These are the Best Immune Boosting Vitamins According to a Top Academic

By Sara Palmer Hussey, PhD, creator of immunity support supplement, Lumity

There are vitamins and nutrients for your immune system that will fast-track healing, boost our health and the ability to fight off illness.

In order to heal well and stay healthy and strong and fight off colds and flu, the body needs increased amounts of energy, amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, C, D and E and the minerals zinc, magnesium and selenium. All of these immune boosting vitamins are included in the Lumity supplement formula. Blended for optimum synergy, together they harness the superior healing processes of the body to ensure peak health. Lumity’s comprehensive supplements strengthen immunity, boost energy and eliminate tiredness as well as improving skin, hair and nails. Cambridge educated research scientist Sara Palmer Hussey, PhD, the creator of health supplement Lumity, explains which immune support vitamins you need more of if you want to strengthen your immunity.

When we are ill, we may not feel like eating, but it is vital to sustain our energy levels. For this to happen, the fuel from the food we eat or from our reserves must be transported into our cells and turned into energy.

A few key nutrients optimise cellular energy production and ensure our energy levels are high enough to stay healthy. They are magnesium, carnitine and coenzyme q10.

The Best Immune Support Vitamins:

Magnesium

Magnesium regulates the electrical potential across cell membranes, which allows nutrients to pass back and forth. The energy produced within our cells must be bound to magnesium in order to be transported and used.

Carnitine

Carnitine plays a key role in the delivery of fuel into cells and efficient energy
production within cells. Carnitine also improves the sensitivity of insulin receptors,
allowing the entry of nutrients into the cells.

Co-Enzyme Q10

Co-Enzyme Q10 is a powerful, fat-soluble antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
produced within the body. It is an essential component of healthy energy generation within cells.

Together these three nutrients can boost energy levels through ensuring more
efficient energy production and transportation, so the body can heal well and
maintain optimum functionality.

Amino acids play a vital role in maintaining a healthy immune system – the complex system of organs and cells operational throughout the body that finds and destroys disease, infection, viruses and any other dangerous elements.

Glutamine

The amino acid glutamine improves immune function and results in a lower level of infection and a shorter hospital stay following surgery, radiation treatment,
transplants and injury, all without any side effects.

The body is also called upon to repair damage from factors such as free radicals,
glycation, injury, disease and inflammation. Amino acids are critical to this process.

Cysteine

In conjunction with cysteine, glutamine increases glutathione stores in the body.
Glutathione, the body’s most powerful antioxidant, is commonly depleted through
illness and ageing. Replenishing the body’s levels of glutathione prevents and
counteracts free radical damage.

Alanine

Together with alanine, cysteine also helps block glycation and the damage it causes in the body.

Arginine and Lysine

Glutamine, together with arginine and lysine, promotes the release of human growth hormone, which is crucial to the regeneration of damaged tissue. Human growth hormone also stimulates immune resilience.

Lysine is essential in the production of collagen and elastin, which supports the
growth, repair and maintenance of healthy skin, muscles and connective tissue, a
critical process in the healing of wounds.

Flaxseed Oil

Omega-3 fatty acids, contained in flaxseed oil, for example, can greatly increase the number and activation of white blood cells, responsible for fighting off disease and infection. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and protect all cell membranes, keeping them efficient at admitting healthy substances while barring damaging ones.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential for immune system efficiency by promoting the production of white blood cells and helping regulate the inflammatory response. Vitamin A also carries out an antioxidant role, thus reducing the damage caused by free radicals.

Vitamin A stimulates growth of the base layer of the skin and so is crucial in wound-healing, whether of the external skin or of the body’s inner skin, made up of mucous linings.

By moisturising and maintaining the structural integrity of mucous linings, which
support healthy secretion, vitamin A helps the body fight off infectious agents and
environmental pollutants.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, as an antioxidant, is important in protecting the body against the damage caused by free radicals. It is also vital in the production and maintenance of collagen. Collagen production is a key element in wound-healing.

Vitamin C has also been shown to stimulate the immune system, by boosting the
activity of white blood cells.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorus – a key function in repairing fractures and breakages of bones as well as for normal blood clotting and heart function.

Vitamins A and D taken together reduce the incidence of colds, reduce muscle
spasms, especially when related to anxiety states, and ease asthma and arthritis.

Vitamin D also supports healthy neuromuscular and immune function and reduces inflammation.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E protects cell membranes against oxidation, supports immune function,
inhibits coagulation of blood and aids healthy red blood cell formation.

In order to assist with healing and to minimise clotting, vitamin E is a useful nutrient before and after surgery. It significantly assists in the repair of skin lesions, ulcers, burns, abrasions and dry skin, and diminishes the scars caused by injury or surgery.

Zinc

Zinc is an important nutrient in healing mechanisms, healthy growth and
development, muscle repair, immune function and protection from free radical
damage.

Zinc helps the body utilise and maintain levels of vitamin A. Through this action, zinc helps maintain healthy skin cells and generate new skin after injury or surgery. This function is strengthened by zinc’s role in collagen formation.

Zinc improves immune resilience by regulating the function of white blood cells. Zinc can help curtail the progression of viral flu and cold symptoms, as well as the herpes virus; it also lessens allergies and environmental sensitivities.

Selenium

Selenium has a vital role in boosting antioxidant activity in the body. Selenium and vitamin E work together synergistically in that they carry out antioxidant and
immunostimulatory functions better together than individually. They both protect cell membranes and intracellular structural membranes from lipid oxidation. The
presence of these two nutrients can also increase antibody formation 20-30 fold.

Curcumin

Curcumin has very strong antioxidant and antibacterial effects and is a powerful
anti-inflammatory shown to be as, if not more, effective than pharmaceutical drugs and without any of the harmful side effects. It also supports the liver and
detoxification pathways.

As well as ensuring you get a steady supply of the above nutrients through a quality immune support supplement  like Lumity, make sure you take regular exercise and minimise stress to ensure your immune system is functioning at its full capacity.