Our environment is undergoing substantial changes with the global population growing at a rapid pace and the life expectancy rate soaring.To say that there is a greater and more pertinent need to support our health and wellbeing, especially our immune system, won’t be a gross exaggeration. Over the past several decades, human civilization has witnessed periodic outbreaks of infectious diseases, the latest one being the coronavirus pandemic. Perhaps that’s why the need to have a robust immune system has become more essential than ever.
How Do You Strengthen Your Immunity?
There are numerous reasons for a weakened immune system such as poor nutrition, age, acute stress, lack of physical activity, disturbed sleep patterns and an erratic and imbalanced lifestyle, among other things. These reasons are enough to push you to include immunity-booster foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your diet. Your food must include nutrients like vitamins C, D, A, E, K, B-complex, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, and antioxidants.
If the food you consume is deficient in nutrients, you may need to opt for immunity boosting supplements to fill the nutritional gaps in your diet. Doing so will help you enhance your body’s immune function. Besides, other forms of immunity boosters include exercising regularly, good sleep, managing stress and quitting bad habits like smoking and excessive drinking.
How do you choose these immunity boosters?
There are a plethora of dietary supplements out there and choosing the right one for you can be quite challenging. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind, while selecting immunity boosting supplements of your choice.
- If you are someone who is always on the run and find it difficult to cook up a wholesome meal, opt for a supplement that can give you the goodness of farm-fresh greens, veggies, fruits and antioxidant-rich superfoods. And if the supplement in question is organic, GMP-certified, and non-GMO, and in the form of an easy-to-consume, delicious effervescent tablet then it’s just an added bonus.
- If you are someone who is always falling prey to cold, cough and flu, then you may need to make kadha a part of your daily routine. Kadha is an Ayurvedic decoction that is prepared by simmering herbs and spices in water for a certain period of time. It can be quite a lengthy and time-consuming process to make it from scratch. But if you come across a brand that offers you one in the form of an easy-to-consume, dissolvable effervescent tablet that is vegan, sugar-free, organic, and GMP-certified, then, without a doubt, go for it!
- The best form of immunity booster to add to your daily routine is apple cider vinegar (ACV). This natural detox drink is known for its healing and medicinal properties. While choosing an ACV, go for one that is plant-based, gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free and GMP and USDA organic certified. Moreover, if the ACV is raw, unfiltered, unpasteurised and contains 2x the ‘mother’, then be rest assured that it will give you the right amount of healthy vitamins, minerals, enzymes, bioflavonoids, and antioxidants that will naturally bolster your immunity and overall wellbeing.
- You can also try and purchase a USDA organic-certified ACV with spices like turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper and amla. Not only will that enhance the flavour of theACV but will further improve its immunity-boosting potential.
- Our immune system is also influenced by the colony of organisms that live in our gut, known as the gut microbiome. The gut is the body’s first line of defense against many infections. If your gut is inflamed, it could impair your immune response to infections. That is why it is imperative that you take care of your gut health. The best way of doing so is by opting for a probiotic and prebiotic supplement. Ideally, probiotics are measured in colony-forming units (CFUs) and while there’s no fixed rule to follow, any supplement above 20 CFUs has been found to produce the best results. Opt for a product with a combination of six active probiotic cultures and prebiotic fibre obtained from sources like apple pomace and chicory root (inulin), which will ensure complete gut health.
- A few observational studies link lower vitamin D levels with a higher risk of testing positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. Thus, it’s essential that your vitamin D levels are within the adequate range.
- Good quality sleep is also a great immunity booster. As one ages, the sleep hormone- melatonin declines. Lack of sleep can weaken the immune system and impact a person’s mental and physical health. Melatonin plays a significant role in lowering inflammation in the body. You can take a melatonin supplement to help you sleep better.
- In this case, it would be highly beneficial to go in for vitamin D, B12, melatonin, and other natural immunity-boosting multivitamin supplements in the form of mouth dissolving oral strips as they embody the sublingual route of administration.The sublingual delivery system of these oral strips ensure that they directly combine with the bloodstream and not get mixed with the stomach acid or digestive enzymes. This results in the fastest onset of therapeutic action without any possible complications associated with the swallowing of traditional pills. Equipped with the benefits of advanced nanoscience, these rapidly dissolving oral strips are super-effective and 95% more bioavailable than conventional capsules, which are mostly just 20% absorbable.
Final Takeaway
The pandemic has compelled us to alter our lives. We have all had to accept and adapt to a few simple lifestyle practices in order to survive this global hazard. These practises involve handwashing, using sanitizers, wearing masks, and social distancing. However, the best way to stay safe in the post covid world is by building a robust immune system, which will keep you protected from all kinds of infectious diseases. That’s why, going forward, opt for immunity boosters such as the ones mentioned above to help strengthen your body’s immunity response.
