17 Nutraceuticals That Can Boost Your Immune Response

New York, NY, November 07, 2014 --(PR.com)-- With Ebola, Enterovirus D68 and the impending flu season making the headlines, finding ways to support our delicate immune systems is high on everyone’s mind.

In “17 Nutraceuticals That Can Boost Your Immune Response,” prominent New York City complementary medicine practitioner Dr. Ronald Hoffman, director of the Hoffman Center and host of the syndicated weekly radio program and podcast “Intelligent Medicine,” lists 17 nutraceuticals to help shore up your immune system.

Here are five of the 17 nutraceuticals Dr. Hoffman recommends:

Garlic: Supplementation with Aged Garlic Extract has been shown to enhance the function of critical defensive white blood cells and shorten the duration of colds and flus. Garlic may also enhance immune system surveillance against cancer.

DHA: Once thought to have a negative effect on immunity, omega-3 fatty acids have been newly embraced for immune support. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in particular, has been shown to enhance the production of infection-fighting antibodies and cytokines.

Astragalus: A traditional Chinese herb used for viral infections, astragalus has proven in studies to be effective in preventing and shortening the duration and intensity of common colds. Astragalus has also been proposed as an antidote to the immunosuppressive effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

Probiotics: There is more immune tissue in the GI tract than anywhere else in the body. Crucial to optimal immunity is the “cross-talk” that takes place between healthy bacteria in our intestines and lymphoid tissue that lines the gut wall. Experimental animals whose GI tracts have been rendered sterile have poor immune defenses; humans whose intestinal flora has been damaged by repeated doses of antibiotics also exhibit lowered immune response. Additionally, probiotics compete with harmful bacteria and keep them from proliferating.

B Vitamins: A deficiency of B6 has been shown to depress immunity; lack of adequate vitamin B12 and folate can cause megaloblastic anemia that depresses white blood cell counts; and thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid each play a supporting role in optimal immune response.

Recommendations for twelve additional supplements can be found in the full article at www.drhoffman.com.

Dr. Hoffman is quick to point out that his vitamin and supplement recommendations are not intended to “imply that there are facile answers to these contemporary scourges,” referenced above, but rather that “it makes sense to pay attention to our bodies’ ‘terrain,’ which determines whether we will catch or how we will survive an infection.”

Dr. Hoffman cautions that it is important to take the recommended supplements in the right amounts, under the care of a medical professional. Read the full article at on the Intelligent Medicine website and stay healthy this cold and flu season.
Contact
Media Management Group, LLC
Jeff Schwartz
(212) 545-8383
www.mmgny.com
ContactContact
Categories