2017 Immunity Essentials Awards
Ah, cold and flu season, our old nemesis. That time of year when viruses and bacteria run amok, wreaking havoc in our lives. Do the people at work drop like flies from now until March? Are your kids repeatedly grounded by whatever new bug is running through the school? Not to worry.
Make this year healthier by fighting back with nature’s weaponry. We’ve got effective immune-boosting herbs, vitamins, probiotics, and more gathered here for your consideration. If you don’t already have a trusted go-to (for many people, it’s echinacea or elderberry), we hope you find exactly what you need in our list.
Healing Teas
Numi Organic Turmeric Teas are flavorful, aromatic, warming, and calm-inducing. Our tasters were split over which they liked best: Turmeric Amber Sun with rooibos, cinnamon, and vanilla, or Three Roots with ginger, licorice, and rose.
Traditional Medicinals Organic Throat Coat brings relief to parched throats. Made with the medicinal inner bark of the slippery elm tree (harvested sustainably in the Appalachian Mountains), licorice, and marshmallow root.
Breathe Easy
Michael’s Naturopathic Programs Quick Immune Response delivers immunity boosters such as garlic, zinc, vitamin C, echinacea, and the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory goldenseal. Consider if you’re prone to bronchitis.
NOW Solutions Seasonal Changes Essential Oils Kit is the perfect pick-me-up if you’re feeling under the weather. The kit contains tea tree and Eucalyptus radiata oils, which are great for sinus clearing. Nature’s Shield (an energizing blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon, and eucalyptus) purifies and cleans rooms. The Clear the Air blend (peppermint, eucalyptus, hyssop, and rosemary oils) can be used in a diffuser or as a room mister.
The refreshing vapor of the Olbas Inhaler brings fast relief to nasal passages and a fresh clean feeling that perks you up when a cold gets you down.
Ridgecrest Herbals ClearLungs Immune combines traditional Chinese herbs like dong quai root and schisandra with other herbal immune boosters like elderberry as well as vitamins and minerals.
Xlear Xylitol All Natural Saline Nasal Spray is a lifesaver during cold and flu season. Natural xylitol keeps nasal passages clean and moisturized, clearing congestion quickly and helping you breathe again.
Probiotics
Bio-Kult Advanced Multi-Strain Formula offers 14 strains, including immune supporters such as Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Minimum 2 billion probiotic micro-organisms per capsule.
Essential Formulas Reg’Activ Immune & Vitality pairs Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 and Lactobacillus brevis KP08 bacteria, which are clinically proven to support the immune system. Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 produces the antioxidant glutathione in the body, which aids in cell detoxification.
LoveBug Probiotics Colds Suck offers four strains of probiotics with a delivery technology that protects the micro-organisms from stomach acid. Each tablet delivers 5 billion CFU enhanced with vitamin C, echinacea, and zinc.
Herbal Remedies
A. Vogel Echinaforce Forte delivers 18 milligrams of certified organic Echinacea purpurea harvested at its prime and usually processed within 24 hours. This product combines the herb (95%) and root (5%) for immunity enhancement.
Pleasant-tasting Nature’s Answer Sambucus Immune delivers black elderberry extract with zinc, vitamin C, Echinacea purpurea aerial parts extract and Echinacea angustifolia root extract, as well as the immune-boosting herb astragalus.
Vibrant Health BullsEye helps guard against infection through antibacterial and immune-strengthening herbs including clove, cinnamic acid, cat’s claw, lemon balm leaf, and thyme.
Vital Vitamins
This is a great vitamin C product for those with sensitive stomachs. Take a once-daily dose of 1,000 milligrams of American Health Ester-C. This patented formula of vitamin C with naturally occurring metabolites will absorb into your system and stay in white blood cells over 24 hours.
Deficiency in vitamin D makes you susceptible to infection. Country Life Vitamin D3 Spray gives you your daily 2,000 IUs of D3 with two quick sprays. Key lime or strawberry flavors make adopting this healthy habit easy. If you’re vegan, try the plant-based D3 in vanilla bean flavor.
Medicinal Mushrooms
Mushroom Wisdom Maitake D Fraction EZ Spray makes harnessing the antioxidant- and immunity-stimulating powers of maitake mushroom easy with two quick sprays a day.
Whole Earth & Sea Pure Food Super Mushroom combines six organic mushrooms—cordyceps, chaga, lion’s mane, maitake, reishi, and shiitake—with beta glucan for immune and energy support. These superfoods are also good for cognitive health and stress management.
Daily Defense
Irwin Naturals Immuno-Shield All Season Wellness offers select ingredients to bolster the body’s defenses, including vitamin C, zinc, echinacea, olive leaf, astragalus, and oregano oil.
Kyo-Green Powdered Drink Mix Harvest Blend Immune Defense helps you start the day strong with gluten-free superfoods, grasses, and organic fruit and vegetables. This nutrient-dense blend contains ancient grains, wheat grass, chlorella, and herbal immunity boosters including astragalus, ginger, and olive leaf.
Scrupulously washing your hands has always been one of the best defenses against catching a cold. The Grandpa Soap Co. Epsom Salt Bar gets the job done with clean, old-fashioned ingredients you can trust, like baking soda!
§These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.