A strong immune system is important for keeping you feeling your best all year long. But, whether due to a round of antibiotics, stress, or another cause, sometimes you find yourself with a weakened immune system.
If that's the case, there are several simple steps you can take to support your immune system and help maintain overall immune health.*
Here are our top nine easy and natural ways to support a weakened immune system.*
9 Natural Ways to Support a Weakened Immune System
1) Support Digestion with Prebiotics*
The health of your digestive tract can directly impact the health of your immune system.
A thriving gut microbiome allows your digestive system to appropriately deliver needed nutrients to all parts of the body, and it can support a healthy inflammatory response as well as a healthy immune system.
Probiotics and prebiotics both play a part in gut health. Probiotics are the good bacteria found in your gut. When you take a probiotic supplement, those good bacteria join the others that are already part of your gut microbiome.
In order for probiotics to thrive, they need nourishment. That’s where prebiotics come in. Prebiotics provide the sustenance that probiotics need to flourish.
You can ingest prebiotics by eating foods like asparagus, bananas, beans, and others. But you can also get prebiotics through a prebiotic supplement, like Gaia Herbs Microbiome Food.
Our plant-based prebiotic powder is made without added fillers, flavors, or sweeteners and includes many prebiotic plants that you may not consume in an average day: Larch, Acacia, Acerola, Fenugreek, and Ginger, just to name a few.
This tasty supplement powder provides a convenient way to support digestive health, function, and regularity while supporting immune health at the same time.*
Simply mix one teaspoon in a glass of water and drink between meals. You can gradually increase this dose to one tablespoon per day.
As part of our commitment to transparency, we make it easy for you to discover the origin of all of the herbs in your formula—how they were grown, harvested, and extracted—and allow you to see validation of your product’s level of purity and potency.
Simply visit meetyourherbs.com, the world’s first herb traceability platform, and enter the ID number located on the back of your Gaia Herbs product to access this information and more.
2) Aid Digestion by Adjusting Your Daily Routine
Since your digestion and gut flora play an essential role in your immune system, doing what you can to support good digestion on a daily basis is important.
In addition to taking probiotics and prebiotics, there are a few simple and perhaps even unusual daily habits that can impact your digestion for the better.
Anna Levesque, an Ayurvedic Wellness Coach, offers tips for habits that support digestive and immune health. These include scraping your tongue, drinking warm lemon water, and moving your body before breakfast.
For a complete list of helpful habits, check out the article here.
3) Eat a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables
We’re still not finished talking about your gut’s connection to the immune system—it’s just that important!
Another way to support a weakened immune system is to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Doing so provides your body with a wide range of vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients that supply your gut with all of the different prebiotics it needs.
4) Work Mushrooms Into Your Wellness Routine
Thanks to a specific group of polysaccharides called beta glucans they contain, many mushrooms support immune and overall good health.*
Working mushrooms into your wellness routine is another great way to support your immune system.* This is easily achievable for two reasons.
First of all, most mushrooms are delicious and fun to cook with. Secondly, it’s easy to take a mushroom supplement that provides you with mushrooms you might not have access to or consume daily.
Gaia Herbs Immune Shine™, for example, is a delicious powder blend combining beneficial mushrooms that support immune health with herbs traditionally used to maintain overall well-being.*
Made with a blend of Maitake and Chaga mushrooms combined with Elderberry, Ginger, and Astragalus, Immune Shine helps support your body’s natural defenses when included in your daily routine.*
This powder can be added to a smoothie, dairy or non-dairy milk, or any other beverage of choice so you can get all of the health benefits of organic mushrooms and herbs with no added fillers, flavors, or sweeteners.*
We also offer a variety of mushroom capsules made with organically grown and sustainably sourced mushrooms, including our Immune Mushroom Blend of five potent immune-supporting mushrooms.* Check out the complete line here.
5) Take a Black Elderberry Supplement
Elderberry has long been revered as an herb that helps maintain immune function and is still praised for its immune-supporting benefits today.* Rightfully so: This berry is abundant in flavonoid-rich compounds and offers antioxidant properties.
Black Elderberry supplements are convenient and tasty. Find them in several formats: gummies, capsules, syrups, and a tonic.
Many people love to use a syrup like Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry Syrup in the kitchen. It can be drizzled on waffles, oatmeal, and yogurt, or you can get creative with recipes like Black Elderberry Apple Cinnamon Compote or Strawberry Fig Elderberry Granita. Our Black Elderberry Tonic is also a versatile option that can be enjoyed on its own or in many of your favorite drinks and dishes.
If you prefer taking your daily dose of Elderberry via capsules or gummies, there are options for that as well. Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry Adult Daily Gummies are made from real fruit without any refined sugars, added colors, or flavors.
They’re also USDA Certified Organic and pack a punch with 856 mg of Elderberry extract, equivalent to 7.5 grams of fresh Elderberries in every two-gummy serving. These are a great choice for immune support all year round in a convenient gummy format.*
Finally, for Elderberry in capsule form, reach for Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry capsules. These capsules are easy to take on the go and contain Acerola fruit for additional antioxidant support.*
Keep in mind that not all Black Elderberry supplements are created equal. Here at Gaia Herbs, we use only the best organic Elderberries, which are fresh-pressed shortly after harvest for optimal potency.
Take a look at our entire Black Elderberry line of products that are ideal for the whole family, from children to adults.
6) Provide Immune Support with Echinacea*
Here at Gaia Herbs, we were awarded a grant by the National Institutes of Health to study the various constituents of Echinacea, a beautiful flower that we grow on the Gaia Farm.
During this five-year study, our research team conducted extensive research on two Echinacea species (Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea). We made some significant discoveries about two of the most important active constituents found in the plant: polysaccharides and alkylamides.
Studies have shown (including our own study) that various parts of each distinct Echinacea species can benefit the immune system in different ways, making this flower one of the most popular immune herbs today.*
To take advantage of the immune-supporting benefits of this flower, sip on a delicious Echinacea tea or take a supplement that combines both species of Echinacea such as our Echinacea Supreme or Echinacea Supreme, Certified Organic.
7) Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is always important, but it’s especially vital if you’re facing a challenging immune season or find yourself with a weakened immune system.
The problem is that with all of life’s stressors and to-do lists, sometimes shuteye can be hard to come by. For good sleep hygiene, try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day and avoid screens before you hit the sack.
Taking gentle sleep-supporting herbs, such as our SleepThru® capsules, is also a good way to provide your body natural support for a good night's rest.*
8) Help Your Body Respond to Stress
Speaking of the stressors of life, periods of stress can single-handedly weaken your immune system.
While it’s not realistic to eliminate all stress from your life, there is one great way to help your body cope during tense times: nourish your adrenal glands.
Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys and are small but mighty. Through the hormones they produce, your adrenal glands “help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress, and other essential functions.”*1
Supporting your adrenal glands is essential to a healthy stress response. We recommend turning to adaptogens such as Maca and Ashwagandha to nourish the adrenal glands and promote stress relief and equilibrium of mind, body, and spirit.*
Find these and other adaptogens in Gaia Herbs Everyday Adaptogen™, Adrenal Health® Daily Support, and additional stress support supplements.
9) Stay Active
You know that staying active is part of a healthy lifestyle. Just remember that moving your body enough, but not too much, is the key.
When it comes to good immune health, the truth is that both overtraining and a sedentary lifestyle can have negative effects on your immune system.
So get out there, go to the gym, do what you love to do, and move your body while enjoying the great outdoors. Just be careful not to overdo it.
Immune Health All Year Long
No matter the reason you’re dealing with a weakened immune system, the important thing is to take care of your body so you can stay well.
To support immune health, review the nine tips we listed above and see how you can work them into your daily life.
Support your immune system through good digestion by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables and taking a prebiotic like Gaia Herbs Microbiome Food.* And opt for immune-supporting herbs and mushrooms like the ones found in Gaia Herbs Immune Shine™.*
Caring for your immune system during times of stress as well as during immune season is especially important, and when you do so consistently, you’ll be that much closer to maintaining immune health all year long.
REFERENCES:
1. “Adrenal Glands,” Johns Hopkins Medicine, accessed April 17, 2021,
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/adrenal-glands#