Did you know your body makes 100 billion new white blood cells every day? We use several immune support vitamins and minerals to make them. These soldiers of the immune system also need certain nutrients to power the work they do – and extra when we’re ill. 

This article explains the main immune support vitamins, and other nutrients we need to bolster our defences against infections.

Immune Support Vitamins and Minerals

Next time you shed a drop of blood, bear in mind it contains 25,000 white blood cells. Below, we explain some of the most important vitamins and minerals used to create them. We also explain how the immune system uses them to power our immune defences. 

The Power Trio for Immunity – Probiotics, Zinc and Vitamin D

Probiotics or Bio Cultures

Did you know that between 70% and 90% of our immune system calls are permanently at work in our intestine? They’re busy keeping the friendly bacteria healthy and killing off the harmful ones. In exchange, the friendly probiotic bacteria improve how the immune system works. Their role is so crucial that without the right gut bacteria, we basically wouldn’t have an immune system.

If you do one single thing to support your immune defences, there’s nothing more powerful than taking a probiotic supplement. You’ll be helping it with the job that permanently takes up 70% to 90% of its attention.

1 – Probiotics crowd out harmful bacteria so they cannot take hold in the intestine and release their toxins.

2 – By stimulating the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and enhancing the activity of immune cells such as T cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells, probiotics help the immune response against infections, and calm allergies, and autoimmune diseases.

3 – Additionally, probiotics can improve gut integrity and reduce intestinal permeability, preventing harmful bacteria and toxins from entering the bloodstream where they trigger immune reactions.

Zinc

It’s difficult to exaggerate the importance of zinc for the human immune system. There’s basically no part of our immune defences that can work properly without enough zinc, partly because it powers hundreds of the enzyme reactions that keep our bodies alive.

1 – It is essential in the development and function of immune cells, including white blood cells and natural killer cells.

2 – Zinc also helps regulate inflammation and supports the production of antibodies, assisting the body in effectively responding to pathogens and becoming immune to infections so we don’t catch them again.

3 – In addition, zinc helps in calming and balancing the overactive immune system that causes severe allergies and autoimmune illnesses.

Good natural sources of zinc include red meat, seafood and egg yolks. It’s also found in sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Zinc is destroyed by processing food, which is one reason why some people opt for zinc supplements. If you supplement with zinc, choose a chelated version such as zinc gluconate or zinc picolinate or zinc citrate, rather than simple zinc oxide which is not so well absorbed.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for a well-functioning immune system. People with optimal levels of vitamin D are found to have fewer infections and inflammatory conditions.

1 – It helps to balance immune responses so they’re strong and effective but not excessive, as this would result in too much painful inflammation and other unhelpful issues.

2 – Vitamin D plays a role in controlling the functions of immune cells, such as T cells (a type of white blood cell involved in adaptive immunity) and macrophages (cells that engulf and digest pathogens).

3 – Additionally, vitamin D supports the production of antimicrobial peptides, which are small proteins that the body produces to help defend against various microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses.

Our main source of Vitamin D is sunlight, which enables us to make our own. Edible vitamin D only comes from animal sources, mainly eggs, liver and fish livers. With our rotten weather, the UK government recommends that all of us take a vitamin D supplement during the winter.

The Extra Immune Support Vitamins and Nutrients You can’t do Without

Vitamin A – Builds immune cells and defends our lungs

Vitamin A is one of the most powerful immune support vitamins for your white blood cells to function, as it supports the development and maintenance of various immune cells. We’re mainly talking about white blood cells here, and there are five main types. Vitamin A is involved in helping them form and in activating each of them in a different way. 

It’s essential for you to form antibodies that make you develop immunity to any infection, and for you to keep immunity. This stops you getting ill with the same infection twice. 

As an extra defence against colds and flu, Vitamin A plays a vital role in the integrity of mucus membranes, which line your nose and lungs. It also protects the inside of your digestive system and plays a role in your defence against tummy upsets. 

Vitamin A also plays an important role in balancing the immune system for people with autoimmune diseases. It helps to suppress excessive autoimmune reactions whilst remaining active against harmful germs. 

To eat more vitamin A, choose eggs, liver, and yellow and orange vegetables.

Iron – Makes lymphocytes and controls fevers

One key function of iron is its involvement in producing a type of immune cells called lymphocytes. They carry out the amazing role of remembering every infection you have had in the past so you don’t get ill from it again. When you catch any new infection, lymphocytes in your body take about four days to create antibodies specific to that infection. They cling to each and every germ like a tracking device, so the whole immune system can find and destroy it. 

Iron is also essential for other parts of the immune system to work. Cytokines control inflammation and fevers. Inflammation is important for the body’s defence, but it causes pain and needs to be kept at the right level. Iron helps keep the right balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses, ensuring a well-coordinated immune defence.

Many women who still have periods suffer from a mild iron deficiency. You can boost your iron intake by eating red meat, liver and other organ meats, and dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale.

Vitamin E – Powers our first line of defence

This fat-soluble immune support vitamin powers the activity of natural killer cells, the body’s first line of defence. These calls spring into action within minutes, as soon as you cut a finger or inhale a few cold germs. They play a crucial role in identifying and eliminating infected or abnormal cells in the body, contributing to an effective immune response.

Vitamin E is also a potent antioxidant that protects cells, including immune cells, from oxidative stress. By safeguarding these cells, vitamin E helps maintain their optimal function within the immune system. 

You can eat more vitamin E in chicken skin, eggs and nuts and seeds.

Vitamin C – Immune support for faster germ killing

Vitamin C became famous for its role in the immune system because Linus Pauling was rewarded with a Nobel prize for discovering it. Whilst it’s important, it’s still given a bit more credit than it really deserves, because other nutrients are actually more important for immunity. 

Despite this, Vitamin C is has powerful antioxidant properties, which play a key role in supporting immune health. As an antioxidant, it helps protect immune cells from damage caused by free radicals, contributing to their optimal function. 

Vitamin C also supports the production and function of white blood cells, in particular boosting the function of phagocytes, which are white blood cells that engulf and destroy germs. 

Our bodies cannot make or store vitamin C, so we need to eat it every day. It’s easy to eat in a vast variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, though cooking destroys it rapidly so you’ll get more vitamin C from raw foods.

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) – Clears mucus from nose and lungs

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a modified form of the amino acid cysteine and is known for its antioxidant properties. NAC supports the immune system by replenishing intracellular levels of the antioxidant glutathione. This helps neutralise free radicals, reduce oxidative stress, and enhance the body’s ability to combat infections.

Its main medicinal use is to dissolve thick mucus, clearing the airways. This makes is a game-changer for anyone with a blocked up nose or a chesty cough, whether that’s bronchitis or a long-term medical condition like COPD or pulmonary fibrosis. Additionally, NAC has been studied for its potential anti-inflammatory effects, further contributing to immune system support.

The building blocks of cysteine come from protein foods like eggs and meat, but our bodies have to make the right molecule after we digest these foods. NAC supplements can have a remarkable effect when they’re really needed.

Selenium – Helps us make antibodies

Selenium is a crucial trace element that plays a vital role in supporting the immune system. It acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from damage and inflammation. Selenium is also involved in the activation of immune cells and the production of antibodies, contributing to the body’s defence against infections.

You can obtain your whole daily need for selenium from just two Brazil nuts.

Which Immune Support Vitamins Should You take?

The human immune system is so complex that even doctors who specialise in it say that they need to re-read their textbooks every few years. Despite this, we’re constantly learning more about how it works and ways to support it naturally. 

Many people choose to support their immune system throughout the winter by taking Vitamins D and C. We suggest you consider adding in Zinc and NAC if you catch a virus such as a cold or flu. Most people can eat enough of the immune support vitamins A and E, as well as the mineral Selenium, quite easily with a healthy diet.

If you choose to boost your intake of any of the nutrients in this article, remember they will only work well if they’re part of a balanced diet and a consistent, holistic approach to your overall health.