On the whole, your immune system has a big job to do, and it does a pretty incredible job of keeping your body safe.
Whereas a country has hundreds of police forces to protect it, your body only has one. But like law enforcement, sometimes there’s a breach.A bug manages to get past the security gate and then you’re left with a stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes… it’s not pleasant.
And for your body, trying to fight off an invader isn’t the best job out there either. But when it has proper support, there’s no question of whether it can do it.In order for your immune system to function optimally, it needs balance and harmony. It’s a complex interplay between all the organs of the immune system each with different needs, and if one isn’t getting what it requires, you’re opening up the gate to whichever invader is closest.So, if you want to keep that gate sealed and prevent any unwanted visitors, supporting your body with the proper nutrients is a must. We’re talking about why the immune system can fault at times and what the best supplements are to support a strong defense system.
Let's get into this!
Why Supporting The Immune System Is Necessary
Whether it’s stress, poor nutrition, lack of exercise (or over-exercise), inadequate sleep, or whatever else have you, there seem to be threats lurking in every corner that are ready to attack the immune system.
Stress
There’s no question that stress is a heavy-hitter where immune function is concerned.
There’s no shortage of studies linking chronic stress and immune dysregulation across several areas of the humoral and cellular immune responses 1. That’s because high cortisol puts a huge damper on body systems that aren’t necessary for survival, and the immune system is one of those.
Exercise
Both lack of exercise and too much exercise can impair your body’s defense systems by suppressing immune activity and increasing the risk of infections.
Excessive exercise shoots up cortisol and inflammation that can trigger decreased cellular immunity, while an overly sedentary lifestyle can increase body weight, systemic inflammation, and suppress immunity 2.
Studies show that moderate-intensity physical activity is the most ideal for stimulating cellular immunity.
Sleep
Sleep plays a big, and often underestimated, role in how well the immune system functions.
Getting enough good quality sleep influences both arms of the immune defenses—adaptive and innate—and impairs the function of protective cells, thereby leaving you more susceptible to illness and infection.
Sleep deprivation also increases cortisol levels, which causes things like weight gain, mood swings, and a compromised immune system.
Diet
Your body requires certain vitamins and minerals to function properly and if you’re not getting enough of them through diet, or are consuming too many foods that suppress immune function, you’re going to have a tough time fending off illness because your defense system is constantly on break. Getting all these aspects on point is key to keeping your immune system healthy and on guard 100% of the time, but as a backup plan, taking your daily supplement stack to top off nutrient stores and further support your immune system is never a bad plan.And when it comes to the most powerful immune-boosters, there’s a handful we need to pay homage to.
The 6 Best Vitamins For Men’s Immune Health
Zinc
Zinc plays double duty here—it’s one of the best nutrients for men’s sexual health but also one of the best for supporting immune function.
Playing an essential role in supporting immune cell development and communication, it also protects the tissue barriers of the body, keeping external pathogens from entering 3.
Deficiency of this mineral has serious consequences for immune function and affects immune cell homeostasis, which interferes with the formation, activation, and maturation of lymphocytes, disrupts intercellular communication via cytokines, and weakens innate immune defenses 4.
Studies also find that zinc can put the brakes on the immune response to help control infections in a way that prevents rampant inflammation from damaging the body 5. When it enters innate immune cells, zinc fights pathogens and maintains balance within the immune system.
Why does this matter? Because the immune system requires a delicate balance.
While we want the body to trigger a robust inflammatory response (part of its natural defense mechanisms), left unchecked, too much inflammation means the body attacks both the pathogen and tissues, causing a ton of collateral damage.
Selenium
The protective effects of the immune system are mediated by innate (non-specific) and adaptive (specific) immune responses; neutrophils, monocytes/macrophages, natural killer cells, and the complement system comprise the former, while T (cell-mediated) and B (antibody-mediated) cells represent the latter 6. An effective immune response requires coordinated interactions between all components of the innate and acquired immune systems, and deficiencies in any component increase predisposition to infectious diseases and other disorders.Low levels of selenium are known to influence the function of all immune components and their ability to respond appropriately to infections.
As selenium is found in high concentrations in immune tissues like the spleen, lymph nodes, and liver, adequate amounts are required for T cell proliferation, lymphokine-activated killer cell activity, NK cell activity, delayed-type hypersensitivity responses, and responses to vaccines 7.
Vitamin D
In addition to its classic role in calcium and bone homeostasis, vitamin D also plays a major part in maintaining proper function of the immune system.
The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is not only expressed on virtually all immune cells (T cell, B cells, and antigen-presenting cells) but these immunologic cells can also synthesize vitamin D3 8. Studies show that vitamin D has a role in modulating both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system and a deficiency of this critical nutrient has been linked to an increased risk of autoimmunity and increased susceptibility to infection.
Vitamin C
The classic go-to for immune support—vitamin C.
This water-soluble nutrient is a powerhouse, supporting adaptive and innate immune defenses along with the epithelial barrier that protects against invading pathogens. It also supports the oxidant scavenging activity of the skin to further protect against environmental oxidative stress 9. Because vitamin C accumulates in several immune cells, it can enhance chemotaxis, phagocytosis, generation of free radicals, and ultimately microbial killing 9.
A deficiency in vitamin C has been linked to impaired immune function and a higher susceptibility to infections, as well as higher levels of inflammation.
EFAs
It’s well-known that omega-3 fatty acids offer some powerful anti-inflammatory properties, but it turns out they also play a major support role for the immune system by exerting major alterations on cells of the adaptive immune defenses.As a critical part of the cellular membrane, omega-3 fatty acids can regulate cell membrane properties like membrane fluidity, and more recent studies have shown the role of omega-3 fatty acids and their derivatives as signaling molecules 10.It’s been shown that both omega-3 and omega-6-derived metabolites play important immune-regulatory functions in specific cells of the immune system, including macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, dendritic cells, NK cells, mast cells, T cells, and B cells.
Antioxidants
A diet high in antioxidants is critical for protecting the body from the damaging effects of free radicals generated during normal cellular metabolism and the metabolism of certain drugs.
When in high enough amounts, these radicals cause damage to cell membranes, enzymes, and DNA 11.
Studies show that increasing intake of antioxidants—vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A (or beta-carotene)—can elicit a significant improvement in certain immune responses. Because cells rely so heavily on accurate cell-cell communication, damage to any signaling systems involved can result in an impaired immune response 12.
Tissue injury resulting from oxidative damage is particularly hazardous to the immune system.
Phagocytic cell actions produce radicals, which means we need a sufficient intake of antioxidants to neutralize them and prevent damage to the immune cells themselves.
The Ultimate Immune-Charging Stack
If you’re wanting to scrap the headache and stress associated with making sure you’re meeting your body’s requirements of these immune-boosting nutrients, investing in two of the best supplements on the market to turbocharge your immune system is probably worth your while.
Performance Lab PL-Immune + Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi
If you’re looking for maximum coverage, these two supplements are where it’s at.
PL-Immune is designed to support both lines of immune defenses to protect your body from every angle and support peak human performance, while NutriGenesis Multi provides 17+ essential nutrients to restore nutrient levels and avoid depletions that can compromise health.Together, these formulas combine to give you the ultimate in coverage. They’re the cleanest and most effective duo on the market that safeguards you from all possible immune challenges to support your immune system in whatever way it needs.
References
- R Glaser, J Kiecolt-Glaser. How stress damages immune system and health. Discov Med. 2005;5(26):165-169.
- MP da Silveira, KK da Silva Fagundes, MR Bizuti, É Starck, RC Rossi, DT de Resende E Silva. Physical exercise as a tool to help the immune system against COVID-19: an integrative review of the current literature. Clin Exp Med. 2021;21(1):15-28.
- I Wessels, M Maywald, L Rink. Zinc as a Gatekeeper of Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(12):1286.
- M Maares, H Haase. Zinc and immunity: An essential interrelation. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2016;611:58-65.
- Ohio State University. "Zinc helps against infection by tapping brakes in immune response." ScienceDaily. 2013, Feb.
- H Gill, G Walker. Selenium, immune function and resistance to viral infections. Nutrition & Dietetics. 2008 Jun; 65(s3):S41-S47.
- RC McKenzie, TS Rafferty, GJ Beckett. Selenium: an essential element for immune function. Immunol Today. 1998;19:342–5.
- C Aranow. Vitamin D and the immune system. J Investig Med. 2011;59(6):881-886.
- AC Carr, S Maggini. Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211.
- S Gutiérrez, SL Svahn, ME Johansson. Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Immune Cells. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(20):5028.
- A Bendich. Physiological role of antioxidants in the immune system. J Dairy Sci. 1993;76(9):2789-2794.
- DA Hughes. Effects of dietary antioxidants on the immune function of middle-aged adults. Proc Nutr Soc. 1999;58(1):79-84.
