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By now you have probably heard about the coronavirus that is spreading across the globe at such a speed that the World Health Organisation has declared it a global pandemic.
Germs have been able to spread much quicker than ever before with our globally integrated logistics of goods, food and people.
This has resulted in roughly 13,000 new cases of the COVID-19 virus per day!
With potential for the virus to gain more traction if we are not careful.
However, the good news is with modern times comes modern ways to fight the solution.
While governments across the globe are resorting to lockdown measures in an attempt to ‘flatten the curve’ of the rate of infections, millions of people have been searching for immune boosting supplements and nootropics.
An increased immune system won’t completely cure or prevent infection however, it could help reduce the severity of symptoms in some cases.
It is especially important to understand that no supplement or diet can protect you from coronavirus.
The first points to address should always be the social distancing measures and hygiene practices that your government and the WHO suggest.
However, for those that are looking to cover more bases, we are going to outline some of the best immune boosting supplements that have been scientifically proven to boost the immune system.
Before we take a look at the different types of nootropic supplements that can help you strengthen your immunity, here’s a quick overview of the human immune system.
The word ‘immunity’ comes from the Latin word ‘immunis’ which means exempt.
The human immune system is extremely complex but generally speaking, it can be described as the body’s defence against ‘foreign matter’.
Foreign matter can include a variety of things such as; viruses, bacteria, cancer cells, carcinogens, parasites, germs, toxins and fungus.
COVID-19 is characterised as a virus.
Our immune system works by identifying a pathogen, for example, a toxic bacterium, and then gets to work on eliminating it from the body with what we call an immune response.
The immune system is spread throughout the body and involves many different types of cells, organs, tissues and proteins.
While nootropics are most commonly known for boosting cognitive function many also have the ability to boost immunity as well.
Often the best way to combat infections and sickness is to exercise regularly, have good personal hygiene, eat a healthy diet and get lots of good-quality sleep.
These are all things that our immune systems love and will provide it with the foundations it needs to work effectively.
However, this is not always enough to maintain a healthy and optimal immune system as modern diets and lifestyles often lead to deficiencies in vital vitamins and minerals.
This is where supplementing with nootropics and vitamin supplements can support the immune system by fixing the deficiencies.
Read below for a deep dive into 4 of the best nootropic immune boosting supplements.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is naturally occurring in the human body and is an antioxidant.
Once synthesized in the body it works with mitochondria to support the immune system.
A large body of evidence continues to grow suggesting that Alpha-Lipoic Acid can modify the response or functioning of the human immune system by stimulating the formation of antibodies which is known as an immunomodulatory effect.
A scientific paper published in March 2019 concluded that Alpha-Lipoic Acid ‘not only acts as a powerful antioxidant but also is able to regulate the immune system in either direct or indirect ways.’
Furthermore, a 2012 study found that at high doses Alpha-Lipoic Acid was able to inhibit the replication of influenza A virus cells and noted Alpha-Lipoic Acid for further investigation as a potential anti-influenza virus agent.
The good news is that this potential immune boosting supplement can be found in many regular foods.
ALA can be consumed through eating meat and is also present to a lesser extent in some fruits and vegetables.
It is found mostly in red meats with a higher concentration in organ meats.
Vegetable sources of Alpha-Lipoic Acid include spinach, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, potatoes and yams.
With panic buying a common occurrence during a crisis it’s sometimes hard to get all the food you need and that’s where supplementation can help supply you with the nutrients you need to keep a healthy immune system.
Chaga Mushrooms are a nootropic fungus found growing on birch trees across the northern hemisphere.
The black fungus looks more like a clump of dirt than a mushroom but has been referred to as ‘gods mushroom’ due to its immense healing powers and nootropic capabilities.
Before we get into how Chaga Mushrooms can benefit your immune system I just want to take the time to list all of the vital vitamins and nutrients this mushroom contains to give you a sense of how much of a wonder mushroom this is.
Chaga Mushroom are rich in vitamins, mineral and nutrients such as:
The fungus is also packed full of amino acids and fibre which combined with the above list of vitamins and minerals, can deliver a much-needed boost to an immune system lacking in such compounds.
Chaga can help you to simply fight off the common cold and flu germs and has even been used by some as a potent immune booster to fight off serious diseases like HIV.
The mushroom has antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties to support the body’s own immune system response.
Another way in which Chaga helps strengthen the immune system is through its first line of defence, white blood cells.
White blood cell production is regulated by a protein called cytokine.
Chaga has the ability to increase the secretion of cytokines which in turn stimulates the production of white blood cells.
BioPerine is the active ingredient in black pepper and is what gives the pepper plant its ‘spice’.
Most of us are likely to have black pepper in our household in some form, so it’s time to look through your kitchen cupboards and start cracking pepper on to your meals to boost your immune system.
BioPerine when combined with other supplements and nutrients can increase absorption rates by 30% or more in some cases.
One study found that BioPerine was able to increase the bioavailability of the following nutrients:
A number of these are closely linked to strengthening your immune system and can be consumed through food, while lots will be found in common multivitamin supplements.
By supplementing with BioPerine you may be able to increase how much of these nutrients your body can absorb, allowing them to be more effective in protecting your immune system.
Nootropic supplement BioPerine can regulate immune response
In addition to increasing the bioavailability of other nutrients, BioPerine can support your immune system in its own right.
Occasionally the immune system can have a faulty reaction to what it thinks is a foreign entity which can sometimes be the cause of illness and leads to inflammation in the body.
By reducing the reaction time of the immune system BioPerine helps to reduce inflammation and unnecessary responses.
Regulating the overreaction to foreign matter is vital for immune health and it seems BioPerine can help with this.
Shilajit is a sticky plant substance found high up in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges in that region of the world.
The powerful nootropic has two main active compounds which are fulvic acid and humic acid.
Fulvic acid has been shown to improve brain health and many studies have reported the benefits of how it can treat and may reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Whereas there is a growing consensus that suggests humic acid can stimulate the immune system.
Like Alpha-Lipoic Acid, humic acid appears to prevent viral cell replication.
It does this by attaching to the protein within the virus-cell and coating the receptor sites.
This disables the virus cells by stopping the ability of the virus to bind and infect host cells.
While more evidence is needed to prove the effectiveness of this nootropic ingredient people have taken humic acid to treat several types of flu virus including; influenza, avian flu and swine flu along with a list of other viral infections.
This may provide a natural alternative that can support your immune system against viral infections.
There is a long list of vitamin and mineral supplements that you could be taking to boost your immune system.
I could keep you here all week if I was to outline why each one helps your immune system.
Despite the fact a lot of us have more time at home at the moment, I’m sure you don’t want to be reading just one article this week.
(At the time of writing we are experiencing the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown measures)
Instead, here at Project Noo You we have selected 3 power supplements that have been scientifically proven to boost immunity to briefly describe.
They will provide a great foundation to add to your nootropic supplementation for a stronger immune system.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that is vital for immune system health and functioning.
You may have heard that we get vitamin D from the sun and you would be correct.
Our bodies are able to do something called vitamin D synthesis.
This is where the ultra-violet rays in sunlight hit the cholesterol cells in our skin providing the energy for our body to synthesize cholesterol into vitamin D.
Unfortunately, not all of us live in a permanently sunny climate.
Therefore, we need to make up a lack of vitamin D through our diets and supplementation.
Low levels of vitamin D have been shown to relate to increased risk of upper respiratory infections like influenza and allergic asthma.
A 2019 study that collated the information from 11,321 test subjects found that people who regularly supplemented with vitamin D had a significantly reduced risk of respiratory infections compared to those with a deficiency in vitamin D.
This is why it’s at the top of our list of immune boosting supplements.
Vitamin C is probably the most commonly known immune boosting vitamin and is the reason you may remember your parents force-feeding you oranges from a young age.
As well as being found in high concentrations in lots of delicious fruit, vitamin C plays a vital role in a healthy immune system.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can protect the body against oxidative stress.
It is important to combat oxidative stress because it negatively affects immune health.
It causes the build-up of molecules known as free radicals which have been linked to a number of diseases.
Vitamin C also plays a vital role in our bodies ability to regulate cell death.
This process helps the immune system stay healthy by clearing out old cells to make space for new ones.
A 2017 study found that high doses of intravenous vitamin C can significantly reduce symptoms in people suffering from severe cases of ailments such as acute respiratory distress syndrome that resulted from a viral infection.
For adults, the recommended daily dose of vitamin c is between 65-90mg with the upper limit being 2000mg.
Commonly found in lots of the best immune boosting supplements and for good reason.
Zinc is vital for a healthy and functioning immune system as it is responsible for immune cell growth and communication.
It also plays an important part in our bodies inflammatory response to foreign pathogens.
Unfortunately, over 2 billion people are thought to be zinc deficient which affects 30% of the global adult population.
The power of zinc was really highlighted in a 2019 study that looked into the benefits of zinc for children suffering from acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTI).
Compared with a placebo group, children who took 30mg of zinc per day decreased the total time of infection and hospital stay by an average duration of 2 days.
Zincs may help reduce symptoms of respiratory infections by helping the body to produce immune cells.
While the information in this article has outlined nootropic and vitamin supplements that have been known and shown to help support a healthy immune system, it is important to stress that there has been no evidence found that any food or supplement can prevent or treat covid-19.
Any advice in this article should not be used as medical advice or as a system to prevent or cure any disease or infection, including coronavirus.
However, if you are someone looking for immune boosting supplements please use this article to start your own research and look into the powerful ingredients outlined above.
If you are already a Project Noo You customer, you may have noticed that some of the immune boosting nootropic ingredients detailed above can be found in our Nitrovit supplement.
While Nitrovit cannot cure or prevent any illness or disease, it does include ingredients that may strengthen your immune system.
If you already have a bottle at home, it might be a good idea to keep taking it to give your mind and body some extra support.
If you are interested in purchasing some, please head over to our shop now to find out more.
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