Immune system needs nutrients
One of the most rewarding things I do is to hear stories from clients. I have an older client who was healthy but had low energy and felt flat despite no medical reasons. I had started her on a programme that involved three supplements: a winter vitamin D booster to lift her immune responses, Omega 3 fish oil to reduce inflammation and, most importantly, my multiantioxidant, multimineral, multivitamin supplement.
She reported her energy levels were steadily rising and felt so much better in herself.
My standard advice is that if you feel unwell you should get a medical check-up. If there is no particular medical reason for feeling low in energy, we then turn our attention to micro-nutrients: the minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that are responsible for maintaining the health of our cells. As I often repeat, “a healthy cell is a healthy body”.
When we improve the health of cells, we improve the health of the tissue comprised of those cells. In the case of my client, I suspect that we helped the processes that produce the energy our bodies need.
First, we need to make sure we have plenty of the vitamins and minerals that directly affect energy. Second, we need to protect our energy systems with antioxidants. The list of micronutrients needed for this is long. My multinutritional supplement has more than 50 ingredients and most play some part in energy.
If you are low in energy and generally not at your best I suggest you do what I recommended for my client for at least three months. You may well be surprised with benefits you can really feel.
I have a younger client whose mother had been using our supplements for some time. He suffered low immunity with regular colds, low energy and generally feeling unwell for no medical reason. Our first priority was to improve his immune system. Despite what you read, you cannot “boost” your immune system. Our immune system is a complex, interconnected group of cells and tissue types.
Our immune system is highly dependent on nutrients. Of these, the most important is vitamin D, which acts like a master controller of our immune responses. Then is a long list of trace minerals and some vitamins. I often talk to people who take vitamin C and Zinc for their immunity. These are important but just two of many. This is where a wellformulated comprehensive multimineral, multivitamin and multi-antioxidant can be very helpful as it provides all the important nutrients, not just some of them.
Having regular colds, especially in winter, can be the first sign of poor immune responses. You may actually have a good immune system, but it may be half asleep or just disorganised. I put my client on an initial higher dose of my multinutritional formula to rapidly lift critical nutrients. We also included vitamin D.
He has been delighted with the response. He has been through last winter without a cold and with much more energy. The bonus has been that the niggling low-grade depression has gone, probably from lifting vitamin D.
Our bodies have a huge capacity to heal and restore but only if we give it the nutrients it needs. Give yourself a threemonth challenge; you may well be surprised.
John Arts (B.soc.sci, Dip Tch, Adv.dip.nut. Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice contact John on 0800 423559 or email john@abundant.co.nz. Join his all new newsletter at www. abundant.co.nz