mushrooms can thus help support the immune system and activate immune cells.

• Elders: Clinical research suggests that elder extract, rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant polyphenols, can reduce flu symptoms and shorten the duration of illness if started within 48 hours (about 2 days) from the onset of symptoms.

• Curcumin: Numerous preclinical studies suggest that curcumin may activate antiviral immunity and has demonstrated antiviral effects against a number of respiratory viruses. Curcumin also helps reduce inflammation associated with the immune response to infection.

• N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) may help inhibit cellular entry and replication of some respiratory viruses. Support helps clear thickened mucus from airways and suppresses inflammatory signaling.

• Selenium: Selenium has been shown in preclinical studies to reduce infectivity, replication and virulence of several respiratory viruses.

• Licorice: The active components of licorice have shown antiviral effects against viral agents of respiratory infections and against other viruses.

• Andrographis: Multiple randomized controlled trials and two meta-analyses found that Andrographis extract, alone and in herbal combinations, reduces symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and may be particularly useful in relief of cough and sore throat.

• Green Tea: Catechin from green tea has shown antiviral effects against influenza and other respiratory viruses. Green tea can help prevent viral respiratory infections and can reduce flu-like symptoms by reducing inflammation.

• Ginseng: Ginseng extracts have been shown to activate the antiviral immune response while reducing the inflammatory response and clinical studies suggest that it may reduce the risk of influenza and improve immune function response to the flu vaccine.

• Echinacea can reduce the incidence of colds and sick days as well as reduce the risk of recurrent infections.

• Mushrooms such as Reishi, Turkey Tail, Lion's Mane, Cordyceps Sinensis, Shiitake contain powerful phytonutrients supporting immunity, such as clinically studied beta glucans and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). They are also adaptogenic, which means they help strengthen the body's ability to thrive in stressful situations.