There’s plenty of science to support the health benefits of supplements, a new report has discovered.
You may have read in recent months that taking supplements is a waste of money. Instead, we can get all the nutrients we need from eating a balanced diet, several studies have concluded.
Despite eating more during the Covid lockdowns, most of us are malnourished, a new report by the Health and Food Supplements Information Service (HFSIS) has discovered.
We’re not eating the right foods to nourish our body and immune system—and it’s just not true that the science doesn’t support the usefulness of vitamin and mineral supplements.
In a new report, Immune Health: Micronutrients Under the Microscope, the HFSIS has taken another look and discovered hundreds of studies that have shown the health benefits of taking supplements.
Vitamin A
- Helps to maintain the integrity of external barriers to pathogens
- Essential for the production and growth of immune cells
- Helps to curb the inflammatory “cytokine storm”
- Contributes to immune defense in the gut
Vitamin B
- Helps enzymes fuel energy production from food
- Vitamins B6, B12 and folate aid DNA synthesis in all cells
- Supports gastrointestinal immune regulation
Vitamin C
- One of the most important water-soluble antioxidant vitamins
- Important for the growth and function of immune cells
- Protects immune cell membranes from inflammatory damage by free radicals
Vitamin D
- Vital for a healthy immune response and has come to the fore in the recent Covid-19 pandemic
- Essential for our health (most immune cells have vitamin D receptors)
- Protects the lungs and contributes to a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut
Vitamin E
- The major fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin
- Helps protect immune cell membranes
- Helps produce immune cells and antibodies
Iron
- Plays an important role in immune function
- Promotes the growth of immune cells
- Regulates cytokine production
Zinc
- Vital for supporting 3,000 proteins and enzymes
- Helps maintain healthy skin and the gut barrier
- Essential for the functioning of immune cells
Selenium
- Helps protect immune cells
- Important for maintaining T-cell function
Copper
- Plays an important role in immune function
- Supports immune cells
Magnesium
- Essential for immune function
- A cofactor of enzymes involved in making DNA and RNA
Omega-3 & Fatty acids
- Help control inflammation
- Regulate the fatty composition of cell membranes and inhibit inflammatory factors
