The immune system encompasses all our defense mechanisms which intervene as soon as something is recognized as “foreign” and perceived as a danger by the body. Its main role is therefore to protect us, particularly against pathogenic germs such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc. In the event of weakening, the risk is then of being more sensitive to infections and taking longer to recover. Hence the importance of taking care of it in anticipation of winter illnesses or in the event of repeated infections. Several factors such as age, stress, smoking and certain illnesses are known to have an impact on immunity. But diet, sleep or physical activity can also influence the functioning of the immune system. In addition to a healthy lifestyle and certain micronutritional needs to be covered, there are also different solutions based on plants and natural products. So many avenues to explore to better protect yourself and strengthen your terrain.
This article was updated on 04/04/2024-Meet your vitamin D, iron and zinc needs
-Take care of your immunity through diet
-Protect yourself with essential oils
-Strengthen your terrain with gemmotherapy
-Prefer hydrosols for fragile people
-Opt for plants in herbal teas, powders, extracts…
-Discover other natural alternatives
1. The essential essential oil for the whole family: ravintsara, to boost immunity and protect yourself throughout the winter.
2. Plants with recognized immunostimulating properties: Echinacea, taking into account their precautions for use.
3. To take a cure in the fall: Rosehip bud macerate, specific to the ENT sphere and children.
4. Powders and dried fruits to stock up on vitamin C: Acerola, Camu-Camu, Goji berries.
5. For prevention or at the first signs of an infection: propolis, to be reserved for adults.
To take care of your immunity, it is also recommended to meet your vitamin D and iron needs, adapt your diet, limit the impact of stress, avoid lack of sleep, a sedentary lifestyle as well as excessive sport, exposure to pollutants and toxic products which weaken the immune system (tobacco, alcohol, preservatives, food additives, etc.)
Seek medical advice in case of autoimmune disease, disorders or treatments involving the immune system.
Before even addressing food and natural products, it is important to focus primarily on vitamin D and iron, which play a central role in the functioning of the immune system and which often prove to be deficient in general population. As for zinc, the risk of deficiency seems less generalized but it is also very involved in immunity.
Vitamin D is well known for its role in building bones, but it is also and above all very important for immunity. According to the results of a 2006-2007 study, Vitamin D insufficiency affects nearly 80% of adults in France, up to 90% in winter! Fortunately, cases of severe deficit remain quite rare. We will be particularly careful to cover the needs of the elderly, infants, pregnant women, postmenopausal women, people with olive or dark skin who synthesize vitamin D less well with the sun. Other factors such as certain diets which eliminate sources of vitamin D (fatty fish, eggs and dairy products), pathologies leading to intestinal malabsorption, or low exposure to the sun can also aggravate the risks of deficiency.
Given that it is essentially synthesized by the action of the sun on the skin and that only a small % of our needs are covered by food, supplementation is recommended, especially in winter. But for avoid the risk of overdose, it is better to seek the advice of a health professional. Fortunately, the days of our grandmothers' cod liver oil are long gone... Today, it is much easier to take a Vitamin D course without making a face.
The iron also intervenes in the functioning of the immune system and its deficiency in the general population is also very common, particularly in pre-menopausal women, children prone to repeated infections, people who follow a vegan diet... and the needs cannot therefore not always be covered by food alone. Supplementation will be made on the basis of biological dosages and medical advice, particularly for estimate the level of deficiency and avoid the risk of overdose. Spirulina can also be interesting as a maintenance treatment.
Zinc is also very useful for the normal functioning of the immune system, butconsuming in excess or over long periods can, on the contrary, lead to a drop in immunity.. It is therefore better to cover your needs through food (oysters and shellfish, wheat germ, liver, meats and Pumpkin seeds) and only consider supplementation in people at risk of deficiency such as people suffering from chronic intestinal diseases, kidney diseases, malnutrition, alcohol dependence, or the very elderly, without forgetting vegetarians.
Current knowledge about links between the intestinal microbiota and immunity force us to take into account the role of food more and more seriously. Be careful of fast foods, industrial dishes and pastries, fried foods, overly refined or processed products, etc. which unbalance the microbiota (dysbiosis) and can disrupt the entire intestinal ecosystem. Conversely, taking care of your diet can help improve our natural defenses, with certain particularly interesting recommendations to follow:
Thanks to their synergistic, immunostimulating and anti-infectious properties, essential oils are the allies of choice to protect against infections and their possible complications. Several studies carried out in vitro and in vivo have effectively demonstrated effects on the cells of innate immunity and adaptive immunity, as well as on the molecules of the immune response.
Essential oils are often diffused as a preventative measure to purify the air. To benefit from their actual immunomodulating properties, they can also be used orally or cutaneously. As for olfaction, its interest would be twofold. This path would make it possible to act both on stress management but also directly on immunity.
Firstly, it is ravintsara essential oil which is unanimous. It contains both eucalyptol and monoterpenols which act synergistically to give it its immunostimulating and antiviral properties. It was notably used in hospitals to prevent nosocomial diseases. Flexible to use, whatever the way of use, it has become the essential essential oil to accompany the whole family from fall and throughout winter.
For prevention, for air purification, it is also possible to use lemon essential oil or other citrus essences. Atmospheric antiseptic, it also acts through its perfume on emotional well-being and stress management with measurable effects on immune function.
The causes of a weakening of immunity being multiple, gemmotherapy will make it possible to reinforce each terrain in a personalized way. Several bud macerates are in fact known to act on the immune system at different levels: limiting the effects of stress, regulating the intestinal flora, targeting the respiratory sphere, etc.
Whether for prevention or to boost immunity after an infectious episode, bud macerates will be interesting to use as a treatment of at least 3 weeks. They are quite flexible to use, but given the presence of alcohol in their composition, bud macerates are not recommended for children under 3 years old and pregnant women.
Here are the three main immunity buds to choose based on their specificities:
In addition, we can use other effective buds to support the immune system such as Beech bud macerate (for fragile or very weakened people) or Poplar bud macerate (for its protective effect during epidemic periods).
In all cases, the usual doses are as follows:
Much less concentrated than essential oils, hydrosols are more flexible to use. They nevertheless contain active molecules perceptible by their aromatic odor. In the bath or orally, they will take care of young children, pregnant women, older people to support their immunity.
They will also be suitable for the whole family to help with stress. Quick and easy to use, hydrosols will finally please those who are in a hurry and don't have time to prepare herbal tea.
Hydrosols can be used, alone or in a mixture, occasionally or in courses of around twenty days for a more profound action:
For people looking for alternatives to essential oils or gemmotherapy, there are other plant-based solutions to support one's immune system.
Reference plants to stimulate immunity, Echinaceae angustifolia and Echinaceae purpurea, have been the subject of numerous studies which show similar effects at several levels such as the activation of macrophages (innate immunity) and the increase in B lymphocytes responsible for the production of antibodies (acquired immunity). The WHO even recognizes their traditional use “in the treatment of colds and upper respiratory tract infections, due to their immunostimulating action”.
However, the quality of the products available, the parts used, the type of extract, the dosages and the duration of use, etc. are very heterogeneous. It is therefore preferable to seek advice from a health professional to benefit from their benefits and use them safely. Given this immunostimulating power, several precautions for use must also be respected in case of immune disorders (see below). Their use is also not recommended during pregnancy, breastfeeding and in children under 12 years old. Finally, they can cause allergic reactions in people allergic to plants in the Asteraceae family.
Ginseng, Eleutherococcus and Rhodiola are among the best-known adaptogenic plants. They have in common the ability to limit fatigue, improve resistance to exercise, increase the ability to concentrate and resist infections... To guarantee their quality and their content of active ingredients, it is preferable to use in the form of titled extracts. And, given their precautions for use, it is recommended to seek the advice of a health professional.
Ashwagandha, a “new arrival” in the West, is said to be one of the most powerful adaptogenic plants. Also called “indian ginseng”, it comes to us from Ayurvedic medicine where its name means “horse smell” to evoke the power of the animal. It has already been the subject of numerous studies but there is still a lack of data concerning effects on the immune system. Taking an Ashwaganda powder treatment will be especially useful in cases of fatigue or chronic stress. More flexible to use than other adaptogenic plants, its use nevertheless remains reserved for adults. It is also not suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women. And medical advice is recommended in the event of thyroid disorders.
Considering the beneficial effects of vitamin C on the functioning of the immune system and the assimilation of iron, it is important to ensure that your needs are met to better fight infections. A diet rich in fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables should be sufficient. But, in the event of infection, anemia or fatigue, it is interesting to take a cure by favoring natural sources which, in addition to vitamin C, will also provide other nutrients with antioxidant properties complementary: in the form of powders (Acerola or Camu Camu) or dried fruits (goji berries).
Thyme herbal tea is traditionally used for the treatment of respiratory and digestive disorders. His anti-infectious properties are widely documented by numerous studies, carried out mainly on its essential oil. As for its action on immunity, a 2012 publication highlighted the effects of an aqueous extract on dendritic cells, cells which play both the role of sentinel and conductor of the immune response. Without being immunostimulating like Echinacea, Thyme would be more immunomodulating and more flexible in use. It is also a tonic and antioxidant plant which will also help during convalescence.
In infusion : for one cup, pour simmering water (ideally at a temperature of 80-90°C) over a tablespoon of dry plants. Cover and let it infuse for 10 to 15 minutes then filter the preparation. Drink 2-3 cups per day. Take a one-week break after 3 weeks of use.
To support the immune system, there are other natural solutions than plants. They can be used as an autumn treatment to prevent winter illnesses or during convalescence when the immune system has been weakened. Here are several alternatives to choose from.
Produced and used by bees to protect their hive, propolis has been used since Antiquity to treat wounds, but also to embalm the dead. It is still used today in the composition of products against sore throats, gum infections and even herpes, particularly for its anti-infectious properties. Even if it is not possible to indicate on food supplements that Propolis helps “support the functioning of the immune system”, tests carried out in vivo and in vitro clearly show that it acts on the two types of immune response : innate and acquired. Propolis would indeed have an action on different cells of the immune system and on the production of antibodies.
The hydroalcoholic extract of propolis can be used in the form of treatment for prevention or at the first signs of an infection :
The role of clay in supporting immunity could be explained by its global action on the intestinal ecosystem : improvement of mucus and protection of the digestive wall, elimination of viruses and pathogenic bacteria while helping the development of digestive flora, neutralization of bacterial toxins, adsorption of heavy metals toxic to the body... The presence of Copper in its composition would also help boost immunity. Be careful, however, because clay interferes with the iron that it will fix in the digestive tract, with a risk of iron deficiency if consumed for too long.
To make a clay cure, the ideal is to consume one teaspoon per day (either in the morning when you wake up or in the evening when you go to bed, always away from taking medication). Start with clay water for the first few days and continue with clay water for up to three weeks. Then take a break of one or several weeks.
Oligotherapy uses minerals in very small quantities (trace elements) to rebalance an organism by taking into account the terrain, or “diathesis”, of each person. These are medications used in treatment such as “terrain modifiers” to provide personalized support in the event of a drop in immunity:
Probiotics are non-pathogenic bacteria that come in support of the bacteria of the intestinal microbiota to help limit the proliferation of unwanted germs and strengthen the barrier effect in the intestinal ecosystem. Today there are a large number of probiotic-based products, with a wide choice of strains. It is therefore recommended to seek the advice of a specialist to make a selection based on the desired effect. Treatments with food supplements may in certain cases prove necessary, particularly after antibiotic treatment.
Shiitake, maitake and reishi are mushrooms used in traditional Asian medicine. Today it is possible to find them alone or in a mixture in the form of food supplements. Their ability to stimulate immune defenses is attributed to the polysaccharides and beta-glucans they contain and which act on the intestinal flora.
Age and certain illnesses or treatments are known to weaken our natural defenses. There are also several factors linked to lifestyle which are directly linked to a drop in immunity and which it is possible to act on. Taking them into account is essential to allow plants and other natural products to be more effective.
In the case of certain chronic illnesses, the use of medicinal plants is delicate, or even not recommended. These include autoimmune diseases and all pathologies linked to the immune system.
This is the reason why, given their ability to stimulate the body's defenses, Echinacea will be contraindicated in people who suffer from multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiency or immunosuppression (HIV/AIDS, organ transplant, chemotherapy, etc.) or blood lineage disorders white blood cells (leukemia, lymphoma, etc.).
Concerning the other plants and other natural solutions presented on this page, current publications speak more of an immunomodulating effect which would present fewer risks than an immunostimulating effect. However, it will be necessary always seek the advice of a healthcare professional in the event of chronic treatment to avoid any risk of interaction.
Publication: Hernot, F. (2006). Clay, its use in the pharmacy. http://dune.univ-angers.fr/fichiers/20073109/2016PPHA5426/fichier/5426F.pdf
Publication: Taqarort, N., & Chadli, S. (2020). Vitamin D and risk of acute respiratory infections: influenza and COVID-19. Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, 34(3), 211–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nupar.2020.05.003
Publication: Vernay, M., Sponga, M., Salanave, B., Oleko, A., Deschamps, V., Malon, A., & Castetbon, K. (2011). O62 Vitamin D status of the adult population in France: the national nutrition and health study (ENNS, 2006–2007). Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, 25, S50‑S51. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0985-0562(11)70066-8
Publication: Sandner, G., Heckmann, M. & Weghuber, J. (2020). Immunomodulatory Activities of Selected Essential Oils. Biomolecules, 10(8), 1139. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10081139
Publication: Blanchard, J.M. (2007). Cinnamomum camphora with cineole (ravintsara), a plant for the prevention of nosocomial infections in hospitals? Phytotherapy, 5(1), 15-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10298-007-0202-1
Publication: Amirghofran, Z., Ahmadi, H., & Karimi, MT (2012). IMMUNOMODULATORY ACTIVITY OF THE WATER EXTRACT OFThymus vulgaris, Thymus daenensis, ANDZataria multifloraON DENDRITIC CELLS AND T CELLS RESPONSES. Journal of Immunoassay & Immunochemistry, 33(4), 388-402. https://doi.org/10.1080/15321819.2012.655822
Publication: Jm, S. (2007). Propolis and the immune system: a review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 113(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2007.05.012
Publication: Pereira, TCB, Bonan, CD, & Bogo, MR (2016). Copper toxicology, oxidative stress and inflammation using zebrafish as experimental model. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 36(7), 876-885. https://doi.org/10.1002/jat.3303
Publication: AFSSA (2005, February). Effects of probiotics and prebiotics on the flora and immunity of adult humans. https://www.anses.fr/fr/system/files/NUT-Ra-Preprobiotiq.pdf
Work : Fleurentin, J., Pelt, JM, & Hayon, JC (2016). Good use of healing plants. Rennes, France: Ouest-France.
Work : Couic Marinier, F., & Touboul, A. (2017). The Living Earth guide to essential oils. Terre Vivante Editions.
Work : Couic-Marinier, F., & Frély, R. (2019). Essential oils: The complete guide for the whole family. SOLAR
Work : Faucon, M., & Canac, P. (2018). Treatise on scientific and medical aromatherapy, hydrosols (1st ed.). Paris: Ed. Blood of the Earth.
Work : de la Charie, T. (2019). Treat yourself with essential oils. Why and how does it work? Editions du Rocher.
Work : Pineau, L. (2019). The great book of gemmotherapy. Leduc.s Éditions.
Work : Coudron C. & Pourrias B. (2014). Nutrition Prescription Guides. Health Editions.
Work : Morel, J.M. (2008). Practical treatise on phytotherapy: Yesterday's remedies for tomorrow's medicine, Escalquens, France: Editions Jacques Grancher.
Website : Lack of physical activity and excess sedentary lifestyle: a priority. (2023, February 16). ANSES - National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety. https://www.anses.fr/fr/content/manque-d%E2%80%99activit%C3%A9-physique-et-exc%C3%A8s-de-s%C3%A9dentarit%C3%A9- a public health priority
Website : Cara, G. (2022, August 16). When stress weakens the immune system. Inserm press room. https://presse.inserm.fr/quand-le-stress-affaiblit-les-defenses-immunitaires
Website : WikiPhyto, the encyclopedia of phytotherapy. (nd). http://www.wikiphyto.org/wiki/Home