20 Vitamins and Supplements To Boost Immune Health

We all aspire to be as healthy as possible. While you can’t control your immune response to every sniffle, you can take steps to boost your immune system. You’ll probably be surprised by the simple, affordable ways you can improve your body’s natural resistance. To improve your immune system with vitamins and supplements, read up on the relevant scientific research, as well as which nutrients are right for your unique needs. It is also important to take a long-term approach, as creating the foundation of a healthy lifestyle is the best defense.

The immune system is a complex system of specialized cells and biological responses integrated into the entire body, from digestion in your gut to your brain chemistry and everywhere in between. There are many fascinating aspects of the immune system that scientists are still exploring. However, there is also a large body of proven research that can benefit everyone. To keep it simple, this article focuses on vitamins and minerals which are time-honored as supportive of the immune system.

Vitamin C
Generally, vitamin C can help you fight a cold faster or ease your cold symptoms if you were taking it prior to getting sick. As an antioxidant, vitamin C can help reduce inflammation—and lung inflammation is a severe symptom of COVID-19, which can lead to respiratory distress or even death. So if you’re still healthy, it doesn’t hurt to start taking vitamin C now.

Vitamin D
The primary function of vitamin D is to help your body maintain optimal blood levels of calcium and phosphorous, which you can get through exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, or through supplements and the foods you eat.
Getting enough vitamin D can also protect you from respiratory infection. Vitamin D supplementation significantly decreases the chance of respiratory tract infections, based on clinical studies published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics.

B Complex vitamins
Vitamin B6 is essential to keeping your immune system in top condition. Be sure to get enough vitamin B as a supplement, as part of your daily diet (you can easily get your daily intake from fortified cereals) or in a multivitamin.

Zinc
Popping a zinc throat lozenge, or taking an over-the-counter cold remedy with zinc in it (as a syrup or tablet) helps shorten the length of rhinovirus colds. Zinc also helps symptoms—nasal congestion, nasal drainage, sore throat, and cough—resolve sooner. Zinc has also been found to help produce and activate T-cells (t-lymphocytes), which trigger the body to respond to infections, according to the NIH. For a faster recovery, start taking zinc to treat your illness within the first 24 hours of symptoms. A proper dose of zinc is 75 mg, but beware: Taking more than 150mg per day of zinc could cause zinc toxicity and also have a negative impact on your immune system.
If you’re taking more than one zinc medication, check with your doctor first to prevent adverse reactions.

What are the Best Supplements to Take During COVID-19 Crisis?
Whether eaten as a whole food or in the form of a pill, the following supplements may help keep you healthy and your immune system in top shape to combat infections.

Elderberry
Full of antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, elderberry syrup is used as a remedy for colds, flus, and bacterial sinus infections. Elderberry works by reducing swelling in the mucus membranes. Some studies suggest elderberry extract reduces the duration of the flu, which is why some believe it may also help your immune system against coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

Mushrooms
Mushrooms are high in selenium and B vitamins like riboflavin and niacin, which are needed to keep the immune system running optimally. Mushrooms are also high in polysaccharides, sugar-like molecules that boost immune function.

Astragalus
Astragalus is an herb, and its root is used in medicine. Typically used to strengthen the immune system and treat the common cold, upper respiratory infections, seasonal allergies, swine flu, astragalus is also used to fight bacteria and viruses. Its effectiveness against illness doesn’t have a lot of research behind it, although in treating seasonal allergies, 160 mg of astragalus root extract (Lectranal by Milsing d.o.o.) by mouth daily for 3-6 weeks was found to improve symptoms such as running nose, itching, and sneezing.

Selenium
Selenium is a mineral with a variety of uses, including preventing bird flu and swine flu. A potent antioxidant, selenium can boost immune function, except in those with autoimmune disorders, who could experience a negative impact on their immune system.

Garlic
Garlic’s antiviral properties may be helpful in reducing the severity of symptoms in colds, flu or COVID-19 infections.
In one study, people who took garlic supplements during cold season caught fewer colds than those who took placebo pills. Garlic may also shorten the duration of a cold. While you can eat garlic fresh, you can also take it in the form of a supplement.

Andrographis
A plant used in medicine for a variety of ailments, andrographis is frequently used as a painkiller and fever reducer, and to treat the common cold and flu. Taking andrographis extract in combination with Siberian ginseng (Kan Jang, Swedish Herbal Institute) may improve symptoms of the common cold when started within 72 hours of feeling sick. According to another study, patients with flu who took a specific Andrographis extract in combination with Siberian ginseng (Kan Jang, Swedish Herbal Institute) felt better more quickly than patients taking amantadine, a drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent Asian flu and treat Influenza A. They also experienced fewer complications after the flu: sinus pain, breathing problems and coughing (bronchitis).

Licorice root
Licorice root, when used as a gargle, may be used to soothe the pain of a sore throat, a common symptom of coronavirus, according to a 2009 study in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia. Additionally, licorice root can loosen congestion and reduce inflammation. You can also chew a piece of licorice root or drink it as a tea.

Pelargonium sidoides
Also known as Umckaloabo among other names, pelargonium sidoides is commonly taken by mouth for upper respiratory infections including bronchitis, sinusitis, sore throat, tonsillitis, and the common cold.
Taking a specific extract of pelargonium sidoides seems to help reduce symptoms and clear up the common cold after 10 days of treatment. It also lessens symptoms of bronchitis in adults within 48 hours of feeling sick.

Curcumin
Curcumin is derived from the Curcuma longa plant, commonly known as turmeric. Curcumin is used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic activity. Curcumin can help fight inflammation and aid the body’s immune response, as found by a study published in Molecules.

Echinacea
Echinacea has been used to treat colds symptoms upon first signs of illness, but the research on its efffectiveness varies. Some research shows that taking echinacea can reduce the risk of catching a cold by 45% to 58%. But other research shows that taking echinacea does not prevent the common cold when you are exposed to cold viruses. Early research shows that taking a specific echinacea product (Monoselect Echinacea, PharmExtracta, Pontenure, Italy) daily for 15 days might improve the response to the flu vaccine in people with breathing problems such as bronchitis or asthma, and these are high-risk types who could suffer complications of COVID-19. When combined with antibacterial and antiseptic sage as a throat spray, echinacea and sage were found by a 2009 study to ease the pain of a sore throat.

Propolis
Propolis, a resin-like material from the buds of poplar and cone-bearing trees, is used for boosting the immune system, and as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Some evidence suggests that propolis might help prevent or reduce the duration of common colds and other upper respiratory tract infections.

Acai Berry
Acai berry is such a potent antioxidant and stimulator of the immune system, researchers are studying it as a potential treatment for all kinds of conditions, and it's often touted as a supporting of general health and immune function.