There’s a lot of different information out there on vitamins and the immune system. While the overall consensus is that taking vitamins can help boost your immune system, it’s a little bit more complicated than that. This is because not all vitamins and supplements are created equally so you need to make sure that you are using the right products in the right quantities to actually have a positive effect on your body. But you don’t need to worry – we will help guide you on everything you need to know about vitamins and your immune system.
How the Immune System Works
The immune system is an incredible feature of the human body that keeps us alive and healthy. There are actually three different parts of the immune system:
- The acquired immune system
- The innate immune system
- The passive immune system
Overall, the immune system works in a few different ways:
- It guards against disease and infections from bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses.
- It can recognize foreign or abnormal cells and destroy them to prevent damage.
- After recognizing pathogens and other threats, it can remember its response and do it again if the same substance is encountered again.
Why the Immune System Is Important
Obviously the immune system is important for everyone – no one likes getting sick! But it’s actually more important to some people than others. Children tend to have weaker immune systems because they haven’t been exposed to as many things as an adult so their immune system doesn’t recognize it as harmful and doesn’t fight it off. Older people often have weaker immune systems as well because the body becomes less effective at distinguishing self from non-self with age. This issue can lead to the development with autoimmune disorders which means that your body mistakenly attacks itself – thinking that it is a threat when it’s really not.
Best Vitamins for Your Immune System
While the good news is that if you follow a healthy diet, then you should be able to obtain a majority of the necessary vitamins and minerals from your food. However, there are a few specific vitamins that are beneficial to add as supplements to your regular diet to make sure that your immune system functions at its best – especially during cold and flu season. Some of the best vitamins for your immune system are:
- Vitamin C: Vitamin C is probably the most popular immune booster. When you lack Vitamin C, your body is less likely to be able to fight off infections and diseases.
- Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 has been proven to help support biochemical reactions in the immune system to ensure that it functions properly.
- Vitamin E: Vitamin E has been proven to help your body fight off infections.
Taking supplements of these immune-boosting vitamins is an easy and convenient way to make sure that you maintain sufficient levels and protect your immune system. At the same time, it’s important to remember that megadosing vitamins doesn’t necessarily work and you should always follow the recommended doses of any product.
Other Ways to Improve Immunity
Making sure that you consume the right amount of vitamins and minerals is a good way to prevent yourself from getting sick. At the same time, there are other things that you can do to protect your immune system and lessen your chances of getting sick.
- Wash your hands! This one is pretty obvious but it’s one of the best things you can do to keep from getting sick.
- Stay active! Exercising regularly doesn’t just help you look good but can help you feel good as well.
- Get enough sleep! Making sure that your body has enough time to rest and rejuvenate every night can help you fight off sickness.
- Relax! Stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on your immune system. Managing your stress levels and taking time to relax can improve the effectiveness of your immune system.
