Supporting an optimal immune system requires a comprehensive approach yet, there are general lifestyle measures, nutritional supplements and botanical medicines to enhance immune function whether during a viral attack, infectious process, or simply to maintain optimal wellbeing day to day.
The immune system is vital to resisting disease by protecting the body against pathogens, viruses, infection, and even the development of cancer. Daily maintenance of an optimal immune system is too often overlooked plus commonly missed in traditional primary care appointments. Support and modulation of the immune system is perhaps the most important step in achieving resistance to disease, building immune support with decreasing the potential for, viruses, colds, flus as well as cancer.
Recurrent or chronic infections, even mild colds are signs of a weakened immune system. Repetitive or long lasting symptoms (a lingering wet or dry cough) can signify lowered immune resistance and thus a vicious cycle begins: a weakened immune system leads to infection and infection causes lowered immune resistance.
A quick review of the components of the immune system helps us understand that good day to day lifestyle measures support and can restore compromised immune function. The immune system is composed of the lymphatic vessels and organs (lymph nodes, thymus, spleen and tonsils), white blood cells (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and more), specialized cells residing within tissues (macrophages that engulf bacteria and destroy foreign bacteria) and serum factors enhancing the immune system (interferon, interleukin II and complement fractions). The thymus is the major gland of our immune system responsible for many immune system functions including production of T cell lymphocytes which is a type of white blood cell (WBC) important in the resistance to infection by viruses, molds, bacteria, yeast, fungi, and parasites.
Support: Lifestyle measures
Another noteworthy vicious cycle resurfaces: supporting the immune system is critical to good health just as good health is critical to supporting the immune system. A comprehensive lifestyle approach includes: diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, correcting nutritional deficiencies and/or insufficiencies.
Lifestyle practices associated with Improved Immune Function Activity:
Whole food based diet; low sugar; avoidance of allergenic, processed, packaged foods
Drinking half one’s body weight in ounces of filtered water daily
7-8 hrs. of sleep nightly
Regular exercise (150 minutes/weekly)
Stress reduction: daily meditation/yoga/breathing exercises/prayer/relaxation
BMI within range
Not smoking
Low to moderate alcohol use: 2-4 drinks/week
Cholesterol (lipid panel) levels within range
We all know dietary habits plus one’s overall nutritional status greatly impacts the health of the immune system. Yet we can also unveil diet factors that depress immune function including nutrient deficiencies and insufficiencies from low nutrient meals, excess sugar consumption, consumption of allergenic and processed foods, excess alcohol intake and high cholesterol levels to name a few.
Diets rich in antioxidants, carotenes, flavonoids, and essential vitamins plus minerals enhance immune function. A healthy immune boosting diet is rich in whole natural foods, fermented foods (rich in probiotics), fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds and nuts. The diet is low in refined sugars, adequate not excess protein and healthy fats. Eating whole foods rather than pre-made and packaged foods enable one to get more phytonutrients fueling the body.
Other lifestyle practices include drinking half one’s body wt. in ounces of filtered water daily, getting at least 7-8 hrs. of sleep, regular exercise that collectively adds up to 150 minutes/week, having a positive mental attitude perhaps utilizing daily meditation/yoga/breathing/prayer/relaxation exercises. Elevated lipid cholesterol levels, free fatty acids, triglycerides and bile acids are known to inhibit various immune functions not limited to the ability of WBCs to divide, travel to areas of infection, and destroy microorganisms. Additionally, no smoking, and low alcohol use are all pillars of optimum immune system function.
Modulation: Nutritional supplements and botanical medicines
There are many nutritional supplements as well as botanical medicines known to modulate immune function as well as have immunostimulatory effects. Vitamins A, carotenes, C, E, B and minerals including zinc and selenium are useful when these nutrient levels are known to be insufficient or deficient from the diet or impaired in the digestive process. The botanical medicines, Echinacea and Astragalus are known to have broad spectrum effects stimulating the body’s natural defense mechanisms.
Vitamin A has carried the title as the “anti-infective vitamin” a major player of immune status. Primarily, it has an essential role to maintain the surface of the skin, respiratory tract, GI tract and other body tissues as well as secretions as theses surfaces constitute a barrier to microorganisms. Vitamin A also stimulates numerous processes including anti-tumor activity, enhancement of white blood cell function and increased antibody response. Those deficient in vitamin A are more susceptible to infectious diseases overall but more so to viral infections. Additionally, vitamin A levels usually lower during a course of an infection.
Carotenes are known as immune system enhancers with antioxidant properties. Many carotenes can be converted into vitamin A. Carotenes are known to represent a widespread group of naturally occurring pigments in nature. They are a colored group of fat soluble compounds. There are over a hundred characterized, yet only 30-50 are known to have vitamin A function. Beta carotene is most widely studied and most active due to its provitamin A activity. An impressive study indicated that oral beta carotene (180 mg/day or 300,000iu) significantly increased the number of helper inducer T cells by 30% after 7 days and all T cells after 2 weeks. It is most advantageous to increase the intake of carotene rich foods rather than supplement. In a comparative study of 126 healthy college students, the group who ate carrots showed the greatest increase in WBC number and function rather than the control group A or the group B who took 15 mg daily.
Please be aware Vitamin A is lipophilic which can lead to toxicity at high levels and needs to be monitored by a health care professional as the amounts from foods, supplements and other nutraceuticals are cumulative.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a natural immune enhancer. It is also shown to be antiviral and antibacterial. It has been shown to enhance white blood cell response and function, increase interferon, increase the secretion of thymic hormones and improve the integrity of the lining of the mucous membranes. Numerous clinical studies have shown the use of vitamin C in the treatment of infectious conditions particularly the flu and common cold. It is well known in reducing the frequency, duration, and severity of the common cold. Vitamin C levels are known to lower during the stress of an infection. It is highly beneficial to supplement with flavonoids rich in colorful plant pigments eating whole foods, a rainbow of fruits and vegetables daily since these compounds raise the concentrations of vitamin C in most tissues increasing the effects.
Vitamin E exerts both antibody related immunity and cell mediated immunity. Research has shown increased T cell function with supplementation.
Various B vitamin deficiencies have shown depressed immune function in antibody related and cell mediated immunity suppression and reduced white blood cell production. Vitamin B6 suppression has noted reduction in quantity and quality of antibodies produced with decreased thymic hormone activity. Vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency results in lowered white blood cell production and abnormal responses. B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B5 (pantothenic acid) lead to lowered antibody responses, white blood cell response and atrophy of the thymus and lymph tissue. These deficiencies may be due to low dietary intake, excess protein intake, consumption of yellow food dyes, alcohol consumption or use of oral contraceptives.
With zinc deficiency often times, the number of T cells is reduced, white blood cell function is impaired and thymic hormone levels lower. With adequate zinc administration and absorption all of these effects are reversible. Zinc also inhibits viral growth including common cold viruses and herpes simplex virus. Zinc throat lozenges have become popular both for deficiencies as well as prophylaxis against the common cold. Studies have shown sufficient zinc levels particularly in the elderly with supplementation resulted in increased numbers of T cells and enhanced cell-mediated immune responses.
Selenium plays a vital role in the antioxidant enzyme function of glutathione peroxidase (a vital enzyme family protecting cells from oxidative damage), indicative of affecting all aspects of the immune system including development and activity of all white blood cells. Selenium deficiency has been shown to inhibit resistance to infection depressing immune function whereas selenium supplementation augments and restores immune functions by stimulating white blood cell and thymus function.
Botanicals
Two of the most popular immune enhancing botanical herbs are Echinacea and Astragalus due to their broad spectrum effects including antibacterial, antiviral and immunostimulatory. They stimulate the body’s natural defenses via different mechanisms.
Echinacea is possibly the oldest and most widely known herb supporting the immune system. It strengthens the immune system even in healthy people. The stimulating components of Echinacea are the large polysaccharides that activate alternative complement pathways which increase immune chemicals to activate macrophages leading to productions of T cells, engulfing diseased cells, antibody binding and natural killer cell activity. Besides immune support, Echinacea exerts direct antiviral activity preventing the spread of bacteria by inhibiting a bacterial enzyme- hyaluronidase, which is secreted by bacteria to break through the body’s first line of defense, the protective membranes such as the skin or mucous membranes so the pathogen can enter the body. There are many studies on Echinacea’s efficacy on the common cold as well.
Astragalus root is a longstanding traditional Chinese medicine used to treat viral infections. Many clinical studies in China have shown its efficacy when used as a preventive measure against the common cold as well as shorten the duration plus intensity of the common cold. As with Echinacea, the polysaccharides in the root of Astragalus contribute to the immune enhancing effects of phagocytosis, interferon production and natural killer cell activity, T cell activity and other antiviral mechanisms.
In conclusion, a general approach in keeping an optimal immune system includes daily lifestyle measures, nutritional supplements and botanical medicines as needed. A low nutrient diet is a common cause of poor immune function along with too much sugar in the diet leading to low white blood cell activity. Stress depresses immune function along with the power of the mind, There are many key nutrients to support the immune system plus thymus function to get in one’s daily diet or by supplementation. Finally, botanical medicines can exert broad spectrum effects promoting resistance to disease while building immune support to preserve immune function whenever the need arises.
This document is only intended to identify modalities that may strengthen the immune system. It is not intended to recommend any treatments, nor have any of these modalities been proven effective against coronavirus. Always consult your healthcare provider or physician prior to using any of these modalities. For specific up-to-date information on COVID-19, please feel free to consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.
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