Having a strong immune system is important all your life, but as you age and as your immune responses weaken you might want to consider supplements that and improve your immune system.
One such supplement is Vitamin E which, according to a study from th
e Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging which is at Tufts University in Boston, might keep parts of the immune system from declining with age. A study was conducted on 78 healthy seniors, 65 and older. This study found that those who were given 200 mg of Vitamin E daily for a period of four months produced more antibodies in response to vaccines for hepatitis B and tetanus than other study participants who were given 60 or 800 mg daily, or were in the placebo control group.
Vitamin E can strengthen the immune system by stimulating the production of our killer cells. These cells attack and destroy germs and cancer cells. As well our B-cells- the immune cells that create bacteria killing antibodies are stimulated in the presence of Vitamin E. In a study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health taking Vitamin E supplements were shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks by 50%.
Vitamin D3 which is produced in your skin after exposure to ultraviolet light is another immune booster. Here’s a vitamin that you can’t get from vegetables, but is present in fish oil.
It is carried in the bloodstream to your liver where a conversion process begins that can end with the production of calcitriol. Under the right circumstances, calcitriol acts as a local cytokine which defends your body against invading microbes.
There are still other immune boosters found in AIO, like Amla fruit – something I had never heard of before. Amla fruit, which is often referred to as Indian gooseberry is one of the best known sources of Vitamin C. In fact, Amla fruit has 30 times as much vitamin C as you’ll find in oranges. Vitamin C is one of the best known antioxidants and Amla fruit is revered by ancient Indian healers- and with good reason. Extensive research is showing that Amla fruit can help to prevent and treat conditions like stress, cataracts, hay fever, arthritis and even cancer. Small wonder the Indian and Tibetan healers attribute to it special immune enhancing and anti-aging properties.
Japanese scientists at Nagasaki University have discovered that amla fruit extracts prevent the growth of cancerous cells, with those in the stomach, uterus and skin showing the most profound effect. With results like this and the high concentrations of antioxidants in amla fruit, it’s not a surprise that it is starting to play a more important role in the fight against cancer.
It grows in the mountainous regions and plains of the Indian subcontinent from Afghanistan to Burma and is still used locally to treat indigestion, liver problems and fever. It is the active ingredient phyllemblin which can stimulate an increase in the number of immune cells that makes Amla fruit an important immune booster.
Altogether, the combination of Amla fruit, Vitamin E and Vitamin D3 in AIO can strengthen your immune system.
