Strengthen your immune system

By : Team Popeye's

Cold weather started setting at the beginning of the month and then we had record heat across Quebec. That said, the nights and mornings are chilly. Hot, cold, hot, cold – how should we deal with these temperature variations without getting sick?

This time of the year isn’t easy, as we have to wear warm clothes to go the office in the morning and, a few hours later, we are pretty much suffocating with our "hoodie” on.

Seasonal norms are back this week – after all, fall is the season of colds, flus and the like.

There are solutions if you don't want to get knocked out! Supplements aren't just meant for making us look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Here are a few products that will strengthen your immune system and help you make the most of this beautiful season!

1- Zinc

Zinc is a key mineral to immune response, as it contributes to the development of cells such as neutrocytes and natural killer (NK) cells, while acting as an antioxidant in order to reduce any stress that the immune system puts on the rest of the body.

To put it in layman's terms, zinc, with its antioxidant functions, significantly reduces the factors that could weaken our immune system. In addition, by contributing to the development of essential cells, it ensures that the "soldiers" inside our body are ready to win that all-important trench warfare against unwanted visitors.

Studies have shown that zinc deficiencies are associated with an increased risk of infection and disease, since, as you now know, zinc deficiency can compromise our immune system.

Zinc is also known to be effective in mild to moderate respiratory tract infections, including the common cold. It can therefore be consumed temporarily while you are treating an illness in order to slightly reduce its duration.

2- Vitamin D

Vitamin D is directly responsible for immune cells, such as monocytes and scavenger cells (white blood cells), as it can activate or control our immune system. This feature is very useful to help prevent your immune system from overreacting. First of all, you should know that overreactions of our immune system are one of the most important causes of autoimmune diseases. By correcting these, we don't need to tell you that we are already giving ourselves a strong hand!

Vitamin D has been shown to be very helpful in treating upper respiratory tract infections such as influenza, asthma and potentially COVID-19. In the case of COVID, current evidence suggests that vitamin D deficient individuals are at an increased risk for more severe symptoms.

Those suffering from vitamin D deficiency are also known to have reduced immune function.

3- Probiotics

Good bacteria make up our first line of defense against all pathogens. Many of our skin bacteria make the surface unfavorable to infectious bacteria, preventing their transmission or incubation. Much of the same process goes on to protect our gut. – gut bacteria act in the same way against pathogens that can be introduced through food or contact with other people.

We notice that an overactive immune system generally causes intestinal bacteria to be populated with bad bacteria.

For all the above reasons, keeping a balanced bacterial population is crucial. Choosing a quality probiotic supplement is the best way to ensure that we have enough "soldiers" to protect us.

Probiotics are also great at resolving acute intestinal problems and restoring our balance in response to antibiotic use.

Therefore, these are the three options for boosting your immune system. If you don't want to be left out in the cold, tell yourself one thing: "Prevention is better than cure! "

So why risk spending a few days inside being forced to rest? Instead, we suggest you enjoy the cooler temperatures, colors and beautiful scenery that fall has to offer!