Three Simple Ways to Keep Your Immune System Healthy

The cold weather season is practically synonymous with an imbalanced immune response—and now that it’s made its annual return, there’s no better favor you can do for your body than to prime your health for the challenges ahead.^1-2

Reinforcing both your body’s innate and adaptive defenses—charged with launching general immune responses and conferring long-lasting immune health, respectively—is an important strategy for peak health throughout the seasons.^3-4 And natural compounds that nurture your body’s numerous immune elements—from your inflammatory response, to your leukocytes, lymphocytes, antibodies and T-cells—should take top billing once fall and winter come around the bend.

Clinical research shows that mushroom extracts—such as those from Agaricus blazei, Cordyceps, Maitake, Coriolus versicolor, Reishi, and Shitake—are among your most powerful allies against immune challenges all year round, helping to strengthen and mobilize your body’s innate defenses. They’re abundant sources of immune-supportive polysaccharides like beta-glucans, which have been shown to modulate key cytokines such as IL-1, IL-2, IL-6 and IFN-gamma.^5-12

Green tea extract serves as another critical form of immune support, being rich in the natural antioxidant compound EGCG, which enables it to support chromosomal health, strengthen DNA, and promote normal cell division.^13-17 That’s why you’ll find extracts of mushroom and green tea combined in CP’s formula ImmuneAssist® 24/7—a daily immune-supporting supplement that makes use of cutting-edge technology to enhance its ingredients’ natural benefits.

The mushrooms used in ImmunoMax 24/7 have been specially cultivated to maximize immune-modulating polysaccharide content, and each tablet is produced with a superior quality natural coating that allows it to stand up to the harsh environment of your digestive system for greater absorption. Similarly, you’ll find EGCG suspended in a time-released matrix that buffers it from stomach acid… allowing peak quantities of this critical nutrient to make its way into your blood stream with each dose.

Metabolite- and nutrient-rich fermented yeast—such as EpiCor®, also available from CP—has emerged as a new, clinically supported way to give your immune system a natural edge against seasonal challenges, with early studies revealing that it can promote your immune system’s innate response.¹⁸ Later trials showed that daily supplementation with EpiCor is able to enhance respiratory health while mobilizing macrophages, granulocytes and natural killer cells in healthy subjects within 12 weeks of use.^19-20

Finally, a simple, high-quality probiotic blend should be a staple in any immune-supportive supplement regimen. Friendly flora in the digestive tract have been shown to play a key role in the generation of T-cells, as well as in the stimulation of antibody responses aimed at immune challenges that contribute to phlegm impaction in your lungs.²¹ Clinical study has backed up the benefits of supplementing with a combination of friendly strains, showing that Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria can support respiratory health safely and effectively with regular consumption.²²

You’ll find a comprehensive combination of both types of bacteria—including Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium infantis and Bacillus coagulans—in the daily probiotic formula BioPRO™, available from Complementary Prescriptions®.

References:

1. Khoo AL, Chai LY, Koenen HJ, Kullberg BJ, Joosten I, van der Ven AJ, Netea MG. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 modulates cytokine production induced by Candida albicans: impact of seasonal variation of immune responses. J Infect Dis. 2011;203(1):122-30.

2. Segerstrom SC, Miller GE. Psychological stress and the human immune system: a meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry. Psychol Bull. 2004;130(4):601-30.

3. Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell; 4th Ed. New York and London: Garland Science; 2002.

4. Pancer Z, Cooper MD. The evolution of adaptive immunity. Annual Review of Immunology. 2006;24(1):497-518.

5. Borchers AT, Stern JS, Hackman RM, et al. Mushrooms, tumors, and immunity. Proc Soc Biol Med. 1999;221(4):281-293.

6. Chen YJ, Shiao MS, Lee SS, Wang SY. Effect of cordyceps sinensis on the proliferation of human leukemic U937 cells. Life Sci. 1997;60(25):2349-2359.

7. Ebina T, Fugimiya Y. Antitumor effect of a peptide-glucan preparation extracted from Agarius blazei in a double-grafted tumor system in mice. Biotherapy. 1998;11(4):259-265.

8. Hsieh, TC, Wu, JM. Cell growth and gene modulatory activities of Unzhi (Winds Wunxi) from mushroom Trametes versicolor in androgen-dependent and andro-insensitive human prostata cancer cells. Int J Oncol. 2001;18(1):81-88.

9. Kiho T, Ookubo K, Usui S, et al. Structural features and hypoglycemic activity of a polysaccharide (CS-F10) from the cultured mycelium of Coryceps sinesis. Biol Pharm Bull. 1999;22(9):966-970.

10. Mayell, M. Maitake extrcacts and their therapeutic potential. Altern Med Rev. 2001;6(1):48-60.

11. Wang YY, Khoo KH, Chen ST, et al. Studies on the immuno-modulating and antitumor activities of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) polysacharrides: functional and proteomic analyses of a fucose-containing glycoprotein fraction responsible for the activities. Bioorg Med Chem. 2002;10(4):1057-1062.

12. Wasser SP, Weiss AL. Therapeutic effects of substances ocurring in higher Basidomycetes mushrooms: a modern prespective. Crit Rev Immunol. 1999;19(1):65-96.

13. Stoner GD, Mukhtar H. Polyphenols as cancer chemopreventive agents. J Cell Biochem. Suppl 1995;22:169-80.

14. Shim JS, Kang MH, Kim YH, Roh JK, Roberts C, Lee IP. Chemopreventive effect of green tea (Camellia sinensis) amonth cigarette smokers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomakers Prev. 1995;4(4):387-391.

15. Mukhtar H, Ahmad N. Green tea in chemoprevention of cancer. Toxicol Sci 1999;52(2 Suppl):111-7.

16. Suganuma M, Okabe S, Sueoka N, et al. Green tea and cancer chemoprevention. Mutat Res. 1999;428:339-44.

17. Menon LG, Kuttan R, Kuttan G. Anti-metastatic activity of curcumin and catechin. Cancer Lett. 1999;141:159-65.

18. Honzel D, Carter SG, Redman KA, Schauss AG, Endres JR, Jensen GS. Comparison of chemical and cell-based antioxidant methods for evaluation of foods and natural products: generating multifaceted data by parallel testing using erythrocytes and polymorphonuclear cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2008;56(18):8319-25.

19. Moyad MA, Robinson LE, Zawada ET Jr, Kittelsrud JM, Chen DG, Reeves SG, Weaver SE. Effects of a modified yeast supplement on cold/flu symptoms. Urol Nurs. 2008;28(1):50-5.

20. Kovacs DJ, Berk T. Recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea and colitis treated with saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast) in combination with antibiotic therapy. A case report. J Am Board Fam Pract. 2000;13:138-40.

21. Ichinohe T, Pang IK, Kumamoto Y, Peaper DR, Ho JH, Murray TS, Iwasaki A. Microbiota regulates immune defense against respiratory tract influenza A virus infection. PNAS; 2011 doi:10.1073/pnas.1019378108.

22. Leyer GJ, Li S, Mubasher ME, Reifer C, Ouwehand AC. Probiotic Effects on Cold and Influenza-Like Symptom Incidence and Duration in Children. Pediatrics 2009;124:e172-e179.