Your immune system is constantly working to keep your body protected. It is your first defense against harmful substances, infections, and non-infectious diseases. The key to helping it keep your body healthy is by supplying it with the tools it needs. If you aren’t consuming the right immune system boosters, your immune cells have to work twice as hard with half of the support. That’s why diet, brain supplements, and daily habits play such a large role in your body’s health. Let’s take a look at a few brain health supplements and other natural brain boosters that work in tandem with your immune system. Consuming more of these supplements and foods will help your body’s best defense system function better and keep you safe.
Using Your Diet as an Immune System Booster
One of the foremost methods of influence you have on your immune system is through your diet. Your body uses the naturally occurring vitamins and nutrients from your food as fuel for all of your body’s systems, including its defenses. Consuming foods rich in immune system boosting nutrients helps give your system the tools it needs to do its job most efficiently and successfully. Look at a few of the most well-known natural immune boosters:
Beta-carotene
Beta-carotene is a carotenoid that serves as a powerful antioxidant and immune system booster. It inhibits molecular oxidation and protects the body from harmful free radicals (which might otherwise lead to chronic illness). As such, beta-carotene helps improve the immune system and decrease the body’s susceptibility to heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. Studies show that this carotenoid may also act as a brain booster by slowing cognitive decline.
Sources of beta-carotene: apricots, oregano, paprika, asparagus, parsley, broccoli, carrots, chives, chili powder, kale, onions, and spinach
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps protect the body from infection, promotes microbial killing, and protects the body’s tissue from excessive damage while wounded. It serves as one of the best natural immune system boosters and aids in the body’s healing processes.
Sources of vitamin C: bell peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits, berries, melons, and tomatoes
Zinc
Zinc is found within cells throughout the body and is one of the best supplements for fighting off bacteria and infections. Regularly consuming the recommended amounts of zinc supports immune cell growth, protects from pathogens, and helps the body heal. Zinc is a well-known neuromodulator that creates new neurons in your brain’s hippocampus, making it a good brain supplement for memory.
Sources of zinc: legumes, poultry, seafood, and whole grains
Supplements That Act as Immune System Boosters
Your immune system will benefit the most if you use multiple methods to support it. While working on mindfully choosing the foods you consume, you can supplement any deficiencies by taking brain health supplements that specifically target your immune system. Sometimes, eating the proper foods isn’t enough. Even if you’re consuming a balanced diet and implementing the right food groups into your daily intake, it isn’t guaranteed that you’re getting everything you need. Consulting with a medical expert will give you the exact answers necessary to make changes, and you’ll have a blueprint for the precise brain boosters that could make a difference for your immune system. Here’s a quick list of common brain supplements recommended as immune system boosters:
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is one of the best supplements you can begin taking to offer support to your immune system. Research on vitamin D’s interaction with the immune system shows impressive immune enhancing peptide production, such as cathelicidins and defensins. These peptides are known for their antiviral properties, which offer a defense system against foreign pathogens. Vitamin D is known to enhance the production of such peptides, making it a large supporter of heightened immune responses.
Beyond its peptide production, vitamin D helps strengthen immune cell receptors, such as neutrophils and macrophages, which protect from pathogens and repair damage. It also acts as a powerful brain health supplement by assisting in brain maturation and growth.
Omega-3s
Omega-3 fatty acids boost your immune system by producing cytokines, which are a necessary asset for immune cell communication. They also help the body produce chemokines, which tell immune cells when to flock to an infected area. Macrophages, or “immune sentinels,” require both cytokines and chemokines to do their job– eliminating pathogens and patrolling for invading pathogens.
Omega-3s can boost the abilities of macrophages due to changes in gene regulation triggered by the DHA component of fatty acids. DHA also promotes the macrophage’s abilities to repair tissue.
Probiotic Blends
Your gut health plays an enormous role in your body’s overall health. In fact, about 70% of your immune system is found in your gut. Probiotics are a special type of beneficial bacteria residing within the body’s digestive tract. They assist with food digestion, vitamin synthesis, and most importantly, immune support.
Probiotics help natural antibodies thrive in your body and boost the efficiency of immune cells, such as IgA-producing, T lymphocytes, and natural killer cells. IgA helps with relocating bacteria and neutralizing their toxins, while T lymphocytes fight infection, and killer cells destroy infected cells and/or tumor cells.
Staying Mindful to Stay Healthy
When it comes down to it, your immune health depends on your daily mindfulness. Making informed decisions about the foods you consume and which immune system boosters you should take will go a long way when it comes to your overall health. If you think your diet is where it needs to be and you need something to give your system an extra boost, you should reach out to our team at BIPRI. We have several options available to give your immune system the extra push it needs, along with experts to walk you through their benefits, correct usage amounts, and long-term best practices.