Nobody likes to get sick. On a day-to-day basis, the immune system successfully fends off most attacks by various pathogens, but occasionally an attack will slip through. When a cold catches up with you, you have to expect at least a week of persistent symptoms and wasted time. The infection usually derails most of the plans we have made for that time. So stimulating immunity is not only protecting your health, but also an investment in securing your plans and comfort. If you want to incorporate something for immunity into your routine, we rush to help. Read our review of supplements for strengthening the body, on the basis of which you will make an informed choice of preparation for yourself.

• How to boost your body's immunity?
• Immunity preparations for adults
• Individual supplements and vitamins for immunity
• Immune supplements for children

How to boost your body's immunity?

There are many things you can do to boost your immunity. We include a healthy diet, regular exercise with moderate activity and sleep in sufficient quantity and quality. A healthy diet that promotes immunity should be rich in anti-inflammatory phytonutrients and provide all the necessary micronutrients.

During the fall and winter months, many people additionally support themselves with dietary supplements, such as vitamin C, to help maintain a strong immune system. Traditional immunity remedies such as anti-inflammatory raspberry juice added to tea, herbal tinctures or onion syrup are also popular.

Immunity preparations for adults

We are usually more concerned about our children's immunity than our own, but adults should not neglect this topic either. In adult life, immunity to infections can also be effectively supported. If you feel that your immunity is not sufficient and experience has taught you that you catch an infection every season, it is worthwhile to support yourself accordingly. Well-chosen immunity supplements can either reduce your risk of getting sick or make your symptoms milder if you do get an infection.

Individual supplements and vitamins for immunity

Let's take a look at popular supplements for immunity. They don't all work the same, and it's worth knowing the key information for each substance to make a wise choice.

Vitamin C

This is probably the first thing that comes to mind when talking about immune support. Vitamin C can indeed be helpful, but not always. It is worth taking it head-on, as supplementation will not always give us additional benefits in terms of immune health.

Vitamin C will, of course, work when we are deficient in it. Actual vitamin C deficiency, however, is not something that happens often. The amount needed to be supplied each day from the diet is relatively small and is easily covered when we eat fruits and vegetables. Interestingly, an increased supply of vitamin C (including from supplementation) can actually strongly (up to half) reduce the risk of infection in people who have increased levels of physical activity, i.e. athletes. In people without deficiency and with low levels of physical activity, vitamin C may not produce the expected increase in immunity. Instead, it is a popular practice to take slightly higher doses of vitamin C than the recommended daily intake at the very beginning of an infection to ease the course of the disease.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D is involved in regulating the immune system, and during the autumn and winter months, its natural synthesis in the skin declines as exposure to UV rays decreases. Maintaining optimal levels of vitamin D3 in the blood is useful for protection against colds. Currently, more and more experts are recommending taking vitamin D3 supplements year-round, not just during the cold season. The reason is that D3 is the most deficient of the vitamins and insufficient levels are seen in most of the population.

Zinc

Zinc has antiviral properties. For good reason, it is one of the most popular supplements used in autumn, during the period of increased incidence of colds. It has applications both in daily supplementation, when we don't get enough zinc from our diet, and as an intervention to be implemented when the first symptoms of a cold have already appeared.

Colostrum

Colostrum is the so-called first milk that a mother passes on to her newborn offspring. It is abundant in growth factors and stimulates the immune system, which adults also take advantage of by supplementing with cow colostrum powder. Studies show that colostrum supplementation by long-distance runners bears the level of IgA immunoglobulins in saliva, which correlates with greater resistance to upper respiratory infections.

Lactoferrin

Another substance found in milk. Lactoferrin has a very wide range of uses as a supplement, being useful in many ways, including for improving iron absorption or supporting intestinal health. It is also popular as an immunity supplement. We know from research that in adults it is not always effective in reducing the risk of infection, but the exception is pregnancy. Pregnant women can actually support immunity in a safe way with lactoferrin. It also has good efficacy in newborns and children.

Beta-glucans from vital mushrooms

Beta-glucans are a specific type of polysaccharides found in vital mushrooms such as Reishi, Chaga and Lion's Mane. They have immunomodulatory effects. Their effect on the immune system is used not only as part of immune support in the fall, but also as an aid in some serious immune disorders, such as cancer.

Probiotics

They say that immunity comes from the gut. There is a lot of truth in this, as there are specific receptors in the intestinal epithelium that control the release of immune system cytokines. Their activity is influenced by the bacteria inhabiting the intestines. Therefore, it is recognized that the use of probiotics to improve the composition of the intestinal microbiome can be helpful for improving immunity.

Examples of probiotic supplements popularly chosen for immune enhancement:

• Swanson Immuno LP-20
• Bio-Kult Advanced Multi-Strain Formula
• Apollo's Hegemony Bifido Forte
• Lab One No1 Probiotic
• HealthLabs Care ProbioticMe
• Aliness ProbioBalance Forte

Comprehensive immunity pills

If you don't want to select individual substances and make complex choices on your own, you can help yourself with a complex preparation for improving immunity. Such supplements contain in their composition several ingredients that support the functioning of the immune system in different ways.

Examples of products that are very popular:

• HEALTHLABS ProtectMe Immune+
• Solve Labs Myco Defend

Immune supplements for children

Every parent wants the best for their child. Supporting children's immunity helps protect them from bothersome runny noses, coughs and fevers. Children usually have the most points of contact with germs - contact with many other children in the nursery/preschool/school, and they often tend to touch different places in public spaces more often, due to their innate curiosity. These factors make children easier targets for bacteria and viruses than adults. Supporting children's immunity is also an investment for the whole family, because when a child gets sick, eventually all household members can join in much more easily.

Comprehensive, multi-ingredient supplements for children to boost immunity:

• HealthLabs Care MyKids Protect
• Garden of Life Primal Defense Kids
• NOW Foods Kid Vits
• Life Extension Children's Formula Life Extension Mix
• Seeking Health Kids Optimal Multivitamin
• Aliness Premium Vitamin Complex for Kids

Supplemental immunity supplements with single ingredients:

• HealthLabs Care MyKids Vitamin C
  HealthLabs Care MyKids Vitamin D3
• HealthLabs Care MyKids Probiotic
• Nordic Naturals Vitamin D3 Gummies
• Carlson Labs Kid's Super Daily D3
• Lab One No1 KidsBiotic
• Lactibiane piles for kids
• Aliness ProbioBalance Kids Balance

Most of the above supplements are staples that parents often choose to supplement their kids not only to improve immunity, but also for general support of health and proper development.

Sources:

• Douglas RM, Hemilä H, Chalker E, Treacy B. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18;(3):CD000980. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub3. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;1:CD000980. PMID: 17636648.
• Shimizu Y, Ito Y, Yui K, Egawa K, Orimo H. Intake of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Reduces Duration and Severity of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Comparison Study. J Nutr Health Aging. 2018;22(4):491-500. doi: 10.1007/s12603-017-0952-x. PMID: 29582888; PMCID: PMC5866826.
• Eby GA, Davis DR, Halcomb WW. Reduction in duration of common colds by zinc gluconate lozenges in a double-blind study. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1984 Jan;25(1):20-4. doi: 10.1128/AAC.25.1.20. PMID: 6367635; PMCID: PMC185426.
• Crooks CV, Wall CR, Cross ML, Rutherfurd-Markwick KJ. The effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on salivary IgA in distance runners. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006 Feb;16(1):47-64. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.16.1.47. PMID: 16676703.
• Berthon BS, Williams LM, Williams EJ, Wood LG. Effect of Lactoferrin Supplementation on Inflammation, Immune Function, and Prevention of Respiratory Tract Infections in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Adv Nutr. 2022 Oct 2;13(5):1799-1819. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmac047. PMID: 35481594; PMCID: PMC9526865.
• Akramiene D, Kondrotas A, Didziapetriene J, Kevelaitis E. Effects of beta-glucans on the immune system. Medicina (Kaunas). 2007;43(8):597-606. PMID: 17895634.