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8 Supplements to Support Immune System Health

By Rachel Link, RD, MS

August 31, 2024

We know the importance of a healthy immune system. In fact, there’s never a bad time for supporting a healthy immune system.

The great news is there are relatively simple ways you can boost your family’s immune system health, and many of these immune system “assisters” have been utilized by different cultures for centuries. (Of course, an overall healthy diet and lifestyle are crucial. (Learn what the best foods are for immune system support in the fall.)

Why is this so important? Because our immune systems are our built-in first line of defense for our bodies. It’s always important — but especially in an age where we move and connect faster than ever before.

Thankfully, nature provides us with a treasure trove of botanicals and other ingredients to support a healthy immune system.

Here are the top healthy immune system–supporting ingredients nature has to offer:

1. Vitamin C optimized for absorption

How many times growing up did your mother remind you to get enough vitamin C?

Known as “the immune system vitamin” in studies, vitamin C works with other amino acids like proline to strengthen areas of your body, including connective tissue, too.

Kiwi fruit, citrus fruits, bok choy, cabbage, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, papayas, spinach, strawberries, oranges and black currants serve as rich natural sources of vitamin C, but for times when you need more, Ancient Nutrition created a body-ready capsule version that also includes tough probiotics to bring immune defense support like you’ve never seen it before.

Ancient Nutrients Vitamin C + Probiotics is delivered in a gold-standard, liquid metabolite form that maximizes absorption for more sustained benefits, including a healthy response to inflammation. This means your body is retaining more.

2. Enzyme-activated zinc

An essential trace mineral involved in hundreds of enzymatic functions in the body — including supporting healthy immune system functions — zinc plays a crucial role in overall wellness.

Generally speaking, zinc catalyzes nearly 100 enzymes and is essential for proper protein synthesis in the human body. Zinc supports immune system health in its own right, and also relies on vitamin C to maximize its role in the human body.

As humans, we need to take in zinc each day because our body doesn’t manufacture it. Zinc-rich foods, including pumpkin seeds, lentils, chickpeas and cocoa powder, can help us get the zinc we need, although animal sources like grass-fed beef, liver or kefir are often more bioavailable in the body. Oysters also contain zinc, but they can also contain unwanted substances.

Supplementing is often necessary to hit your zinc goals. Just make sure you’re unlocking the supplement’s potential by sourcing an enzyme-activated zinc — such as Ancient Nutrients Zinc + Probiotics Capsules — that boosts its bioavailability to maximize your supplement investment.

Just like enzymes and probiotics help you break down nutrients in food, sourcing a newer type of zinc in enzyme-activated form means, you’ll enhance absorption.

3. Elderberry

With evidence of elderberry-based recipes dating back to Ancient Egypt, historical documents show us elderberry has been a staple of wellness workers for centuries.

Elderberry is a powerful berry high in vitamin C, but it also features unique antioxidants that support our immune health. A lot of people take elderberry today to support different areas of their immune system.

It can be a top superfood when it comes to supporting the immune system. It’s considered so powerful due to its unique type of polyphenols, which are antioxidants that help activate a healthy immune system.

However, most elderberry supplements on the market contain added sugars, which is counterintuitive to immune protection. Ancient Nutrition sourced the highest quality elderberry on the planet and fermented it, resulting in a top elderberry supplement containing 0 grams of sugar per serving.

Ancient Nutrition also paired its unique elderberry formula with probiotics in one convenient supplement to offer immune and gut support unlike any other. The SBO probiotics in this formula are built tough to survive harsh conditions like stomach acids so the benefits make it to your gut.

4. Multivitamin with immune system support ingredients

Formulated specifically for anyone seeking to support a healthy immune system, this amazing multivitamin features 100% or more Daily Value of 21 essential vitamins and minerals. With multi-kingdom ingredients inspired by TCM (Traditional Chinese Method), they're also methylated, fermented and enzyme-activated.

Some of history’s most respected superfoods for healthy immune system support are also featured. Ingredients like organic andrographis aerial parts, green tea, ginger root and turmeric root extracts are typically more concentrated than just the plants themselves, and powerful mushrooms like cordyceps can help your body stay in balance.

Uniquely, Ancient Multi Immune also features bovine liver, considered an ancient nutritional powerhouse. One of the most nutrient-dense foods, liver contains vitamins A, D, B12, B2, B3, B5, B6, omega-3s, iron, folate, zinc and more. It's also sourced from pasture-raised New Zealand cattle!

5. Grass-fed liver supplement

Speaking of liver, check out Ancient Glandulars Grass-Fed Liver capsules for immune support. Most diets today lack with the No. 1 nutrient-filled superfood on the planet: liver.

This wild, grass-fed liver blend — sourced from grass-fed Argentinian beef and wild, free-roaming Icelandic lambs — is packed with vitamins, minerals and more to promote optimal liver health as well as immune health, along with other body-wide benefits.

It also features the highly unusual Six Kingdoms patent, which combines elements from every biological kingdom in order to create a diet that brings you energy and nutrients, optimized for your body to absorb.

6. Probiotic with immune system support

SBO Probiotics Immune Once Daily combines tough, effective probiotic strains with prebiotics, postbiotics and superfoods to support your healthy immune system. In addition, it supports healthy digestion and immune system function, plus reduces occasional constipation, gas and bloating as well as healthy elimination.

This formula brings you organic elderberry and apple cider vinegar, plus organic fermented reishi and astragalus root — some of history’s most respected superfoods to support your first line of defense.

7. Multi mushroom supplement

Multi Mushroom Daily Immune Defense are first and only USDA Certified Organic mushroom tablets available today. This curated blend of 8 organic mushrooms brings you the daily immune defense you’re looking for.

This supplement supports the body’s ability to adapt to stress and promotes immune system modulation. It also supports cellular immune response and a healthy response to inflammation.

Curated for their long history as valued ingredients in TCM (Traditional Chinese Method), the eight mushrooms — reishi, lion’s mane, chaga, turkey tail, maitake, shiitake, cordyceps and white jelly mushroom — in this blend contain unique compounds different from the nutrients found in fruits or vegetables. These offer specific benefits to support your healthy immune system and help your body stay in balance.

8. Super fruit and veggies supplements

Not getting enough fruit and vegetables in your daily diet? You're not alone. Consider these two supplements that support a healthy immune system.

Regenerative Organic Certified® SuperVeggies is packed with 15 superfoods, including Regenerative Organic Certified® ingredients. Regenerative Organic Certified® SuperFruits includes 16 Regenerative Organic Certified® superfruits.