The days are getting colder and shorter, and boxes of tissues are appearing everywhere as reliably as the colorful leaves outside. Yes, it’s that time of year. But the good news is your immune system is up to the job of keeping you well, as long as it gets a little help from its friends.

Meet Your Immune Friends

Vitamin D3 receptors are located on almost every immune cell in your body. That should give you an idea how important this nutrient is to immune health.* Indeed, a 2020 study found that people with sufficient levels of vitamin D were half as likely to fall under the weather as those without.

Zinc should be in every immune health seeker’s cabinet. If taken within 24 hours of feeling off, this essential mineral has been shown to help people get back on their feet sooner. In children, it may fend off immune challenges in the first place.

Quercetin, a flavonoid found in capers, onions, and apples, is a behind-the-scenes kind of player. It helps activate vitamin D receptors and transports zinc across cell membranes so these immune heroes can do their jobs. ^,

Garlic is more than just the key to savory dinner recipes. It supercharges white blood cells when they encounter a threat.  Research has found that, compared to placebo pills, the pungent herb does a better job of helping people stay well.

Oregano is an antioxidant herb traditionally used for supporting immune health. In one small, human study, oil of oregano was found effective in escorting unwanted guests out of the body.

We recommend Natural Factors’ line of immune products, which features:

• Vitamin D3, in its natural, most bioactive form (cholecalciferol), paired with organic flaxseed oil in easy-to-swallow softgels
• Zinc Chelate, made from rice to promote absorption, in 25 mg tablets
• Quercetin LipoMicel Matrix, featuring a unique, patent-pending and clinically studied technology for enhanced absorption
• Super Strength Garlic + Reishi, providing the equivalent of 4.5 cloves of fresh garlic per capsule, plus organic reishi mushroom extract for extra support
• Oil of Oregano, steam-extracted from wild-crafted Mediterranean oregano with no solvents

Check out the whole selection of Natural Factors immune products here.

+These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

References

Martens P. Vitamin D’s effect on immune functions. Nutrients. 2020 May;12(5):1248.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7281985/

Kaufman HW, et al. PLoS One 2020 Sep 17;15(9):e0239252. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32941512/

Hemilä H. Open Respir Med J. 2011;5:51-58. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21769305/

Griffin RM, Ratini M. Zinc. WebMD. 2020 Mar 25. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/supplement-guide-zinc

Lee, K, et al. Quercetin directly interacts with vitamin D receptor (VDR): structural implications of VDR activation by quercetin. Biomol Ther. 2016 Mar 1;24(2):191-98. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26902087/

Dabbagh-Bazarbachi H, et al. Zinc ionophore activity of quercetin and epigallocatechin: from Hepa 1-6 cells to a liposome model. J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Aug 13;62(32):8085-93. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25050823/

Arreola R, et al. Immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory effects of garlic compounds. J Immunol Res. 2015 Apr 19;2015:401630. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25961060/

Lissiman E, Bhasale A, Cohen M. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Nov 11;2014(11): CD006206.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25386977/

Force M, Sparks WS, Ronzio RA. Phytother Res. 2000 May;14(3):213-14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10815019/