Citrus Secret SUPERCHARGES Your Immune System
Fall is officially here, which means it’s time to boost your immune system.
Ironclad immunities are essential year-round. But they’re especially critical as we head into cold and flu season.
The medical community will try to convince you that the only power you have over the flu is to get the flu shot. And that winter colds are inevitable.
Baloney!
Keep those sleeves rolled DOWN and listen UP. Because there are FAR better ways to keep your immune system armed and illness at bay all season long.
And one that’s stood up to the test of time AND scientific scrutiny is also one of the simplest solutions I know…
Want to doge illness this winter? Start by getting more vitamin C.
Vitamin C helps your body produce more leukocytes. These white blood cells protect you from infectious diseases and foreign invaders.
But vitamin C doesn’t rest on its laurels. It also boosts the FUNCTION of your immune cells so they can better shield you from illness.
Vitamin C boosts the production of specific leukocytes, including…
- neutrophils,
- mast cells, and
- natural killer cells.
A respiratory burst is one key way immune system cells kill invaders, like viruses. This is when immune cells rapidly release reactive oxygen species.
But as your immune system ramps up to attack invaders, its vitamin C needs only GROW.
First, you need enough C onboard for those respiratory bursts to be big enough to effectively kill germs.
Plus, your body uses the vitamin to protect normal cells from getting damaged while it wages war against germ and cleans up afterward to avoid tissue damage.
In other words, immune system cells CAN’T do their job without adequate vitamin C.
So, it’s no wonder that vitamin C deficiency leads to impaired immunity and an elevated risk of developing more infections.
Supplementing with C can prepare your immune system to prevent and fight respiratory and systemic infections. And a daily dose of at least 200 mg of C daily could reduce your risk of catching a cold—and cut its duration and severity if you DO fall ill.
But there’s a catch. Your body doesn’t make ANY vitamin C on its own. You have to get it from food or supplements.
Studies using vitamin C supplements have been spotty. I believe the design of the research is to blame in many cases. But I prefer you load up on vital nutrients through your DIET whenever possible, anyway.
Foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits, papaya, peppers, broccoli, kale, and tomatoes.
You DON’T have to give in to flu shot pressure (or rely on it ALONE for protection).
Top up on your vitamin C levels to boost your immune system all fall and winter long.
P.S. Flu shot? Read THIS first!
SOURCE:
Carr AC, et al., “Vitamin C and Immune Function.” Nutrients. 2017 Nov 3;9(11):1211. doi: 10.3390/nu9111211. PMID: 29099763; PMCID: PMC5707683.
