How to Boost Your Immune System Naturally
By Laura Goodreau
Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash
The world can seem like a scary place, especially with nonstop media coverage of the Coronavirus. While it is important to be aware and to prepare, there are plenty of steps to take to prevent getting sick this season. Although many people are making adjustments like washing hands more, purchasing supplies to keep at home, and limiting public exposure, it is equally important to explore natural options to boost your immune system. Natural remedies have been used for centuries to prevent illness. Many cultures pass down “home remedies” based on holistic practices that have healed people throughout generations. If you are interested in taking preventative measures using naturopathic medicine, here are some suggestions.
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Natural remedies create options, not only can you choose herbal, roots, or fungi-based medicine, but the way it’s used can vary. Brewing tea, tinctures, salves, extracts, supplements, or even by simply adding them to your meals. Unlike Western Medicine, natural remedies can be easier on our bodies giving us plenty of benefits without so many negative side effects. Natural remedies mean different things to different people; it could mean taking vitamins, getting more rest, drinking enough water, or eating a big bowl of soup. No matter how you do so, you’re making a conscious decision of what you’re putting in your body and how it will nourish you. We’ve found some naturopathic options for you to consider, but also talk to your healthcare professional to see what options are best for you. We have gathered the advice of experts who have blessed us with their knowledge of natural medicine as well as links to find these items.
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Elderberry
“Elderberries contain many active chemicals, including anthocyanins (primarily cyanidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-sambubioside) which have been shown to boost immune function and exhibit antiviral effects.” (Baker, Cherry, Dunne, Hawkins, 2019)
For a healthy boost to your immune system try these Elderberry Gummies
Garlic
“There are many effective flu remedies that can be applied at home when there are signs of mild flu, such as garlic. According to the study, garlic has an antibacterial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory effect…” (Hoang, Quang, Tan, 2019)
If you want to get the health benefits of garlic without the bad breath try out this garlic supplement
Mushrooms
Professional chef Tiffany LaForge shares with Healthline.com the health benefits of incorporating mushrooms into your routine, it can be as easy as adding a scoop to your coffee.
LaForge recommends Reishi to help with sleep, anxiety, depression, and focus. Lion’s Mane for cognition, memory, and concentration. She suggests Chaga for aging, inflammation, and lowering LDL. Shiitake can lower cholesterol, aid in heart health, regulate blood pressure, and increase circulation. She shares that Cordyceps can be used to improve energy levels, better athletic performance, and aid in muscle recovery. Her last recommendation is Turkey Tail for Immune support, cancer prevention, and antioxidants.
Try these powders and extracts to cash in on the medicinal powers of mushrooms:
Green Tea
Healthline’s Kris Gunnars recommends Green Tea to improve health, sharing the many ways it can benefit us. “Tea is rich in polyphenols that have effects like reducing inflammation and helping to fight cancer.” (Gunnars, 2018) He goes on to say that drinking green tea regularly increases brain function, lowers your risk of chronic disease, can reduce the risk of obesity and is rich in antioxidants.
If you find yourself staying in more no need to leave the house you can order this delicious Green Tea
Ginger
“Some other researchers emphasized that ginger plays an important role in Ayurvedic, Chinese, Arabic and African traditional medicines used to treat headaches, nausea, colds, arthritis, rheumatism, muscular discomfort and inflammation” (Mohamad Hesam Shahrajabian, Wenli Sun & Qi Cheng. 2019)
If you don’t want to cook with Ginger you can always try these Ginger Droplets
These suggestions are an excellent place to start and there are many more options when using natural medicine. Building up your immune systems is the most important thing a person can do in times of any health crisis. As Hippocrates, the father of medicine once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Though he may have lived in ancient Greece, his words still ring true all over the world today. Instead of fighting over sanitizer at the drugstore, consider spending some time in the produce aisle, starting an herb garden, or visiting your local farmers market. Small changes can add up to great improvements and the health of individuals affects the health of the group. Personal changes can lead to larger impacts, take care of yourself as well as your community.
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References
Gunnars, Kris. 2018. 10 Proven Benefits of Green Tea. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea#section1
Hawkins, Jessie, Baker, Colby, Cherry, Lindsey, & Dunne, Elizabeth. (2019). Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) supplementation effectively treats upper respiratory symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 42, 361-365.
Hippocrates,
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/62262-let-food-be-thy-medicine-and-medicine-be-thy-food
Mohamad Hesam Shahrajabian, Wenli Sun & Qi Cheng (2019): Clinical aspects and health benefits of ginger (Zingiber officinale) in both traditional Chinese medicine and modern industry, Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science, DOI: 10.1080/09064710.2019.1606930
LaForge, Tiffany. 6 Mushrooms That Act as Turbo-Shots for Your Immune System https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/best-medicinal-mushrooms-to-try#for-cancer-protection
https://www.pharmaca.com/
Quang, Minh Nguyen, Tan, Hoi Huynh, & Hoang, Ca Vo. (n.d.). Proceedings of the 2019 2nd International Conference on Electronics and Electrical Engineering Technology (EEET 2019: 2019 2nd International Conference on Electronics and Electrical Engineering Technology). ACM.