For proper functioning, our immune system needs a regular intake of five essential vitamins. Find out more about them to ensure your body has adequate protection against everyday stress and illness!
Why can’t we live without vitamins?
They play an important role in maintaining all normal bodily functions. There are several vitamins that play a key role in maintaining a well-functioning immune system: vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B6 and vitamin B17, also known as amygdalin. They support the body’s defences and help us recover if we fall ill. In addition, a strong immune system is linked to our overall well-being. When our immune system functions properly, it helps us feel full of energy and maintain a good quality of life.
To maintain the levels of these important vitamins in our bodies, we need to eat a varied diet every day. However, deficiencies in vitamins and other important nutrients are common today, and the reasons for this are complex. Poor dietary habits, resorting to very strict weight-loss diets, and a fast-paced lifestyle that doesn’t allow us to plan a balanced menu are some of the factors that often lead to a chronic deficiency of beneficial substances in the body.
Stress can also cause various vitamin deficiencies.
When we are under severe stress for a prolonged period, it has been proven to deplete the body’s reserves of B vitamins. Stress can also trigger processes that lead to problems with the absorption of a wide range of beneficial substances. Therefore, if we are under serious stress, suffering from chronic fatigue or if our body is depleted by illness, it is important to support our body and its immune response.
These five important vitamins help to activate the body’s natural defences, improve tone and overall physical fitness:
Vitamin C:
It is widely known as the “universal fighter.” We often reach for vitamin C when we’re ill or simply feeling run down. This vitamin is an extremely powerful antioxidant that helps our body repair damage caused by free radicals, including damage to our DNA. Vitamin C helps to regenerate tissues throughout the body and contributes to faster wound healing. It plays an important role in maintaining healthy bones, hair, skin, and cartilage.
It also plays an important role in iron absorption and, consequently, in preventing iron deficiency anaemia. How important is that? More than you think. You may not know it, but globally iron deficiency affects 25% of people at some stage of their lives, which means one in four people!
Foods
rich in vitamin C include red and green peppers, citrus fruits, kiwi, Brussels sprouts, strawberries and raw or steamed broccoli.
Vitamin D
Until recently, vitamin D remained in the shadow of vitamin C when it came to vitamins that support the immune system. However, a deficiency of this fat-soluble vitamin can lead to a reduction in the body’s natural defences and cause damage to the skeletal system, including rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Chronic vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of several types of cancer, including breast cancer, bowel cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. (1)
At the same time, vitamin D deficiency is alarmingly common. In the United States, for example, it has been found in as many as 42% of the population, and the percentage almost doubles among older people. Therefore, there is growing talk in scientific circles and the media about the importance of vitamin D and how to ensure a regular, adequate intake.
A vitamin D deficiency is difficult to detect without special tests, as it develops slowly and without specific symptoms. It is therefore important to take preventative measures to ensure we are getting enough vitamin D, including through foods such as oily fish and egg yolks. The most reliable way for the body to synthesise vitamin D itself is to get enough exposure to sunlight, even on cold winter days. A 20-minute walk in a park with your arms and face exposed is sufficient daily prevention. Furthermore, our body has the ability to accumulate and store the amounts of vitamin synthesised during the summer, so that it can draw from this resource for the rest of the year.
Vitamin E
Many women know vitamin E as a cosmetic product, but its functions in the body far exceed skin and hair care. It is true that vitamin E can help fight skin ageing, as it acts as an antioxidant and reduces inflammation in the skin. It helps hair stay hydrated and shiny and reduces hair loss, which is why it is a popular ingredient in hair mask recipes.
In supporting a healthy immune system, vitamin E protects cell membranes from oxidative damage.
It is found in the membranes of all cells in the body, but is most concentrated in the cells of the immune system – which are most susceptible to damage. A deficiency in vitamin E reduces the body’s ability to fight infectious microorganisms and to produce antibodies quickly enough.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that our body stores in fatty tissue and in the liver. Foods rich in this vitamin include certain types of vegetable oils (sunflower, corn, wheat germ, soya bean), nuts and seeds, as well as green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin B6
All B vitamins are important for the normal functioning of the nervous system. Vitamin B6 also plays a role in the biochemical processes in the body that are part of our natural defence against disease. It also helps to control inflammatory processes. Vitamin B6 is also needed to regulate sleep and mood and to reduce the risk of depression. Adequate levels of vitamin B6 in the body are associated with a reduced risk of cancer. (2)
Foods containing vitamin B6 include chicken, salmon, tuna, beef liver and chickpeas.
Vitamin B17
Vitamin B17, or amygdalin, was isolated relatively recently, and scientific interest in it continues to be high.
Found in natural sources such as the kernels of apricots, apples, plums, bitter almonds and cherries, amygdalin has powerful antioxidant properties. It strengthens the body’s natural immunity against infections and has been proven to regulate high blood pressure in a completely natural way. This eases the strain on our heart and may help to prolong life.
To supply your body with vitamin B17 and improve your overall physical condition, you can also take it in supplement form. One such dietary supplement is Apriben, a product designed to provide comprehensive support for the body and its natural defences. It contains active substances (including vitamin B17) that optimise physical health, bodily tone, and the functions of the immune and cardiovascular systems, especially in the presence of stress factors.
Apriben also contains:
Shiitake mushroom: It promotes the function of the immune and nervous systems, as well as the body’s general tone.
Reishi mushroom: beneficial for blood circulation, helps to optimise physical health, strengthens the body’s natural defences.
Chaga mushroom: Contains a large number of biologically active substances such as beta-glucan, mushroom fibres, enzymes and others that stimulate the body’s endurance.
Apriben is an excellent supplement for a strong immune system and overall body strengthening. Don’t forget to stick to a varied and nutritious diet – this significantly reduces the risk of serious deficiencies in your body. And remember the golden rule: the more colourful the food on your plate, the more essential vitamins you are providing for your body!
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12520530/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-b6/
