Support your immune system for winter
Colds and flu are more prevalent in winter, so staying healthy during the winter months can be challenging. Sometimes it’s difficult to avoid getting a cold or flu when you’re surrounded by sick family and friends, or even just commuting to work on public transport, so supporting your immune system can help you stay healthy this winter.
Your immune system is your first line of defence
Your body’s immune system is your first line of defence, like a surveillance system that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, constantly monitoring and protecting your state of internal and external health. A healthy immune system is quickly able to detect and help defeat potential viral or bacterial pathogens. An unhealthy immune system is not able to fight off these bacteria or viruses, leaving you and your family more vulnerable to colds, flu and mild upper respiratory tract infections.
Supporting your immune system with herbs and nutrients
There are several herbs and nutrients that can help to support your body’s immune system:
• Medicinal mushrooms help maintain a health immune system and have a long history of traditional use in Chinese medicine to clear respiratory mucus, enhance lung health, strengthen the lungs and relieve coughs. See more here Mushroom 5 Complex.
• Vitamin D3 helps maintain a healthy immune system. Vitamin D3 is the bioactive form of vitamin D found naturally in your body. A significant number of Australians are vitamin D deficient due to inadequate sun exposure and dietary intake, with the elderly at risk of a vitamin D deficiency. See more here Vitamin D3 1000.
• Echinacea supports healthy immune system function to fight illness and is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine (WHM) to relieve the symptoms of common colds and mild upper respiratory tract infections. See more here Elderberry Echinacea & Olive Leaf.
• Olive leaf contains high levels of oleuropein, the key pharmacologically active component of Olive leaf thought to be responsible for its therapeutic activity. Olive leaf is traditionally used in WHM to support immune system health and to relieve mild fever. See more here Olive Leaf.
• Zinc is an essential trace element that plays an important role in the immune response and a zinc deficiency is common in adolescents, the elderly, vegetarians, pregnant and lactating women. Zinc supports healthy immune system function and general health and wellbeing. See more here Zinc Forte + C.
• Vitamin C maintains a healthy immune system and provides antioxidant activity to reduce free radicals in the body. See more here Vitamin C 1000 Plus.
