Everyone has their favorite traditional immune support, and knows its value. But what about situations when many of us are venturing out in public now after being removed from the regular everyday exposures? What has happened to our immunocompetence and resilience when it hasn’t been challenged or tested for a very long time?
How should we think about “getting back to normal” in our everyday lives? Similar to how you would support your immune system if you were traveling or moving to a new area, maybe now is the time for transitional immune support.
Transitional Immune Support differs from traditional immune support in that it doesn’t have some of the heavy hitting herbs or products that push your body’s innate and adaptive in a certain direction. Transitional Immune support is general and non-specific. It focuses on supporting your body with active ingredients to ensure the immune system is ready without overdoing it. Think of it as building the castle and the moat rather than calling in the cavalry.
Transitional Immune Support Supplements:
What are some supplements that work best as transitional immune support? There are a number of herbs, minerals, and supplements that actively fill this role.
Vitamin A & D
Vitamin A and D are two of the fat-soluble vitamins that make up an important part of our immune system defense.
Vitamin D has gained popularity in recent years and is now regarded as one of the most important supplements in terms of our immune defense.1, 2, 3 In the role of transitional immune support also plays an important role since it is a vitamin that may fluctuate at different times of the year. In the summertime, we are able to synthesize Vitamin D naturally through the skin, however come fall and winter (right when flu and cold season ramps up) we end up covering up the skin and losing our ability to create it.
Vitamin D is a vitamin that can be tested for with standard lab testing but the lab values have a large range 30-100 ng/mL with an optimal range from 50-75ng/mL. Adding in a low dose vitamin D (1000-2000 IU/day) is a great idea for transitional immune support.
Vitamin A is the other fat-soluble vitamin with significant value as a transitional immune support. Vitamin A is a vitamin which the “less is more” principle works well in that you don’t need to have a lot of Vitamin A to have a profound effect. Vitamin A is important for the formation of epithelial cells that line all of our mucus membranes and inner surfaces and linings of the body, it is in effect the “front line” of the body4. Vitamin A is also an important nutrient for the development and differentiation of our white blood cells which make up the adaptive immune system. NK Cells, Dendritic cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and T-cells all need vitamin A to function properly4. The tolerable upper limit is 3000 mcg per day of retinyl palmitate for most adults and this functions as a max dose that could be considered for transitional immune support.
Oral/ENT Probiotics
Almost everyone is aware of the use of GI and the general benefits they provide for the GI tract, but what about the importance of the oral microbiome? The oral cavity, throat and nasal cavity provide the first line of defense for the body and are the entry point for almost all of the things that end up causing both upper and lower respiratory tract concerns. It is therefore important to also consider supplementation and oral probiotic use to support the ENT microbiome. One of the ways bacteria outcompete each other is production of substances called bacteriocins. In the case of oral probiotics, use specifically researched strains of Streptococcus salivarius such as K12 and M18. By supplementing with an oral/ENT probiotic you are helping to establish beneficial microorganisms in your mouth and throat that provide a strong transitional immune support.
Elder Flower Tea
Elderberry lozenges have gained popularity in recent years and for good reason. Sambucus elderberries have a long established record as a generalized immune support but what about the flowers? Believe it or not, the elder flowers in hot aqueous infusion or tea delivery are also very strong in terms of immune support. Containing quercetin and bioflavonoids, the elder flower in some studies actually had a stronger effect than the berry in terms of immune support 9, 10, 11. Elder flower is easily extracted in water and makes for an easy and tasty drink to sip on during times when you need that additional immune support.
Polysaccharides from Mushrooms and Red Marine Algae
Mushrooms – Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi), Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail), Lentinula edodes (Shiitake), Cordyceps militaris (Cordyceps), and Inonotus obliquus (Chaga)
Mushrooms have been a standard for immune support for many years and their applications for transitional immune support is no exception. Possessing strong yet safe, immuno-supportive activity, these food-based fungi provide a number of benefits in immune applications due to the presence of important polysaccharides12,13,14,15,16. These polysaccharides have demonstrated many immune benefits and can be taken daily as effective transitional immune support. Conferring strong antioxidant benefits, microbiome support and vitamins such as selenium, provide the body with many important ingredients to support immune health.
Red Marine Algae Polysaccharides
In addition to the polysaccharides from mushrooms, a number of important polysaccharide substances have been researched from the extracts of red marine algae. Research has shown that red marine algae produce a number of polysaccharides that have a variety of benefits in the body with broad applications for immunity 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Marine algae is well tolerated by most patients and can be taken on a daily basis as a transitional immune support.
Transitional immune support is really about supporting the body when it needs to adapt to different environments and changes in our everyday lives. Through appropriate daily supplementation we can support the immune system’s defenses without unnecessary stimulation.
Check out the Transitional Immune Support protocol on Wellevate today for specific product ideas!