What Supplements Should I take for Cold and Flu Season?
What Supplements Should I Take?
The age-old question for nutritionists is “what supplements should I take for _____?”
The truth is (and you may not want to hear this) that recommending supplements and vitamins without assessing your body’s health needs is a bad idea.
But in the case of virus care, like cold and flu season, supplements are a great way to help your immune system effectively fight pathogens that are causing your symptoms, and shorten your sick time.
I’m about to share with you my 3 favorite supplements and vitamins to keep on hand for cold and flu season.
Things to Consider When Adding New Supplements
Clients often come to me, having been on supplements for many years, after they’d been recommended by another practitioner. And in 100% of those instances, after proper assessment, I found that the client was actually deficient in the very nutrients they were supplementing.
From a professional standpoint, it is irresponsible for a practitioner to recommend supplements without first ensuring the clients’ body can break down and absorb the nutrients effectively, or monitoring the clients’ progress while taking said supplements.
That said, I feel the supplement recommendations I make in this article are generally safe and effective for most and are high-quality products designed to be more absorbable. But it is always a good idea to check with your physician or qualified healthcare practitioner before adding any supplements and vitamins to your routine.
The following supplement recommendations are intended to be a temporary support to help your body fight the source of your cold and flu symptoms, not just mask them.
Enough about that! Let’s get to the good stuff!
My 3 Favorite Supplements for Fighting Infection
ACES + Zn, by Carlson
A mega dose of vitamins A, C, E, Selenium, and Zinc. A powerful blend to support your immune system, primarily the thymus gland, during a virus or bacterial infection.
The thymus gland regulates the production and growth of lymphatic (immune) cells, and is known to rapidly shrink as we age, causing it to function less effectively. Antioxidants are known to protect against the negative effects of aging tissues, and thus, are an important support for immune health.
Vitamin A - a fat-soluble vitamin that supports gastrointestinal health, vision, skin health, respiratory tract, and immune system. Vitamin A also acts as an antioxidant.
Vitamin C - Water-soluble, and also a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C has powerful antiviral and antibacterial properties, and is essential for the synthesis of collagen.
Vitamin E - ACES + Zn contains the most bio-available form of vitamin E to humans, which is alpha-tocopherol. It, too, acts as an antioxidant, and supports cellular health, and prevents blood clotting.
Selenium - a mineral that acts as an antioxidant (notice a pattern?), and supports thyroid hormone health, and has antiviral properties.
Zinc - an important mineral which is found to be deficient in many humans on a Western diet, essential for wound healing, digestive function, and cellular health, and has powerful antiviral properties against certain viruses. It, too, acts as an antioxidant.
Olivirex, by Biocidin Botanicals
In addition to a propietary herbal blend, Olivirex’s primary ingredient is oleuropein, extracted from olive leaf. oleuropein is known for many health benefits (2), including its antiviral (even hepatitis), antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective (protects liver health) properties.
NAC (N-acetylcysteine), by Integrative Therapeutics
NAC is a derivative of cysteine, an amino acid. It is a precursor to glutathione, which is a powerful antioxidant involved in energy production and liver detoxification. In this context, I recommend NAC for its powerful ability to break down mucous, acting as an effective decongestant.
I recommend NAC if cough or congestion are present with your infection.
Where to Find These Supplements
The products I recommended here are considered practitioner-grade, and are available through practitioner dispensaries and high quality supplement shops.
Follow the link below to purchase from my online dispensary, called Fullscript.
NUTRITION SERVICES
MORE RESOURCES
BLOG REFERENCES
Gaby, A. (2017). Nutritional Medicine (Second). Fritz Perlberg Publishing.
Barbaro, B., Toietta, G., Maggio, R., Arciello, M., Tarocchi, M., Galli, A., & Balsano, C. (2014, October 14). Effects of the olive-derived polyphenol oleuropein on human health. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/15/10/18508
