I hate colds. I know, I know, doesn't everybody? But really - I HATE colds. And every time one of my kids starts in with snot running out of their noses my anxiety reaches a fever pitch and I just know we're in a downward death spiral into the pit of the never ending cold. Morbid, right? Anyway, since I prefer to live my life in the beacon of sunshine, I get very passionate about immune health and the ability to fight off all those pesky germs. And since I have recently gotten quite a few questions from people about what (or if any) supplements I use for myself and my kids. I think I'm going to work on a supplement guide but for now, since the germs are beginning their invasion, I thought I'd share my immune-boosting supplements that are on regular rotation during cold and flu seasons.
Probiotics: the walls of your gut are the home to 70% of the cells that make up your immune system. That's huge and so a good probiotic helps fuel immunity by balancing out their gut bacteria and ensuring we have more good bacteria in our gut than bad bacteria. Some studies (1) have shown that kids who take probiotics regularly have less sick days than those that don't and for most kids, probiotics are completely safe. If you have a child with immune dysfunction or another immune-related condition, speak with your doctor or another trusted medical professional before beginning a probiotic regimen.
You can get probiotics from many sources including yogurt, kefir, kombucha, or fermented foods like fresh pickles and kimchi. For kids though, I find it easiest to incorporate a regular probiotic supplement. For a probiotic, look for one with a range of bacteria strains and as with all supplements I recommend, few "extra" ingredients like sugar, soy, and gluten additives. I like Renew Life's Kids Probiotic. It comes in chewable form, contains 6 different strains of probiotics, is sugar, gluten, and soy, and dairy-free, and is safe for kids 2 years and older.
Vitamin D: low vitamin D levels make anyone feel bad (tired, fatigued, and foggy) and kids with low vitamin D levels are more likely to be susceptible to cold and flu (2, 3). Since vitamin D is only made in the body when we are exposed (sans sunscreen) to the sunshine, not all kids are able to get adequate levels of vitamin D by simply playing outside - especially as the gray days start creeping in. Even though many foods (milk, cereals and dairy products) in the U.S. are now fortified with vitamin D, I still like to supplement my kids during cold and flu season with some vitamin D and a nice walk in the sunshine if it's available.
I'm a fan of Renzo's Vitamin D - it's a plant-based source of D3 which is a form of vitamin D that is well absorbed by the body, and it comes in a small melting tablet, is vegan and sugar and gluten-free, and is safe for kids aged 2 years and older. Vitamin D toxicity (from getting too much) is rare but can happen so if your child has a lot of sun exposure (without sunscreen) and/or consumes a lot of vitamin D fortified foods, you may skip a vitamin D supplement or just cut the tablet in half.
Elderberry: this is my go-to at the first sign of a cold. No matter who comes in with a runny nose or a sneeze, everyone is immediately given a dose of elderberry. Elderberry gives the body a powerful immune boost and is loaded with antioxidants to keep the body healthy. In general, elderberry supplementation decreases the duration and severity of cold and flu symptoms and may prevent the spread of cold and flu germs when taken at the first sign (4, 5). This has been a game-changer for us and I can't recommend keeping a bottle in your fridge enough.
We've used the Gaia Elderberry Syrup quite a bit last year and I recently purchased the Havasu Nutrition Elderberry Gummies for kids. Even though the gummies have some added sugar, all the ingredients are natural, the gummies taste good, and they aren't nearly as messy as trying to get the syrup down.
In addition to supplementation, there are several foods that can help boost immunity and protect you from getting sick so make sure to add these 5 into your regular rotation during cold and flu season: yogurt, almonds, salmon, sweet potatoes, and oats.
