There’s more of them than you might think!
When it comes to boosting our immune systems, we all know that Vitamin C takes front and center stage.
After all, we’ve been taking Vitamin C supplements or capsules since we were kids. Anytime we got a sniffle or a cold, our mothers would give us orange juice or a chewable vitamin to boost our Vitamin C intake.
But did you know that Vitamin C isn’t the only immune-boosting vitamin? Heck, it could even be argued that it’s not the best!
Read on to find out which vitamins are the most important for a healthy immune system…
Vitamin C
We’ll start with the best-known and most obvious immune-boosting vitamin: Vitamin C.
Vitamin C plays a number of roles in our immune system:
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It increases antioxidant activity in the body, helping to protect against oxidative stress-induced damage, which can lead to the breakdown of our body’s cells. It curbs the effects of free radicals, and thereby prevents the cellular breakdown from negatively impacting our immune health. High levels of oxidative damage has been scientifically linked to decreased immunity.
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It supports the function of your immune cells. Not only does Vitamin C enhance the ability of our immune cells to protect against infections and invading pathogens, but it also plays a role in cellular death. Cellular death ensures that your body is always killing off old (and often unhealthy cells), clearing the way for new, fresh, and healthy cells. It’s vital for a high-functioning immune system.
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It can reduce the severity and length of colds. Studies have found that taking Vitamin C can not only eliminate a cold faster, but can lessen the severity of the cold symptoms. Just 1-2 grams of Vitamin C per day helped to speed up recovery by 8-14%. And that’s not all! Studies indicated that people living in high-stress situations (such as soldiers or marathon runners) caught fewer colds thanks to Vitamin C.
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It can help speed up recovery from severe infections. In cases of sepsis and viral infection-caused acute respiratory distress syndrome, Vitamin C helped to drastically improve health.
All in all, Vitamin C is directly linked to your immune system, so taking it is a great way to ensure your body is protected from disease!
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is far less valued than Vitamin C, but it turns out that it’s almost more effective at boosting your immune system!
Vitamin D is known to increase your body’s ability to fight of pathogens by boosting the effectiveness of your macrophages and monocytes. These two white blood cells are critical for good immune function, and Vitamin D makes them more efficient and effective at doing their job.
Vitamin D also decreases the inflammation caused by infections, which can help your immune cells reach the infected area faster to deal with the infection sooner.
Low levels of Vitamin D have been scientifically linked to reduced immune function in a number of ways. People with chronically low Vitamin D levels face a higher risk of allergic asthma, influenza, and upper respiratory tract infections. As one study proved, taking Vitamin D led to a significantly lower risk of upper respiratory tract infections, indicating that Vitamin D is particularly effective at protecting your airways.
Vitamin D also helps your body respond better to anti-viral medications, boosting the effectiveness of treatments for conditions like HIV and Hepatitis C.
The daily dose of Vitamin D is 1,000 to 4,000 IU per day, and getting that amount of Vitamin D can make a huge difference in your immune health!
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is typically treated as the “eye health vitamin”, but wait until you find out what it can do for your immune system!
Vitamin A is needed for the production of epithelial tissue, which is the outer (and sometimes the inner) lining of your body’s cells, the first line of defense against invaders. It’s also needed to produce mucous tissue, which serves to guard your mouth and nose against pathogens.
Vitamin A helps your thymus gland to produce enough of the thymocytes that play a role in your immune health, and it can protect your bone marrow. It’s also linked to the function of macrophages and neutrophils, both of which are vital for a healthy immune system. Vitamin A can also help to improve T-cell migration, ensuring these important cells get where they need to go to protect your body from invaders and infections.
B Vitamins
Vitamin B6 is the B vitamin most closely linked to your immune system. It’s not only able to make new red blood cells, but ensures those blood cells are able to transport oxygen throughout your body. The B vitamin can help to produce both killer T-cells and the white blood cells that act as your body’s “guards” to fight off infection.
However, ultimately, all of the B complex vitamins are needed for a healthy immune system. Riboflavin breaks down not only fats, but also the medications you take to boost your immunity. Vitamin B12 reduces your risk of anemia and helps to improve nerve cell function. Taking a B complex vitamin can do wonders to raise your immune health!
If you’re trying to raise your immunity, we’ve got a solution for you in the form of our Pure Immunity supplement! Not only does this supplement contain dozens of all-natural and organic ingredients, but it’s chock-full of superfoods, minerals, and vitamins—including all the vitamins listed above that will boost your immune health.
Pure Immunity contains high quantities of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and B vitamins, along with critical minerals (like magnesium) that support a healthy immune system. With its high antioxidant content and excellent nutritional value, it’s exactly what you need to give your immune system a boost!
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