Immune health is more than just not catching a winter cold; in today’s stressed-out society, it’s essential in restoring balance and keeping it.

According to ancient ayurvedic principles, a balanced life offers healing powers. Millions strive to create harmony and balance between work, play and family, as well as find physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. In an increasingly hectic world, it seems more impossible than ever to achieve this.

For natural product retailers, customers inquiring about cognitive performance, sleep-inducement supplements, or even heart or vision support may also mention feeling “off,” “stressed out” or “bothered by increased allergies or slight colds.”

It’s true that nearly anything is a factor that impacts one’s immunity. And it’s always a good idea to understand what modern, common lifestyle factors people deal with that influence immune function and why these are occurring.

“Primary factors affecting immune function range from dietary insufficiencies, to stress, to simply the on-the-go lifestyle that keeps us constantly running from one task to the next,” said Corinna Bellizzi, senior vice president of sales and education for Utah-based NutriGold. “Too few of us get enough rest, manage stress appropriately, and eat a balanced diet—so it’s really no surprise that we fall ill, even outside of cold and flu season.”

Tim Hitt, supplement manager at Fiesta Nutrition Center (Louisiana), can attest to this; he recently had a customer who was dealing with the flu (in July), and she was seeking relief. “We haven’t had a customer with a flu in the summer in a long time,” he said. “And just last week, we had a couple more customers with summer colds.” He recommended Source Naturals’ Flu Guard, a homeopathic formula.

Further, he related that many people who feel they are “coming down with something,” usually a cold/upper respiratory issue, come in for vitamin C. It is at this point that Fiesta Nutrition staffers introduce the customer to the prominently displayed immune endcap they created, and talk about the wide variety of formulas and ingredients that help immunity, such as garlic and echinacea. “The first quarter of this year was really bad for the flu, and we could not keep elderberry in stock,” Hitt said. “We have a local organic elderberry grower located about 100 miles south of us who really helped save the day when the big brands were out of stock.”

And, Hitt added, although most people tend to think of their immune status “from November through March,” it really is an all-year-round consideration and people understand, for example, that probiotics that they originally purchase for gut health are also good for immune health all year long, especially because stress isn’t seasonal.

Jay Levy, director of sales, Wakunaga of America Co., Ltd., California, agreed, stating, “Modern life is the biggest enemy of a healthy immune system. Between the sheer speed of life, ever-changing technology, and non-stop work and family demands, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.” Add to this a typical diet heavy in processed foods, sleep deprivation, drug overuse, and chronic stress that combine to compromise the immune system’s ability to be effective.

According to Cheryl Myers, chief of education and scientific affairs with Wisconsin-based EuroPharma Inc./Terry Naturally, the most significant factor that reduces the body’s ability to remain in any kind of balance is stress. One’s resilience—or lack of it— is, she believes, one of the greatest threats to health overall. Stress and anxiety weakens your customers’ resistance in many ways. When people are stressed, they tend to eat unhealthy comfort foods, do not get restful sleep, and get worked up into an emotional spiral that stimulates higher release of cortisol, placing pressure on metabolism, blood sugar and blood pressure.

Immune status is multi-factorial, added Dr. Ross Pelton, science director with Essential Formulas/Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics in Texas. These include environmental pollution, sedentary lifestyle, poor GI (gastrointestinal) health (dysbiosis), lack of sufficient dietary fiber, exposure to fungi and mycotoxins, and even dental root canals.

In recent years, medical research has revealed the critical roles played in immune function by the GI tract, “and probiotics, enzymes, and herbs that promote digestion have leaped into greater popularity,” acknowledged Robin Rogosin, vice president of product development for Texas-based LifeSeasons. “The complexity of the connection between brain function and the other systems of the body is being more fully realized, and nutrients and herbs that support cognition is becoming a foundational part of health-promoting protocols among health professionals.”

Autoimmune

Autoimmunity is a condition that is characterized by being off balance—the immune system is overactive, hyper, attacking good or benign molecules, often itself. This condition creates a host of health dysfunctions, such as psoriasis, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), lupus and more.

According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association Inc. (AARDA), NIH (National Institutes of Health) estimates up to 23.5 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease and that the prevalence is rising; and the annual direct health care costs for autoimmune diseases is approximately $100 billion. Researchers have identified 80 to 100 different autoimmune diseases and suspect at least 40 additional diseases of having an autoimmune basis. The AARDA, however, estimated that approximately 50 million Americans have an autoimmune condition due to the NIH only including 24 diseases for which epidemiology studies were available.

David Winston RH(AHG) with New Jersey-based Herbalist & Alchemist, pointed out that the number of cases of both autoimmune diseases and allergies have sharply risen over the last 50 years. He attributes this to overuse of antibiotics that disrupt healthy gut ecology, nutritional deficiencies (especially vitamins D and A), environmental pollutant exposure, excessive salt intake (which promotes TH17 t lymphocyte activity), and a pro-inflammatory diet.

In Pelton’s viewpoint, “the primary trigger that initiates autoimmune diseases is intestinal permeability (leaky gut). Alessio Fasano, MD, discovered zonulin, which is a compound that ‘rips open’ intestinal tight junctions which allows intestinal permeability to happen. Intestinal inflammation triggers zonulin. Fasano says the two main triggers that cause intestinal inflammation, which triggers zonulin and causes leaky gut are gluten and pathogenic intestinal bacteria.“

Levy added that, in many people with autoimmune conditions, genetics plays a small role (it is often an “inherited” condition). Also, other factors, “such as chronic exposure to toxins like mercury, infections like candida or herpes simplex, and food sensitivities, hormone imbalances, and even stress are also linked to the development of certain autoimmune diseases.”

Bellizzi related a personal account of autoimmunity. In September of 2009, she was reintroducing foods after completing a juice fast when she started having trouble swallowing even a few grains of chewed rice at a time. She consulted with her doctor, having suspected a thyroid issue, and confirmed that she had Hashimoto’s, a hypothyroid autoimmune disorder. She began to research why she developed the autoimmune disorder despite eating an organic, nutritious diet since childhood, and found it was likely environmental pollutants that caused it.

“The fact remains that each year, an increasing percentage of Americans are diagnosed with autoimmune and endocrine system disorders, while traditional farming methods continue to use glyphosate (Roundup), and other pesticides, fungicides and herbicides to excess,” she said. “These disruptors end up in the environment and food. This exposure, regardless if we eat organic, could contribute to the rise of autoimmune disorder diagnosis.”

Sally Byrd, ND, Eastern regional sales and education, American Biotech Labs in Utah, agreed, elaborating that the toxic applications of pesticides and herbicides since the 1970s, chiefly glyphosate, has and continues to build up in the food supply via water and soil, and into the body. This is augmented by chemicals used for public properties such as golf courses, parks, etc.

“Increased use of environmental chemicals is proven to slow down the brain receptors for serotonin and GABA, leading to an increase of depression,” Byrd explained. “Combined with the degradation of acetylcholine function (brain speed and memory) and neuron health leading to increased OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), headaches, insomnia and confusion, medications for depression are escalating at an alarming rate. All of this affects the immune system balance long-term.”

According to Myers, some common autoimmune diseases, like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and IBS “are related to inflammatory and histamine responses that attack the body rather than protect it. The conditions themselves are quite complicated, so it’s no surprise that retailers and consumers would find protocols for these conditions a challenge.”

For people dealing with autoimmune-related concerns, Terry Naturally’s BosMed line—Joint Support, Respiratory Support, and Intestinal Bowel Support may be a good choice. Boswellia regulates inflammation by inhibiting 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), Myers explained. The 5-LOX pathway is a specific type of inflammation, that when activated causes a number of effects, such as intestinal disorders, asthma and allergies, and arthritis pain and joint damage. Boswellia has been shown to inhibit that particular type of inflammation and the symptoms it incurs. “Our BosMed suite of supplements features a boswellia (Boswellia serrata) that is uniquely standardized for up to 10 times more acetyl-11-keto-B-boswellic acid (AKBA) than other extracts,” she said.

“From an herbal perspective, autoimmune diseases are treated using at least three categories of herbs. The primary groups are the immune amphoterics, immune-regulatory herbs and alteratives,” Winston explained.

He noted that many people believe that autoimmune disease wholly involves an overactive immune response. However, he noted, research shows that many (if not most) autoimmune conditions are from a prematurely aged immune system that causes a loss of normal regulatory control, which allows a loss of self-tolerance (the tolerogenic state) and an excessive immune response. “Immune amphoterics strengthen and nourish the immune system, allowing it to regain normal self-regulatory control. Herbs that fit into this category include reishi, maitake, astragalus, cordyceps, American and Asian ginseng, schisandra, ashwagandha, licorice and cat’s claw.

Immuno-regulatory herbs (turmeric, gotu kola, dan shen, huang qin, unprocessed rehmannia, sarsaparilla, bupleurum, cinnamon and boswellia) “inhibit an overactive immune response (without being immune-suppressive) by reducing inflammation and inhibit the deposition of immune complexes,” Winston explained.

Alternatives are herbs (e.g., sarsaparilla, yellow dock, burdock root, dandelion root, cleavers, red root, red clover) that Winston said augment normal eliminatory function through the liver, bowel, lymph, lung, kidneys and skin without exciting excessive secretions such as through the use of diuretics or laxatives, thereby helping to reduce metabolic load, improve methylation and cellular detoxification, and reduce inflammation.

“In addition,” he advised, “if the person has a chronic low-grade infection (linked to many autoimmune diseases), taking the appropriate antibacterial or antiviral herbs is essential. If the intestinal epithelial barrier is impaired, herbs such as turmeric, gotu kola, calendula, plantain leaf, fresh aloe gel, chamomile or licorice are indicated.”

Product Choices

Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics are formulated to create and maintain gut immune health because it directly delivers postbiotic metabolites. “One of the most important developments in the past five years or so is the increasing understanding of the role that postbiotic metabolites play in regulating many aspects of human health,” said Pelton. “Postbiotic metabolites are the compounds that probiotic bacteria make when they ferment/digest the fiber-rich foods humans consume.”

Wakunaga’s Moducare is a proprietary blend of plant sterols and sterolins in an effective ratio of 100:1, according to Levy, who noted that research has shown this ratio to act as an immuno-modulator. In-vitro and in-vivo studies show that Moducare enhances the proliferation and efficacy of lymphocytes and enhances the cytotoxicity of natural killer cells. It also was found to control inflammation by switching off pro-inflammatory factors interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-a.

However, said Levy, “even a well-balanced immune system can fall victim to the occasional viral or bacterial infection. When this occurs, Wakunaga’s Kyolic Formula 103 can fortify immunity with a powerful blend of aged garlic extract, astragalus, medicinal mushrooms, oregano and olive leaf. These ingredients have been clinically shown to enhance the activity of immune cells in response to bacteria, viruses and other microbial invaders for fast relief of self-limiting illnesses.

Because the immune system is so complex and there are numerous herbs that can help in different ways, Winston has roughly divided it into several categories with associated botanicals available from Herbalist & Alchemist.

Surface (non-specific) immune response mostly involves the secretory system (e.g., phagocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages). This correlates essentially with what traditional Chinese medicine calls the “Wei Qi.” It protects against external damaging influences such as viruses and extracellular bacteria. Herbs such as echinacea, spilanthes, yarrow, boneset and Herbalist & Alchemist’s formula Ultimate Echinacea, as well as demulcents stimulate the surface immune response.

The second, internal (specific) immune response maintains inner ecology, cellular immunity and surveillance of rogue cells. There are two main components to the internal (specific) immune system—when one system is active, the other is inhibited. The first component is cell mediated and includes T lymphocytes, especially Th1T lymphocytes, T helper cells, T suppressor cells, T cytotoxic cells and lymphokines. This system protects against viruses, fungi, protozoans, some bacteria (intracellular), as well as cancer cells. Herbs that Winston said seem to stimulate the cell-mediated immune response include reishi, honeysuckle flowers, usnea, myrrh, lomatium, garlic and Herbalist & Alchemist’s VX Immune Support. The second is humoral (immune globulin-mediated), which includes B lymphocytes and Th2T lymphocytes. This system protects against extracellular bacteria, some viruses and allergens. “It is believed that when this system becomes regularly dominant, it can trigger allergies,” Winston explained. Herbs that may stimulate humoral immunity include echinacea, basil and elderberry, as well as the formulas Ultimate Echinacea, VX Immune Support and Elderberry Solid Extract.

Immune reservoir, or the concept thereof, is the third immune category that consists of the bone marrow and gut immune system (GALT and Peyer’s patches), according to Winston. Immune potentiators such as reishi, maitake, astragalus, saw palmetto, codonopsis and chaga, as well as his company’s formulas Seven Precious Mushrooms and Immune Adapt (capsules or liquid) are useful for strengthening the overall immune system.

LifeSeasons Immuni-T “fuels a balanced and robust immune response,” said Rogosin. The herbal formula is a blend of widely known immune-support herbs andrographis, olive leaf, larch arabinogalactans, Echinacea purpurea leaf, Echinacea angustifolia root extract, goldenseal root and the ayruvedic herbal blend shilajit.

Terry Naturally (EuroPharma) has many formulations that support immune health, according to Myers. ViraPro is a “multivitamin for the immune system” as it supports the immune system with a blend of botanical, vitamin, and mineral ingredients. Key nutrients include a freeze-dried elderberry extract, zinc, and vitamins, A, C, D and E.

Myers related that several studies of the ingredients in ViraPro show direct immune benefit: a clinical study of 312 individuals found that the elderberry extract cut the risk of colds or flu in half. And, even those who did catch something had milder symptoms and a shorter duration of illness. One study found that those who consumed vitamin A following surgery saw an increase in lymphocytes, white blood cells that help prevent infection. Another long-term study found that each increase of vitamin D3 corresponded with a 7 percent lowered risk of infection. In one study, zinc reduced cold symptoms by 42 percent on the first day.

Illinois-based North American Herb and Spice offers more herbal options. According to Sdot Gallup, web developer for the company, oregano oil and elderberry are the two most recognized immune support ingredients, and the company offers Oreganol P73 and Elderol/Elder-C, which is “different than all other elderberry products because it is raw, uncooked wild elderberry extract. The enzymes and other key actives are still intact unlike syrups that have been rendered and cooked.”

Byrd reported that the newly evolved Ag404 molecular structure offers promise for long-term daily immune support for optimal health. “This new molecular structure is an advanced nano-colloid (not ionic) and offers a unique resonant frequency with many forms of action in the body,” she described. “The green light from the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) for safety and efficacy in 2014 is also paving the way for consumer confidence in the safe silver brand, Silverbiotics. Taking Silverbiotics daily allows the body to balance itself because the technology actually enables the organs to work as they was intended to function.”

Adaptogens are very suitable for customers who find themselves more stressed and anxious; both states tend to depress immune function. “Two of the best adaptogens are rhodiola and ashwagandha,” stated Myers, “which are in our Adaptra. These herbs have been used for centuries in traditional medicines to achieve and sustain immune balance and overall healthy balance.

“Our stress levels increase when we haven’t slept as much as we should, or we feel physically ‘off,’ or are dealing with any number of uncomfortable physical symptoms such as a headache,” she continued. “Adaptra works to improve mental and physical states. Personally, I love Adaptra anytime I’m going to have an intensive schedule or work at public events for an entire day or weekend. It helps me move through that day and stay focused and energized, and gives me the stamina to keep going. It also helps keep me healthy when I am traveling or in crowds. After all, it is not uncommon for people to come down with a cold after stressful events like tight work deadlines or final exams.”

Supporting immune performance is more than just taking appropriate and well-studied supplements. That’s just one part of what should be a more wholistic approach.

Pelton, Bellizzi and Levy all stated they believe that exercise every day helps ensure effective immune functioning. “Exercise can also help balance a weak immune response by increasing the number of immune cells in the body and helping the body efficiently detect and eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses,” Levy explained. Researchers at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found women participating in an aerobics class five days a week cut in half their risk of developing a cold. Another study Levy cited found that those engaged in moderate exercise had a 20 percent lower risk of an upper respiratory tract infection. “But these benefits only come from a consistent exercise program,” he underscored. Thirty to 60 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise three to five times per week and two to three weekly resistance sessions can keep the immune system fit and ready for whatever comes its way.

Healthy State of Mind

Other areas to address for immune system health include mental—“have a purpose and passion in life,” advised Pelton. “Meditate and stay connected,” he added. “Maintain satisfying friendships and relationships and appreciate and respect Mother Earth and nature.”

Byrd advised to encourage retail customers to find some hobbies that they enjoy and make time for dates with their spouse or good friends. Schedule a vacation—“Americans need more fun time and away from their daily work time. Unplug when necessary for a mental reboot. Also, limit toxic influences like negative people and work environments,” she urged.

Relaxation via meditation needs to be a part of your customers’ immune-enhancing lifestyles as well, as it can help lower stress, said Levy. He explained that meditation impacts the sympathetic nervous system and lowers plasma levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine. If customers say that it’s too difficult for them to meditate, deep breathing provides a noticeable calming effect and can be done anytime, anywhere. “Both practices will reset the stress thermostat,” he commented.

And, sources attested, always try to take the time to review diet with customers who are concerned about immune support and restoring healthy balance. So many of the foods and beverages retailers provide will go a long way to help them achieve immune-balance success. VR

For More Information:

American Biotech Labs, www.ablsilver.com
Essential Formulas, www.essentialformulas.com
EuroPharma USA/Terry Naturally, www.europharmausa.com
Herbalist and Alchemist, www.herbalist-alchemist.com
LifeSeasons, www.lifeseasons.com
North American Herb and Spice, www.northamericanherbandspice.com
NutriGold, www.nutrigold.com
Wakunaga of America, www.wakunaga.com; www.kyolic.com

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