3 Immune-Boosting Vitamins to Enhance Your Health

Public health has been a primary focus for the past year as COVID-19 has brought about many difficult challenges to our physical and mental wellbeing. Studies have shown that Canadians are washing their hands more regularly, but they’re exercising less and eating more, which is negatively affecting people’s health.

At a time where your immune system has never been more crucial, it’s good to know what the best immune-boosting vitamins are and how you can make sure that you’re getting enough of them in your diet.

What Are the Best Immune-Boosting Vitamins?

Each vitamin from A to E has a unique effect on the body, benefiting your health in several specific ways. This is why it’s important to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly, as well as taking natural vitamin supplements to fill any nutritional gaps keeping you and your family in the best of health.

If you’re looking to strengthen your immune system, the most important immune-boosting vitamins to take include:

1. Vitamin D

Many people struggle to get enough vitamin D in their diets, but it’s an essential vitamin that helps to build and maintain a strong immune system. Its main role within the body is to help the absorption of calcium and phosphorus — two essential minerals that keep you healthy and strong throughout your life. More importantly, though, vitamin D helps to protect against respiratory infections, and supplementation has been proven to be the most effective way of protecting against these kinds of viruses and diseases.

You can get vitamin D from exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, meaning enough time in the sunshine can greatly benefit your health, but this isn’t always possible. To ensure that you’re getting optimum levels of vitamin D, supplements like BestVitamin’s Vitamin D3 softgels, as well as foods such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, egg yolks, red meat and some fortified breakfast cereals, can give your immune system the boost it needs.

A daily vitamin D intake of 1000IU to 4000IU is generally enough to ensure optimal blood levels for most adults, so a supplement containing 1000IU of vitamin D or more will easily fulfil your recommended daily intake (RDI).

2. Vitamin C

Well-known for its cold-conquering qualities, vitamin C can boost your immune system by supporting numerous bodily functions, protecting your cells and keeping them healthy, as well as promoting healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and other soft tissues.

Increasing your vitamin C intake can ease your symptoms if you get sick, although vitamin C supplements are most effective if you’re already taking them prior to illness. Boosting your vitamin intake if you’ve already got a cold or the flu is still a good idea, though, as the essential vitamins can help to speed up your recovery, giving your body what it needs to fight off infections. Vitamin C is also a fantastic antioxidant, helping to reduce inflammation throughout your body, which naturally occurs as part of the immune system’s response to illness.

Supplements such as BestVitamin’s Vitamin C Crystals can bolster your immune defences, as well as support the production and repair of collagen within the body. If you’re looking to increase your vitamin C intake through your diet, foods rich in vitamin C include oranges, peppers, strawberries and blackberries, as well as vegetables like broccoli, carrots, brussels sprouts and spinach.

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is different for men and women due to differences in body mass, but 1000mg per day of vitamin C is suitable for all adults in good health.

3. Vitamin E

With powerful antioxidant properties, vitamin E helps your body fight off infections in a similar way to vitamin C. It’s responsible for protecting molecules and tissues against free radicals, which can damage your cells and reduce the effectiveness of your immune response to illness.

Vitamin E is found in nuts and seeds like almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts but is also available in supplement form — ideal if you or anyone in your family has a nut allergy or other dietary restrictions. AOR’s Total E, Complete Vitamin E Complex can make getting your vitamin E a lot easier to manage.

Most supplements contain between 400IU and 800IU of vitamin E, which leaves no room for doubt that you’ll be getting enough of the vitamin when you take a tablet, capsule or powder. For most adults, getting this amount of vitamin E every day can help prevent neuropathy, Alzheimer's disease and some forms of cancer.

Enhancing Your Immune System and Avoiding Illness

Taking a few extra steps to ensure that you and your family have enough of the right vitamins and minerals in your diet can put your mind at ease. By taking supplements, eating a balanced diet and getting enough exercise, the risk of getting sick can be greatly reduced, mitigating all the unpleasantness, worry and disruption that illnesses can cause.

Sometimes, no matter how carefully you look after yourself, infections can come out of nowhere. That’s why it’s important to keep your body in the best condition possible, giving you the best chance at fighting off illnesses quickly and efficiently. Vitamin supplements provide you with the perfect way to conveniently manage your health and the health of your family so that illnesses are less likely to occur and much less likely to have a significant impact on your lives. 

For Better Health Made Simple, you can rely on Vitamart.ca to bring you the best prices on all of your health essentials.

Looking for an easy way to manage your vitamin intake to strengthen your immune system? Explore our range of vitamin supplements and start protecting your health today. Fast and free shipping is available on all orders over $59.