As the coronavirus spreads, questions arise on how to reduce your risks of exposure and how to prepare yourself. Effectively fighting off viruses can only be done when your immune system is strong. So especially during this time of viral crisis, it is more important than ever to make the right choices. Strangely enough people seem to be hoarding non-essential food products like crisps, canned goods and bread these days. This, although we all know that eating a healthy diverse diet rich in wholesome foods like fruits & vegetables, supports our body. Some specific nutrients play a vital role in boosting your immune system and in this article, we would like to offer you two ideas as food for thought.

Vitamin D3

Deficiency of vitamin D is actually common in the western world. According to researchers as much as 40% of the population is deficient (<50 nmol/l) with specific groups like elderly in care homes reaching as high as 90%¹. Deficiency is associated with increased susceptibility to infections and impacts immune response. In 2008, Japanese researchers conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled trial to investigate the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on the development of seasonal influenza A in school children². These children (aged 8-12) where split into two group with one group getting a placebo and the other 1200 IU Vitamin D3. Over the course of the trial period (Dec 1^st – March 31^st) 49 children got influenza. Only 18 were in the Vitamin D3 supplementation group whereas a staggering 31 in the non-supplemented group, a highly significant difference of 42%.

Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant, plays a major role in balancing the body’s immune response and inducing oxidative stress. Dietary astaxanthin is reported to stimulate immune cells and increases the number of total T and B cells in the blood. A 2010 randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study in Korea assessed the impact of astaxanthin on the immune response³. Young female college students (20.2 – 22.8 years old) all were given one soft gel capsule every morning containing either 0, 2 or 8mg Astaxanthin. After 4 weeks of supplementation, plasma astaxanthin increased to maximal concentrations in a dose-dependent manner as anticipated. The groups taking astaxanthin showed a significant increase in immune cell response as measured by the amount of T and C cells upon stimulation with a mitogen. Additionally, the astaxanthin groups also decreased a DNA damage biomarker and inflammation.

These results suggest that taking astaxanthin on a daily basis for at least 4 weeks can help to improve your immune system.

Other important steps to strengthen your immune system

Besides eating healthy and paying attention to specific nutrients like vitamin D3 and astaxanthin, there are more things you can do to strengthen your immune system. Reducing stress, sleeping enough, exercising regularly, and staying away from toxins, all play a role. By taking these steps, we can support our immune system and stimulate our friends and family to do the same! At Lus Health Ingredients we believe that taking care of your body with healthy plant-based ingredients can help build a strong immune system. We offer soft gels with Vegan D3, Astaxanthin and Algal Omega 3 to keep supporting your body.

Stay safe and keep calm!

1. Krieg MA, Cornuz J, Jacquet AF, et al. (1998) Influence of anthropometric parameters and bio- chemical markers of bone metabolism on quantitative ultrasound of bone in the institutional- ized elderly. Osteoporos Int 8:115-120.
2. Mitsuyoshi Urashima, Takaaki Segawa, Minoru Okazaki, Mana Kurihara, Yasuyuki Wada, Hiroyuki Ida, Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 91, Issue 5, May 2010, Pages 1255–1260
3. Park, J.S., Chyun, J.H., Kim, Y.K.et al. Astaxanthin decreased oxidative stress and inflammation and enhanced immune response in humans. Nutr Metab (Lond) 7, 18 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-7-18