Do Immune Support Supplements Work?

Keeping your immune system healthy is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Whether you are fighting off acute respiratory tract infections, trying to stay healthy in the middle of cold and flu season, or just hanging out on a random Tuesday in September, supporting your immune system throughout the year is key to ensuring it’s strong enough to fight off any sickness. Taking a high-quality immune health supplement is one key way to ensure your immune system stays supported!

Do Supplements Really Benefit the Immune System?

Simply put, yes! Supplements are a great way to keep your body healthy overall—and more specifically your immune system—healthy and supported. To know how to support your immune system, however, it’s important to know how it works.

How the Immune System Functions

There are a few different parts of your immune system, and each one serves a specific purpose:

Skin: your skin is the first line of defense, and it helps keep germs out of your body.
Bone Marrow: this helps produce the immune cells that fight infection and disease.
Thymus: This is a gland in the upper region of your chest that helps immune cells reach maturity.
Lymphatic System: this is a whole network (or system) of vessels that enable immune cells to travel through your tissue and bloodstream. It contains lymphocytes (mostly T and B cells), which try to recognize and fight any foreign invaders and substances.
Lymph Nodes: these are small bits of body tissue located in your groin, armpit, and around your neck. They help your lymphatic system communicate with itself and the rest of your body and can become inflamed when your body has an immune response.
Spleen: this organ is located on the left side of your body under the ribs, and its primary function is to filter blood and remove old or damaged red blood cells. It also produces some disease-fighting components of the immune system like lymphocytes and antibodies.
Mucous Membranes: these line the inside of your mouth and nose, and they work to trap germs before they enter your system, allowing your immune cells to attack them head-on.

All these parts and pieces—and even ones we didn’t mention—work together to attack foreign invaders that try to get you sick. Here’s the process: germs enter your body -> your body produces white blood cells to fight the infection -> the white blood cells produce antibodies, which are proteins that fight disease-causing germs.

How Supplements Support Immune Health

Sometimes when you get sick, your body is deficient in certain vitamins and minerals that could actually support your body before and through sickness. Taking supplements can help support your immune system’s function! Supplementing with some key vitamins, minerals, and fibers like Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, Beta Glucans, and Elderberry can help build and support your immune system. Exploring the Best Vitamin For Your Immune System can guide you in choosing the most effective options to meet your body’s needs.

Does Emergen-C Actually Work to Support Immune Function?

You've probably heard that Vitamin C supplementation is good for cold and flu season. One popular product that claims to improve immune function is Emergen-C. Emergen-C is a popular immunity packet that you pour into water. It’s claimed to help provide daily immune support and boost immune function. While it’s considered safe and does have a good amount of vitamins and minerals, it is not recommended for children younger than 14 years old, and there have been some questions about its effectiveness, safety, and product transparency. Additionally, while the ingredients listed are good for you, the quality of the ingredients matters!

Emergen-C uses a synthetic form of Vitamin B12 called cyanocobalamin. While cyanocobalamin is typically used to treat and prevent a lack of Vitamin B12 in the system, it’s important to use natural Vitamin B12 to do that (methylcobalamin). If you’re struggling with a Vitamin B12 deficiency, you can take a high-quality Vitamin B12 supplement. You can also eat foods that are rich in Vitamin B12 like liver, clams, beef, tuna, salmon, and some dairy products.

Additionally, Emergen-C uses GMO Maltodextrin, which is highly processed. It is typically used as a thickener or filler and is used as a preservative to lengthen the shelf life of certain foods.

While there is not enough research to determine if Emergen-C actually works, it’s important to take note of the ingredients present in the foods and beverages you’re consuming. Ultimately, Emergen-C uses lower-quality, sometimes synthetic ingredients, and it’s better to get those nutrients from natural, high-quality sources.

Can You Actually Strengthen Your Immune System with Dietary Supplements?

Yes, you can strengthen your immune system! There are many natural ways to enhance your immunity and build a stronger immune system:

Eat a well-balanced diet. When you eat a high-sugar diet, it can suppress your immune system, as excessive sugar intake can weaken your body’s ability to fight infection. Sugar can also trigger inflammatory responses and decrease the effectiveness of your white blood cells. So it’s important to eat a diet that’s high in protein, fiber, healthy fats, healthy carbs, and lots of fruits and veggies. (Fun fact: red bell peppers are high in Vitamin C)!
Move your body. This doesn’t mean you need to have an intense workout regimen. It just means that being physically active helps your white blood cells circulate more quickly, which allows them to detect illness sooner and help you stay well! Even just walking for 15-30 minutes per day can get those antibodies moving!
Take supplements. Vitamin C, Elderberry, Vitamin D, and Zinc are all great at supporting your immune system. To get all these nutrients, taking a high-quality immunity supplement like Immune Health PLUS® is a great option!
Hydrate! Keeping your body hydrated is one of the best ways to flush toxins out of your system. It also ensures that nutrients are distributed throughout your body properly and your blood is circulated more freely!

What Is the Best Thing to Take to Improve Your Immune System?

There is a wide variety of supplements available for immune support! However, one of the best things to take is an immune health supplement like Immune Health PLUS®. It is full of vitamins, minerals, beta-glucans, antioxidants, and more! Let’s break down the ingredients and their benefits:

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps your immune system by protecting your cells from damage, enhancing white blood cell function, and helping your body produce antibodies (which fight infection).
Vitamin D supports your immune system by regulating your immune cells, increasing your body’s antiviral response, and reducing inflammation. Studies suggest around 60% of people have a Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency.
Zinc helps improve and strengthen your immune system by supporting white blood cell function—it helps your cells effectively identify and attack invaders. Zinc also helps your body produce and mature white blood cells, acts as an antioxidant that protects your cells, and helps tissue repair and prevent infection.
Calcium supports your immune system by balancing your body’s immune response—it helps your immune system gear up and slow down at the right times. Calcium also helps regulate the production of cells! Basically, calcium helps your immune system communicate properly.
Organic maitake mushrooms support your immune system by helping your body maintain healthy blood pressure and overall immune function. They are typically used to support your spleen and are rich in antioxidants, Vitamins B and C, amino acids, and more.
Organic shiitake mushrooms give your immune system a boost by supporting your cardiovascular health, liver function, and immunity and maintaining healthy cholesterol.
Organic reishi mushrooms help benefit your sleep function! When you’re under the weather, your body needs more rest and sleep than it normally would, so reishi mushrooms help with that. They also support respiratory health and help balance your blood sugar levels.
Immundyne Nutritional NQ™ is a pure, organic, yeast-derived beta glucan that rapidly activates complement immunity and naturally bolsters your body’s immune response and defense system.
Elderberry is a powerhouse antioxidant that supports your immune system by decreasing inflammation and reducing stress. Elderberry is high in Vitamin C, fiber, phenolic acid (which helps your body manage stressors), and flavonols (specifically, quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin, which decrease inflammation, increase antioxidant enzymes, are antifungal, can be antiasthmatic, and more). Beta-glucans are fibers that help support your immune system by regulating cholesterol and fighting inflammation! They can boost immunity overall, help prime immune cells for optimal immune response, stabilize blood sugar, and help activate immune cells.

Start Your Journey Towards a More Healthy Immune System

Supporting your immune system is going to help you stay well throughout the year. Having a supplement like Immune Health PLUS® is one of the best ways to support your immune system. Immune Health PLUS® has a unique and proprietary formula full of beta-glucans and other high-quality nutrients that strengthen your immune system. It also has Immudyne Nutritional NQ™ which is a beta-glucan that compliments immunity and bolsters your body’s immune response. It has an organic mushroom blend that helps your immune cells function optimally, and it has a whole host of other high-quality ingredients. To boost your immune system this season (and always), grab yourself a bottle of Immune Health PLUS®.