Build your natural defences
Natural remedies to help support your immune system
Now that summer is over and the colder weather is on the way, colds and viruses will be making an unwelcome appearance. Fortunately, there are plenty of natural remedies that can help to keep the bugs at bay. From echinacea to zinc, natural remedies can help to strengthen your immune system and enhance your body’s ability to fight off illness.
Vitamin C
“Vitamin C is well known for its role in helping to support immunity,” says Deirdre Murphy, manager of Horans Health Store in Tralee, Co. Kerry. “Vitamin C helps encourage the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infection.”
Zinc
“Zinc is essential for maintaining a robust immune system,” says Alice Bradshaw DN Med, head of nutrition education and information for Terranova Nutrition. “It supports the development and function of key immune cells like neutrophils and lymphocytes, which are vital for fighting infections. Additionally, zinc’s antioxidant properties protect cells from oxidative damage, helping to reduce the duration of colds and respiratory infections. This mineral also plays a crucial role in producing cytokines, the signalling molecules that enable effective communication between immune cells. A zinc deficiency can impair immune function, increasing susceptibility to infections. Consuming zinc-rich foods or supplements may help support your immune defence and promote overall health.”
Vitamin D
“Known as the sunshine vitamin, taken daily throughout autumn and winter, vitamin D may help to support the immune system, along with the maintenance of normal bone, teeth and muscle function,” says Deirdre Murphy.
Microflora
“Microflora supplements, commonly referred to as probiotics, support immune health by enhancing the gut microbiota,” says Alice Bradshaw. “These beneficial bacteria aid in maintaining a balanced intestinal environment, crucial for preventing the overgrowth of harmful pathogens. They stimulate the production of natural antibodies, strengthen gut barrier function, and promote the development of regulatory T-cells, which help modulate the immune response. Additionally, beneficial bacteria play a role in enhancing the activity of phagocytes, the cells that engulf and destroy invaders. By improving gut health, microflora supplements indirectly support the immune system, making it more efficient at responding to infections and modulating inflammation.”
Black Elderberry
“Packed full of anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, black elderberry can help boost your immune system, prevent and ease cold and flu,” says Deirdre Murphy. “Adult and children’s formulas are available.”
Echinacea
“Echinacea is another real favourite,” says Deirdre Murphy. “It may help to reduce the duration of cold and flu and ease symptoms such as sore throat, cough and fever. Echinacea is a first choice for a lot of people to help boost immunity and fight infection.”
Harness the power of medicinal mushrooms
“Medicinal mushrooms contain answers to most of the immune system challenges we face,” says Finn Murray owner–manager of the Hopsack in Dublin. “All mushrooms contain beta-glucans, even the little guys we find littering the top of a takeaway pizza. Those beta-glucans are found in richer concentrations in some medicinal mushrooms like shiitake, maitake, reishi and chaga. They act like plugging our immune system into a lightning charge socket, feeding a key part of our innate immune system – the macrophage – to foster a more powerful defence system.
The macrophage is like the front door of our immune system – when it’s operating well, the door is kept firmly shut from invaders, preventing infection from taking hold and proliferating inside our vulnerable tissues. Sometimes though, the door has already been open too long, and repeat or multiple infections take hold. In that case, chaga or maitake are the answer! Chaga is the most mineral-dense of the medicinal mushrooms, containing manganese, iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium in high concentrations. Both chaga and maitake’s effects extend beyond that of the short-term immune ‘boost’ into the sphere of regulating the immune system too.
Many of today’s immune system dysfunctions come not from underactive but from hyperactive immunity. With modern diets, stress and pollution, allergies and auto-immune issues are more commonplace than ever. As our immune ‘intelligence’ plummets on a species level, our biology becomes confused about what elements in our environment require attention and what are harmless.
Mushrooms are uniquely placed to help correct our confused immune system. Top of this list is reishi, with a powerful anti-allergy effect that stems from natural steroid compounds known as ganoderic acids. Studies back up the traditional use on this front, making mushrooms like reishi a really safe choice to consume to help regulate your immune system.”
Eat the rainbow to support your immune system
“Enjoy a diet rich in a wide variety of plants of different colours to ensure a diverse daily intake of immune-supportive vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fibre,” says Peter Harney, nutritional therapist and brand manager for Biocare in Ireland. “In particular, increasing our intake of foods rich in vitamins A, C, D, and zinc.
- Use an ‘eat the rainbow’ chart to monitor the variety of plants which you eat on a weekly basis. Aim for at least 30 different varieties per week.
- Vitamin D: oily fish, organic dairy, mushrooms.
- Vitamin A: squash, pumpkin, kale, organic liver.
- Vitamin C: papaya, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, oranges, spinach, parsley, kale, blackcurrant, kiwi.
- Zinc: oats, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, ginger, sprouted seeds.
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