Perhaps the truest truism in life is that you’re nothing without your health.  I believe in this so strongly that I’ve devoted my life’s work to the promotion of health and how it can be attained all-naturally.

And while many things determine the overall health of a person (e.g., environment, family history, diet, exercise), the immune system plays the most significant role.  In essence, the immune system is the drum major, the backbone of a person’s overall health.  If it’s weakened, so too is the body’s ability to fight off infection and disease.  If it’s strengthened, the body is an impenetrable force.

What many people fail to realize, however, is that a strengthened immune system is about more than simply eating the right foods.  That’s a good start, but it goes far deeper than that.  To have a truly impressive immune system, you have to take into consideration a number of factors.  Are you under stress a lot?  Do you take antibiotics or over the counter drugs when you do get sick?  Are you around a lot of chemical cleaning supplies?  Do the fruits and vegetables you eat have pesticides in them?  All these things, and more, adversely affect the immune system’s ability to function at its peak.

Now, if we were perfect, it would be pretty easy to keep our immune system functioning at its best.  But no one is perfect.  We may eat great one week, but not be able to exercise the next.  Other times we may exercise religiously, but at the same time be eating snacks loaded with trans fats and preservatives.

But the trick to building the best immune system possible is to supplement with the kind of quality ingredients that help to counteract our shortcomings when they arise (and trust me, they will arise).

There are many, many supplements and vitamins to choose from to make your immune system sing, but among the most effective of supplements is Co-enzyme Q10.  I’ve written at some length about the effectiveness of Co-enzyme Q10 and its ubiquity of usages, but it’s particularly effective for the immune system.  This is because it’s a natural energy enhancer, as it increases the amount of oxygen that flows throughout the cells.  You should take at least 100 mg of Co-enzyme Q10 daily.

Another important nutrient to take is glutathione.  I’ve discussed this antioxidant the body produces naturally in a past Mangano Minute posting as well.  Among other functions, glutathione performs the typical antioxidant duties (i.e., reduces the formation of free radicals), but it also boosts immunity by improving red blood cell function.  Glutathione is a relatively new discovery in the supplement market, so I encourage you to conduct your own investigation on it.  I think you’ll be impressed with what you find out.

Other reliable stand-bys for a healthy immune system include garlic, vitamins A, C, and E (10,000 IUs daily for vitamins A and C, 200 IUs for vitamin E) and taking plenty of zinc (about 80 mg per day).  Supplementing with zinc is especially important for vegetarians, as it’s primarily found in protein sources like liver, venison and other sources of beef.  So if you’re a vegetarian but are finding that you have been experiencing lots of colds lately, odds are you’re deficient in zinc.

As the great Phyllis Balch says, maintaining a health immune system is a balancing act, a juggling act, if you will.  But with the help of these supplements, the juggling balls (i.e., your immune system) won’t fall as cold and flu season fast approaches.

Sources
Balch, Phyllis A. “Prescription for Nutritional Healing.” Fourth Ed. New York: Avery, 2006.
whfoods.com