​4 Top nutrients to promote the functioning of the immune system:

1. Vitamin D
There is an indisputable relation between vitamin D and the immune system. Vitamin D stimulates the innate as well as adaptive immune system, enabling your immune system to activate for quick fighting, as well as a slower immune response that is more specialized. One finds some vitamin D in food sources, but minimally. Our bodies do manufacture Vitamin D on exposure to sunshine, but this also seems to be insufficient. This results in an average of around 50% of a population deficient in this especially important hormone. It becomes essential to supplement with this vitamin, especially during winter months when more infections are prevalent. Please make sure that your supplement is Vit D3 or cholecalciferol and that it is clean and of good quality.

2. Vitamin C
This vitamin contributes to strengthening the immune defense. It protects the mucous membranes against invasion from bacteria and viruses and activates the killer cells to eradicate pathogens. We cannot make our own vitamin C and we need to obtain it from our diets, mainly from fruits and vegetables. The standard diet does not contain enough of this vitamin and supplementation becomes essential especially during winter months when there are more viral diseases.

3. Zinc
This mineral supports the active and passive immune system. Zinc needs to be taken daily as the body has no specialized zinc storage system.

4. Selenium
Deficiencies of this mineral may contribute to a decreased immune function, especially to viral infections. Selenium stimulates the immune system and may activate the killer cells to eradicate organisms.