Your immune system is vital for keeping you healthy and free from infection.
Immune Support from A.Vogel is a vegan food supplement that provides immune-supportive zinc, vitamin C from Acerola cherry, and vitamin D from Reindeer lichen.
Nasturtium extract is bursting with antioxidants and is also a rich source of vitamin C.
Acerola cherries provide an exceptionally high amount of vitamin C, typically up to 100 times the amount of vitamin C found in lemons or oranges. Vitamin C from Acerola is also absorbed more easily by the body, and provides antioxidants that help to fight signs of infection.
Zinc, an essential mineral that is lacking in many diets, is also important for immune health, as is vitamin D. Reindeer lichen, so called because of its antler-like appearance, is particularly efficient at soaking up vitamin D from sunlight and an excellent vegan source of vitamin D3.
Research shows that zinc, vitamin D and vitamin C all contribute to the normal function of the immune system.
Immune Support also helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue during spells of sickness.
Immune Support costs £12.50 for 30 one-a-day tablets and is available locally from Tullivers Health Store, 1-2 Colliergate, York.
FREE! Local health shop Tullivers Health Store has 20 free bottles of Immune Support to give away to 20 Crave readers. Simply tell the Tullivers team you read about Immune Support online in Crave Magazine for your free pot. Product is available on a first come, first served basis and is limited to one pot per customer.
For more information call Tracey and her team at Tullivers on 01904 636437 or call in store at Tullivers, 1-2 Colliergate, York.
Advice not to be sneezed at
Colds and flu are caused by viruses and since there are over 200 of these in existence, it’s easy to see why we get so many. The other problem is that cold and flu viruses are very easily spread, as we are only too aware.
Many are highly infectious and spread quickly from person to person through nasal droplets secreted during coughing and sneezing. You only have to be one metre or closer to someone to be infected by a sneeze. The virus attacks the lining of the nose, throat and sinuses which swell and produce increased amounts of mucus and fluids. Typically, symptoms tend to include blocked sinuses, a runny nose, sore throat, coughing and sneezing as well as a general feeling of being unwell.
The following tips can go a long way to keeping you fit and well:
1. Wash your hands
Transferring germs from your hands to your mouth and nose is the quickest and easiest way for bugs to flourish. To prevent germs from even getting near your immune system, wash your hands regularly, and try to avoid shaking hands with bug-ridden companions. The ‘elbow bump’ is a safer form of greeting.
2. Keep stress in check
While this might be easier said than done, stress takes its toll on your immune function and weakens its fighting spirit. Take time each day to relax – even 10 minutes can make a big difference.
3. Maintain a healthy weight
Having a little extra weight or being underweight can lead to problems with immune function. Following a healthy diet and exercise programme goes a long way to solving many weight-related health conditions.
4. Increase your nutrient intake
Specific vitamins and minerals can also lend immune support. Research shows that zinc, vitamin D and vitamin C all contribute to the normal function of the immune system. Food sources of vit C include peppers, watercress, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, lemons, kiwi fruit, melon, tomatoes… the list is long. Egg yolks, soy milk and cereals are good sources of vitamin D and pumpkin seeds, cashews and chickpeas are great for getting your fix of zinc. Immune Support from A.Vogel (£12.50 for 30 one-a-day tablets, from Tullivers) combines zinc, vitamin D and vitamin C, as well as the edible flower Nasturtium, in itself a source of vitamin C.
5. Keep your tummy smiling
Roughly 70% of your active immune cells are found in your gut, and they don’t work very well without the ‘good bacteria’ that live there. When you are first exposed to a virus, your immune system uses antibodies to bind to the virus in the respiratory and digestive tracts. These antibodies work to prevent the virus from entering the body further, and also identify it to be destroyed.
Live, natural yoghurt is a good food source of probiotics, or if supplementing with a probiotic, aim for 5-25 billion friendly bacteria daily.
6. Herbal helpers can also lend support
Perhaps one of the most effective and well-researched is Echinacea. A powerful immune-supportive herb, it works by improving the way the immune system responds to bugs, especially the common cold. In one report researchers found that Echinacea purpurea can more than halve the risk of catching a cold and if you’ve already caught a cold, reduce its duration by a day and a half.
7. Sleep
Sleep deprivation and sleep problems are rife in today’s society, leading to all sorts of problems, not least fatigue at school and work. Establishing a healthy sleep routine and getting the optimum seven and a half to nine hours of sleep a night is important for keeping your immune system ticking at top speed.
8. Work up a sweat
Exercise is important for strengthening your immune system and of course your overall physical and mental wellbeing. It encourages white blood cells (disease fighting cells) to flow through the body at a quicker rate so that your immune system is prepared to fight infection.
9. Avoid smoking, passive smoking or smoky environments
Your immune system doesn’t like smoke. It suppresses the action of white blood cells, damaging organs and the all-important immune response. Just one cigarette can destroy 25 mg of Vitamin C, that’s nearly half of your recommended daily allowance. We’ll leave you with that thought.
10. Laugh
Strange as this may seem, laughter is great for your immune function. It boosts infection-fighting white blood cells and reduces the levels of stress hormones in the blood stream. What is it they say about laughter being the best tonic?