Immune System Booster Vitamins

Vitamins And Supplements To Strengthen Your Immune System

Ensuring that you simply have the proper balance of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids in your diet is crucial in providing personal protection to your system . Here are seven of the most important immune system vitamins:

1. Vitamin A

Vitamin A has the power to focus on specific parts of the system directly, says Marogy. 'One way that vitamin A supports immune function is by stimulating the assembly and activity of lymphocytes, a kind of white blood corpuscle ,' she explains. 'Lymphocytes attack invaders and help produce proteins called antibodies, which also helps to ward off infections.'

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Food sources include dairy foods, broccoli, kale and eggs.

2. Vitamin C

'Your first line of defence when it comes to keeping out germs and infections is the lining of the nose, gut and lungs, of which collagen is an important component,' says Marogy. 'Vitamin C plays an important role in synthesis of collagen; without adequate vitamin C intake, the body can’t manufacture the collagen it must keep these linings healthy.

'Vitamin C also supports our immune response to viruses and infections by increasing production of white blood cells, enzymes and antibodies, which all play a part in our defence system,' she adds. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which are important in limiting damage caused by free radicals released during an immune response.

Food sources include citrus fruits and juices, peppers, berries and spinach.

3. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect body cells by strengthening their cell walls. It also supports T-cell function – 'white blood cells that are like the soldiers of your immune system,' Marogy explains – by improving the cells’ membrane defences and reducing inflammation.

'Once a T-cell has identified a pathogen, it divides over and over, making clones of itself in an attempt to overwhelm the invader,' says Marogy. 'But this immune response does not work efficiently if a lot of oxidative stress is present – for example if you’ve been smoking, stressed, or eating a poor diet.'

Food sources include vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.

4. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one among the foremost important nutrients for the system – indeed, many immune cells have vitamin D receptors.

'Vitamin D appears to stay the system in restraint by activating T-cells when they’re needed to repel an infection, but not allowing them to overreact,' says Marogy.

It also regulates the production of inflammatory cytokines, and helps immune cells lock onto antigens (proteins on the surface of bacteria and viruses).

Dietary sources are limited – mainly oily fish and eggs – so UK health experts recommend that everybody consider a daily supplement of 10 micrograms.

5. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

'Vitamin B2 is involved in maintaining healthy red blood cells, which play a task within the healthy functioning of the system ,' says Marogy. It also has an antioxidant effect to help strengthen your immune system against infection.

Food sources include eggs, lean meats and green vegetables.

6. Vitamin B6

'Vitamin B6 is utilised by the body to form immune cells and may help increase the amount of infection-fighting antibodies,' says Marogy. 'It also acts as a channel of communication between cytokines and chemokines, two signalling proteins used by the immune system when encountering a foreign invader.'

A wide range of foods contain vitamin B6, but meat, fish, tofu, bananas and potatoes are particularly rich sources.

7. Folate (B9)

Folate are often beneficial to supporting immune function, particularly as you age. 'Whenever an epidemic enters your body, T-cells jump into action, proliferating rapidly,' says Marogy. 'As you age, you naturally produce fewer T-cells because the years pass . However, folate can help T-cells to proliferate again.'

3 supplements to boost immune system

Fortify your immune system's defences by making sure you're getting an adequate amount of the following supplements:

1. Selenium

Selenium deficiency is related to impaired immune function, says Marogy. 'People with inadequate levels of selenium have been shown to have lesser amounts of T-cells and a reduced ability to respond to viral infections,' she says. 'Selenium also plays a role in the production of cytokines – molecules that play an important role in coordinating the immune system.'

2. Zinc

When people are low in zinc, the immune response is the first to suffer and there is a greater risk of oxidative stress and inflammation.

'Zinc is particularly important when it comes to warding off infections as we age, owing to the role it plays in the health of the thymus gland – which produces infection-killing T-cells,' says Marogy.

Food sources include seafood, pork and beans.

3. Omega-3 fatty acids

The most important omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy immune system are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). They assist in reducing inflammation and promoting healing after any bacteria and viruses have been neutralised.

Natural dietary sources are limited to oily fish and seafood, so supplements containing fish oil or algae (if you're vegan) are important alternatives if you don’t eat fish regularly.

The bottom line

You can’t control our environment – including the bacteria, viruses and yeast that could potentially cause infection – but you can do everything possible to get your immune system

These Vitamins directed by your physicians.