Strong immunity = healthy winter (help is here…)

How many times have you dashed to the pharmacy or health store and bought a handful of things for your immune system, often without really understanding what each of them does or if it’s the best choice for the particular infection you’re trying to fend off?

The purpose of this article is to help you become informed regarding your choices, as it’s already shaping up to be a challenging season for our immune systems, with Covid and influenza both rampant, as predicted by most health professionals.

We encourage our clients to have a winter “first aid” kit in their homes, so that, no matter the illness, they have tools at the ready, and with our guidance, know how to use them and when.

This is a comprehensive topic, so you’ll find information on vitamins and minerals in this blog, then in a couple of days’ time, another on antioxidants, then another on food as medicine, then another on antioxidants.  All with the aim of helping you to have a healthy experience this challenging winter.

Vitamins:

 • Vitamin A: aside from being the first fat-soluble vitamin to be discovered, the A also signifies its ‘anti-infective’ properties– especially in retinol form. It appears to play a key role in maintaining the health and function of mucous membranes and deficiency can increase susceptibility to infection.

• B vitamins: stress is known to deplete B vitamins and the resulting deficiency can have a detrimental effect on immune function.

• Vitamin C: the ‘go-to’ for immune support with its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. It offers many immune-enhancing effects including improving your white blood cell response, increasing the release of a chemical called “ interferon” and protecting cells from oxidative damage. To ensure absorption and tolerability at higher doses, we provide a form of Vitamin C in a liposomal delivery system.

• Vitamin D: deficiency affects almost 1 in 3 people in this country, and low levels appear to be linked to increased risk of viral respiratory infections. Receptors for vitamin D are on immune cells and it appears that D3 may function to prevent viruses from infecting cells.  So how critical is it to have good Vitamin D levels?  Very.  We can test you for this vitamin easily, so you can get an understanding of your baseline level, and therefore how much you need to take.  Testing at this time of year is very important, as we head into winter. 

• Vitamin E: A vitamin and an antioxidant, this nutrient is found in higher concentrations in immune cells compared to other blood cells. The form we prefer is an α-tocopherol form, which has been shown in studies to offer potent immune support by two separate mechanisms on and in your cells.   

Minerals:

• Selenium: helps white blood cells and another type of immune cell – the “T” cell -  to protect your body from infection. Selenium also plays a vital role in the functioning of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase, thus impacting all components of the immune system.

• Zinc: another ‘immune stalwart’, this mineral is involved in immune cell recruitment and function, systemic inflammation and demonstrates antioxidant and antiviral properties (with the ability to stop RNA replication). Absorption is improved in a chelated form e.g., bisglycinate or via direct contact with mucous membranes i.e., as a lozenge or throat spray.

Quality of nutrients is really important, so understanding this and what they are bound with (healthy excipients) is why we advise getting advice from us first before spending your hard-earned on something that might have detrimental elements to it. Dosing for your particular needs is also critical, and ensuring you’re not over-doing it, as nutrients can have detrimental effects when too much is taken.

Remember:  this information is not intended as a prescription, and we recommend getting in touch for a consultation so we can tailor an approach for you. 

Questions? Contact us here:

ask@healhealth.co.nz