Immune System Boosters

Your Immune System is vital to your everyday life. A healthy immune system can help ward off simple colds and viruses that may lead to larger health problems if left untreated. You don't have to hide in your house or keep your mouth covered at all times, but you can do simple things daily to help reduce your risk of getting sick. Many things such as stress, environment and poor diet can take it's toll on your immune system.

As if we didn't already have enough to worry about as flu season fast approached, now we have to contend with the threat of H1N1 or more commonly known as "swine flu". It seems there are always new colds and viruses to be on the look-out for. But there are a few things you can do to boost your immunity so that your body can fight off the sometimes daily attacks it encounters from everyday life. Keeping your body in top fighting shape can help you fight off sometimes microscopic invaders such as bacteria, viruses, toxins, fungus, and parasites. Improved diet, more sleep at night, and the addition of dietary supplements can help enhance your immune system.

Supplenting with vitmins and minerals such as Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 is a potent antioxidant and nutrient that enhances cellular production and immune function.

Astragalus Root has demonstrated antiviral properties against a wide array of viruses, including the adenovirus, parainfluenza and hepatitis B.

Echinacea is possibly the most popular herb for supporting the immune system. Echinacea stimulates the activity of macrophages (the natural killer of cells) and lymphocytes and scavenges free radicals.

Garlic has strong antimicrobial activities against bacteria, viruses, fungal organisms, and parasites. Aged garlic increases B cell antibody and production, as well as the activity of macrophages, T cells, and natural killer cells.

Mushroom Polysaccharides contain components found to stimulate cytotoxicity, important for cancer-cell death. Mushroom extracts also exert direct antitumor activity and block signals that cancer cells use to develop a blood supply.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria in the intestines that activate immune cells, increase natural killer cell activity and are necessary in our fight against disease-causing bacteria.