It’s almost that season again. The one where a little sniffle starts, then a little cough, and then a little tired. Let’s keep the immune system strong with good sleep, stress lowering techniques, clean water, and immune boosters. I’m going to share with you my favorite immune boosters.
I have over fifteen immune-boosting products in my clinic. That doesn’t even include digestive enzymes that, when deficient, are so necessary to destroy bugs we encounter in our food. Here are a few of my favorite immune boosters.
Vitamin and Mineral Essentials
- 500-C MethOxyFlavone: 500 mg of vitamin C per tablet and a vast array of bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoids enhance the action of vitamin C, to support blood circulation, as an antioxidant, and to treat allergies, viruses, or arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. In addition to immune boosting, vitamin C is also good for collagen production (which is good for skin, hair, nails, and joints) and for healthy capillaries (vitamin C is helpful if you bruise easily).
- AE Mulsion Forte: Vitamin A is an antioxidant and a great antiviral. Most of us are deficient in vitamin A.
- D3 with K: Know your level! I’m always asking patients, what their vitamin D level is. I’m looking for 50-80 as the sweet spot. Not only is vitamin D a great antiviral but it helps to seal the gaps between cells in the intestinal lining to help prevent leaky gut and a host of other problems including autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis.
- Zinc AG: Zinc is a mineral needed for a healthy immune system. Since zinc also helps heal mucous membranes it’s often used as a throat lozenge.
Herb Power
- Oral Supreme: An oil blend that is used to keep your mouth healthy. Look for my blog post in the next week or two that gives details on this super powerful product.
- Black Elderberry: This is a strong antiviral often used to help prevent or combat the flu. It is usually in the form of a sweet-tasting syrup. Here is a recipe.
- Candibactin AR and BR: These products are often given together for gut health. The AR version has Thyme oil which helps many upper respiratory and lung conditions. The BR version has berberine which not only has antimicrobial properties but is great to help lower blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity (that’s a good thing).
Silver Strong
- Argentyn 23: This is a colloidal silver suspension that is a favorite among my patients for its ability to help with sinus infections. It’s a great support to the immune system. It’s safe and effective and won’t disrupt the beneficial gut flora.
Mushroom Mastery
- MycoImmune and Mycotaki: Mycoimmune is the liquid form of an immune-boosting mushroom complex. I like this one over the mycotaki capsules because you can feel it work almost immediately. It flies off our shelves in cold and flu season. I keep it at my desk, in my car and next to my bed. A dropper-full throughout the day is perfect to keep the immune system up especially if it plummets during stress. If you can’t stand the taste (suck it up buttercup 😉 then you can substitute the tablet form of mycotaki.
Honor the Homeopathic
- Oscillococcinum: Last but not least is this homeopathic hero. If taken at the first sign of the flu (tired, achy) it can prevent or decrease the severity of the flu. They are little pellets that you hold under your tongue and are safe for kids too.
Keep yourself and your loved ones healthy this season with good nutrition, good sleep, and good supplements.
Dr. Stacey