Herbs and natural supplements and foods that help support the immune system:
- Avocados help support the adrenals, which is a key component of the immune system.
- Antioxidants, amino acids and fatty acids to help with hormonal production
- Aloe Vera. There is some evidence that topical aloe vera is helpful for minor burns, wounds, or frostbite, and also for skin inflammations and inflammation of the intestinal lining, another skin but internal.
- Astragalus membranes. The astragalus product, which is derived from the root of the plant, has been used as an immune support of many hundreds of years in Oriental Herbology.
- Black currents have tons of Vitamin C that helps the immune system
- Cruciferous Vegetables like kale, broccoli, and cabbage help the liver de-toxify and thus supports the immune system
- Echinacea is used as an “immune stimulant,” usually in terms of its purported ability to prevent or limit the severity of colds. Most experts don’t recommend taking echinacea on a long-term basis. Echinacea can cause side effects with people with ragweed allergies.
- Garlic. may have some infection-fighting capability.
- Ginseng. claims on behalf of Asian ginseng are many, including its ability to stimulate immune function.
- Graviola can help fight cancer, kills parasites, reduces fever and fights colds and flu.
- Ginger helps lung function by warming the lungs.
- Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice root). Licorice root is used in Chinese medicine to treat a variety of illnesses. Most studies of licorice root have been done in combination with other herbs. It is important that the licorice root be De-glycyrrhized so as not to increase the blood pressure.
- Japanese mushrooms, enoki, shitake and oyster support the immune system and can help fight off infection
- Larch can reduce colds by 23%
- Oregon oil can clean out your gut from bacteria. Take 200mg 3x a day
- Probiotics. There are hundreds of different species of bacteria in your digestive tract, which do a bang-up job helping you digest your food. Now researchers, including some at Harvard Medical School, are finding evidence of a relationship between such “good” bacteria and the immune system. For instance, it is now known that certain bacteria in the gut influence the development of aspects of the immune system, such as correcting deficiencies and increasing the numbers of certain T cells. Precisely how the bacteria interact with the immune system components isn’t known. As more and more intriguing evidence comes in to support the link that intestinal bacteria bolster the immune system.Probiotics contain good bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Products that have these bacteria should be refrigerated to keep the bacteria alive.
Sage extract as a cough expectorant.
Researchers are investigating the immune boosting potential of a number of different vitamins and minerals nutrients. It is recommended that a patient have a balance of the following, mostly from food.
- Selenium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Zinc