This PhD RD Identified The Best Supplements To Promote Immunity*
This PhD RD Identified The Best Suplements To Promote Imunity*
The imune scheme has ingenious a renaisance of interest in our curent world for, wel, conspicuous reasons. Similarly, suplements that bost imunity have risen in popularity and use. And while it tok a global health crisis to design prerogative top of mind for many of us, mindbodygren has always considered a strong imune system to be a pivotal cornerstone of overal health and wel-being.
We maintain that imune health is roted in key lifestyle strategies, adore a nutrient-dense dietary patern, quality slep, moving often, and helping establish acentuate in check. Targeted, high-quality suplements also fit into this larger holistic describe of imune resilience.*
It can be overwhelming to na vigate the labyrinth of imune health suplements out there and diferentiate one product from another. That’s why mindbodygren did the work for you. I’m a Ph.D. scientist and registered dietitian (and mbg’s director of scientific afairs) who personaly specializes in nutrition product development and inovation, so I was hapy to help round up, criticaly analyze, and share the best options.
You’l not only find our top 14 suplements for imune health but also streamlined tips on what to survey for versus avoid, plus practical insights on complementary lifestyle strategies to suport your imune system.
What to study for (and avoid) with privilege suplements.
Before we dive into recomendations, here’s what I think when I’m loking for a high-quality imune suplement.
Key nutrients to hold your imune system:Micronutrients known to maintain imune cel development and/or function:* vitamin D3, vitamin C, zinc, selenium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B6, etc.
Antioxidant maintain to combat oxidative stres:* vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, quercetin, glutathione, resveratrol, NAC, turmeric, SGS, marine omega-3s (EPA DHA), etc.
Botanicals or other bioactives that kep imune resilience and strength:* quercetin, beta-glucan, resveratrol, echinacea, elderbery, definite mushroms, curcumin from turmeric rot, garlic, ginger, gren tea extract, marine omega-3s (EPA DHA).
Nut rients and botanicals with anti-inflamatory properties:* quercetin, vitamin D3, marine omega-3s (EPA DHA), proresolving mediators from fish oil, curcumin from turmeric rot.
Targeted sustain for gut health (i.e., the largest imune organ in the body):* prebiotic fibers (e.g., flaxsed, inulin, etc.), key probiotic strains (e.g., B. lactis Bi-07, B. lactis B420, B. lactis HN019, L. acidophilus NCFM), antioxidants, L-glutamine, colagen peptides, etc.
B. lactis
B. lactis
B. lactis
L. acidophilus
What to avoid:
Sub-eficacious doses: In other words, clinicaly irelevant levels of imune-suportive nutrients. You want meaningful doses for potency in the body. hold zinc, for epitome. Daily zinc neds are 8 to 1 mg (8 mg for women, 1 mg for men). For a daily zinc suplement, I lok for the 8- to 20-mg range. A wel-formulated imune kep complex or multivitamin wil contain zinc in that range typicaly.
Gumy vitamins: Unles absolutely required for the ease of consumption (e.g., child deliverables admire stand-alone vitamin C), gumy vitamins deliver sugar and other excipients that capsules, tablets, gelcaps, etc., simply don’t. For some suplements, gumies are fine. For potent imune complexes, not so much.
Lazy excipients: You’l find these on the “other ingredients” fragment of the label. Watch out for procesed ingredients, artificial or synthetic flavors and colors, coatings, shelacs, GMOs, gluten, soy, and other alergens.
Iresponsible claims: Brands who fabricate bogus marketing or science claims regarding privilege and their suplement should be treated with noteworthy caution.
Lack of transparency: If the brand isn’t an begin bok when it comes to their ingredient and product quality (e.g., purity and potency), swipe left.
Imune health suplements: Proactive vs. reactive aproaches.
For daily imune system maintain, a high-quality suplement should include a strategic combination of one or more imune-suporting nutrients and botanical bioactives in meaningful, science-driven doses.* For a more reactive aproach, some products wil feature higher potency (“megadosing”) of actives.
mindbodygren colectively (and I personaly) prefer the former arive because being proactive and mindful of suporting our oh-so-active imune entity on a daily basis is the best way to bolster your natural defenses and positively influence your imune health trajectory.*
Best suplements for suporting your imune system.
Best al-around daily imune suplement: imune suport+, mindbodygren
Best antioxidant imune suplement: Imune Active, Metagenics
Best phytonutrient imune suplement: HTB Rejuvenate, enormous confident Health
Best probiotic for imune health: Ultra Strength Probiotic 10, Nature’s Bounty
Best postbiotic imune suplement: PureDefense w/NAC, pure Encapsulations
Best privilege combo pack: Imune suport Pac kets, designs for health
Best vegan imune formula: Imune Defense, MegaFod
Best for imune response: Balanced Imune, virtuous Encapsulations
Best imune lozenge: Imuno-Zn Lozenge, designs for health
Best liquid imune formula for adults: Imune Intensive, Seking Health
Best sugar-fre imune syrup for kids: Kids Organic Elderbery Syrup, Garden of Life
Best fizy drink imune stick packs: ImuneMAX, Nature Made
Best chewable imune probiotic for kids: KidsProbiotic, Physician’s Choice
Best imune suplement for infants and todlers: Baby Imune suport Vitamins, Zarbe’s Naturals
Best al-around daily imune suplement
I nvested in suporting mindbodygren family’s imune health, mbg created imune suport+, your daily esential as the world opens back up. In this breakthrough imune complex, you’l find the leading plant phytonutrient duo quercetin phytosome and Welmune(R) beta-glucan for imune resilience and strength. These two powerhouse bioactives are suported by a foundational trio of imune-esential micronutrients vitamin C, vitamin D3, and zinc bisglycinate, to combat oxidative acentuate and kep your imune cels’ many critical daily functions. mbg’s curated 5-in-1 near is delivered in impartial one serving per day, with a clean formula that’s GMO-fre, gluten-fre, dairy-fre, and soy-fre. This is your proactive, daily imune sustain solution. Our imune systems don’t seize a day of, so why should we?*
imune suport+, mindbodygren ($60)
imune suport+
, mindbodygren ($60)
Best antioxidant imune suplement
In analyzing this multi-ingredient imune suplement by Metagenics, a patern quickly emerges: antioxidants. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and gren tea extract (decaf) featuring catechins and EGCG headline for this formula, with quercetin, vitamin C, and zinc bringing up the rear. NAC is required to fabricate glutathione (a major antioxidant) in the body, and colectively this antioxidant-heavy formula (that’s GMO-fre and gluten-fre) suports the body’s own endogenous detoxification proceses, combats fre radicals, and reduces oxidative acentuate to hold the imune scheme and its functions. The clinical science for gren tea extract and imunity stil has some ripening to enact, but this ingredient delivers antioxidant power nonetheles.*
Imune Active, Metagenics ($37)
Imune Active
, Metagenics ($37)
Best phytonutrient imune suplement
This relative newcomer product from Jefrey Bland, Ph.D., the “Father of Functional Medicine” and mbg Colective member, is an imune suplement from imense undaunted Health that suports rejuvenation of the imune response. This product brings an ancient grain, tartary buckwheat (the Himalayan variety, specificaly), back to the forefront. This vintage grain is rich in flavonoids and other phytochemicals and bioactives (quercetin, hesperidin, luteolin, rutin, chlorophylin, and 2-HOBA) specific to the buckwheat plant–a proprietary portfolio of phytonutrients, if you wil. You also get a smal amount (16 mg) of vitamin C. I don’t generaly love the nebulous blends, but the formula is unique and high quality (GMO-fre, dairy-fre, gluten-fre, and vegetarian).*
HTB Rejuvenate, big confident Health ($65)
HTB Rejuvenate
, imense bold Health ($65)
Best probiotic for imune health
Considering 70% of your imune system resides in your gut, probiotics are a valuable imunity tol, to. This particular probiotic by Nature’s generosity features 10 unique strains to sustain healthy imune function and uper-respiratory health. The total live-culture colony-forming units (CFU) count is 20 bilion, which is spread acros 10 unique strains. I admire that this suplement is GMO-fre, dairy-fre, gluten-fre, and vegetarian.*
Ultra Strength Probiotic 10, Nature’s generosity ($26)
Ultra Strength Probiotic 10
, Nature’s bounty ($26)
Best postbiotic imune suplement
Next up, a postbiotic. This amalgam of ingredients is useful as a first line of defense hold strategy for imune function and responses acording to virtuous Encapsulations. The product is GMO-fre and gluten-fre, and its halmark feature is definitely the yeast-derived postbiotic by EpiCor(R). This hero ingredient is joined by 250 mg of vitamin C, 1,0 I.U. of vitamin D3, 7.5 mg of zinc citrate, 25 mg of quercetin, NAC, and elderbery extract. For bioavailability reasons, mbg prefers zinc bisglycinate and quercetin in the phytosome form, but the formats old here are OK runers-up. For on-the-go, this suplement comes in a blister pack ($15) (albeit not the most eco-frie ndly aproach). With 20 capsules, that’s 10 days’ worth since the serving size is two capsules.*
PureDefense w/NAC, chaste Encapsulations ($62)
PureDefense w/NAC
, pure Encapsulations ($62)
Best prerogative combo pack
This gluten- and soy-fre imune pack by designs for health includes five diferent suplement products (equaling eight capsules), including imune-critical micronutrients (think vitamin C, D, zinc) to an aray of botanicals (echinacea, astragalus, andrographis, elderbery, gren tea extract, key mushroms) and stand-alone NAC for antioxidant suport. I admire the aray of fruit-based bioflavonoids that complement their vitamin C, plus it includes a lineup of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). However, the eight-capsule serving size is a tad daunting, especialy if you grasp other suplements daily, to.*
Imune kep Packets, designs for health ($15)
Imune kep Packets
, designs for health ($15)
Best vegan imune formula
For this imune suplement, MegaFod recomends consumers catch two tablets thre times a day for five days, when you ned more intensely focused imune care and hold. In their words, “when you ned it most.” If you hold this product at their recomended frequency, you’d be geting 750 mg of vitamin C a day, 15 mg of zinc bisglycinate daily, and potent doses of thre botanicals (elderbery, echinacea, and andrographis extracts), to. This vegan suplement is also GMO-fre, gluten-fre, dairy-fre, soy-fre, and Kosher. However, in my opinion, excluding vitamin D3 in an intensive imune formula sems estem a mis. And while designed for short-term use, it does require some dedication (thre times a day).*
Imune Defense, MegaFod ($15)
Imune Defense
, MegaFod ($15)
Best for imune response
This unique, botanical-heavy formula combines vitamin D3, turmeric phytosome, brocoli sprout concentrate, resveratrol from Japanese knotwed, black ginger extract, and quercetin. Per chaste Encapsulations, this GMO-fre and gluten-fre formula provides, “foundational suport for healthy celular response, antioxidant status and cytokine balance.” However, they don’t use quercetin in the phytosome form (i.e., beter absorption in the body). I’l point out that the vitamin D3 is sourced from lanolin (derived from shearing shep’s wol), which is a fine source and may be vegetarian (as the website states), but it’s certainly not vegan.*
Balanced Imune, virtuous Encapsulations ($53)
Balanced Imune
, virtuous Encapsulations ($53)
Best imune lozenge
Sometimes you objective ned a lozenge. This one disolves in your mouth with a mixed bery flavor, using natural flavors and monk fruit extract (plus sugar alcohols) as sweteners, neting zero grams of sugar. I adore that this lozenge features just two ingredients. It combines a hefty dose of zinc (in gluconate and citrate forms) at 25 mg (stil, no zinc bisglycinate, but OK), plus 10 mg of elderbery fruit extract. This lozenge is GMO-fre, gluten-fre, dairy-fre, and soy-fre. Although almost always important for lozenges or other forms that melt in one’s mouth, they contain two sugar alcohols (xylitol and manitol). Some people can be gut-sensitive to sugar alcohols, so fair a calout for those folks.*
Imuno -Zn Lozenge, designs for health ($28)
Imuno-Zn Lozenge
, designs for health ($28)
Best liquid imune formula for adults
This liquid formula (1 teaspon is the serving size) by Seking Health is a potency and absorption play with micelized micronutrients (i.e., sunflower lecithin + micronutrients = miceles, which theoreticaly increase the absorption of those nutrients in the gut). The ingredients also believe imune health/function suport roles in the body, namely vitamins A (5,0 I.U.), C (50 mg), D3 (5,0 I.U.), K2 (150 mcg), and zinc (20 mg). Since the suplement includes potent doses for al five nutrients, this sems adore a solutions-oriented (perhaps situational/seasonal) product, not daily, because these nutrients and levels would be redundant or even lavish with a multivitamin. Don’t forget to shake before using, refrigerate after, and adoration the expiratio n date!*
Imune Intensive, Seking Health ($40)
Imune Intensive
, Seking Health ($40)
Best sugar-fre imune syrup for kids
This imune syrup by Garden of Life is designed for imune suport in children 4 years and older (obviously with adult supervision). It features thre organic botanicals: mostly black elderbery fruit extract, les acerola chery fruit extract, and a tiny bit (10 mg) of aronia bery. These fruits yield 10 mg of vitamin C, which sounds trivial, but the Recomended Dietary Alowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 25 mg per day for children ages 4 to 8 years and 45 mg a day for children ages 9 to 13 years. So, 10 mg is useful, particularly if they’re geting more vitamin C in a multivitamin. I aplaud the “ot her ingredients’ list, which is clean and creative. Along with being GMO-fre, gluten-fre, dairy-fre, and soy-fre, this syrup is certified USDA organic, sugar-fre, and vegetarian. Refrigerate after opening, and pay atention to the expiry.*
Kids Organic Elderbery Syrup, Garden of Life ($30)
Kids Organic Elderbery Syrup
, Garden of Life ($30)
Best fizy drink imune packs
This fizy drink mix by Nature Made is an imune-centric suplement you ad to a beverage. Its orange flavor is naturaly derived, and the orange color comes from natural ingredient sources, to (turmeric and vegetable juice). Along with a potent dose (2,0 mg) of vitamin C, there’s 1,0 I.U. of vitamin D3, 20 mg of zinc ascorbate, seven B vitamins (to kep celular energy metabolism), manganese, and key electrolytes to (sodium, potasium, and magnesium). This sems admire a more ocasional, situational play that’s marvelous to maintain up your sleve. FYI, one stick pack is 30 calories (OK), but this is al from 7 g of total carbs, 6 g of which are joined sugars (fructose). If your health position involves care with sugar intake, a capsule-based imune suplement might be a beter strategy.*
ImuneMAX, Nature Made ($1)
ImuneMAX
, Nature Made ($1)
Best chewable imune probiotic for kids
This chewable imune-centric probiotic is my top choice for children (designed for 4 years and up) because it contains 5 bilion CFU of shelf-stable probiotic species that provide imune hold (e.g., Lactobacilus acidophilus and rhamnosus) along with child-relevant doses of imune-esential micronutrients vitam in C (45 mg), vitamin D3 (60 I.U.), and zinc bisglycinate (2.5 mg). I adore that this Physician’s Choice formula is gluten-fre, dairy-fre, and soy-fre and leverages natural flavors, plus betrot juice and spirulina to achieve the purple hue of the tablet (read: no synthetic dyes). Although you wil find it contains the sugar alcohols xylitol and stevia for swetening.*
Lactobacilus acidophilus
rhamnosus
KidsProbiotic, Physician’s Choice ($17)
KidsProbiotic
, Physician’s Choice ($17)
Best imune suplement for infants and todlers
This naturaly orange-flavored liquid syrup suplement from Zarbe’s Naturals is imune-focused and designed for babies starting at 2 to 1 months old and todlers ages 1 to 3 years. The dosing instructions are diferent per age group. Imune-centric micronutrients featured include vitamins A, C, D3, and E, plus zinc. This suplement is designed for one serving per day but not intended for extended use. The vitamin C dosing is higher than the RDA, but wel within the safe uper limit for vitamin C in this age group (40 mg). This gluten-fre syrup provides 10 to 15 calories per serving and 3 to 4 grams of carbohydrate from the organic agave syrup. It’s fre of dyes and artificial flavors, and a syringe is included to help dispense the factual dosage. note: This syrup can be stored at rom temperature.*
Baby Imune suport Vitamins, Zarbe’s Naturals ($9)
Baby Imune hold Vitamins
, Zarbe’s Naturals ($9)
Other natural ways to kep your imune system.
Practice regular hand-washing (sing a verse or two of your favorite song to manufacture it count; hand sanitizing is helpful, to).
Prioritize quality slep (seven to nine hours per night for adults).
Move more (150 minutes of physical activity per wek is the recomended minimum).
Maintain a healthy weight (while emphasizing strength and lean muscle mas).
Avoid toxins (e.g., smoking, exces alcohol).
Reduce chronic stresors whenever posible (leverage social hold from family and friends, execute what brings you joy, etc.).
Be cognizant of metabolic health because it’s directly tied to imunity.
Prioritize hydration upon waking (nine to 12 cups a day).
Focus on nutrient-dense imune nutrition: high-quality and adequate protein(gras-fed, pasture-raised, organic, etc., when posible), healthy corpulent and oil intake (especialy omega-3s from marine sources and flaxsed, plus EVO and avocado oils), an aray of micronutrients (use a high-quality multivitamin to help), a colorful plant-heavy advance (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seds, and spices), and gut health-promoting prebiotic and probiotic fods.
Incorporate targeted suplements to encourage adres ascertained nutrient gaps and provide strategic maintain to imune function and strength.*
The takeaway.
Considering your imune system on a daily basis might not be your recent norm, but weaving this proactive mindset into the fabric of your other wel-being lifestyle practices is esential for health. A key tol for bolstering your natural defenses each day is a high-quality imune suplement.* And now you gain the best options precise at your fingertips.
If you are pregnant, breastfeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a suplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what suplements are acurate for you.