What Are the Best Supplements for Immunity?

We all get sick. It's no fun. It feels lousy. We dread it. And yet it's a predictable part of life. While cold and flu season comes around every year, there are foods and supplements you can take to strengthen your immune system and reduce the likelihood or severity of getting sick. 

Table of Contents:

• What Are the Best Supplements for Your Immune System?
• What Else Could Strengthen Your Immune System?
• What Could Weaken Your Immune System?
• Make Easy Changes to Support Your Immunity

What Are the Best Supplements for Your Immune System?

Your immune system is an intricate team and network of organs, tissues, and cells that are your body's first line of defense against infection. From your white blood cells to your lymph nodes, many interconnected parts of your body work together to prevent you from getting sick and jump into action to get you well. Research shows that the essential vitamins and minerals found in food and supplements may help strengthen your immune system function. 

Vitamin C

One of the more famous vitamins, vitamin C packs quite a health punch. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects the body from oxidative damage and also helps the body develop blood vessels, cartilage, and muscle tissue. These building blocks likely play a critical role in keeping our immune systems functioning. 

While not all of the mechanisms are understood, research suggests vitamin C strengthens immune health in several ways. Fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, are a famous way to get vitamin C through food, though supplements can be helpful as many people don't get enough through diet alone.

Research-backed vitamin C supplements like BodyBio Liposomal Vitamin C are a great choice because they're formulated to maximize absorption and impact, potentially up to three to six times more than typical vitamin C supplements.* Because of this liposomal ability to absorb directly into your cells (bypassing digestion), it's safe and recommended to take higher doses of Liposomal Vitamin C during times of illness or high stress.* 

Advanced recommendation: During illness or high-stress periods, consider higher doses (e.g., 1-2 grams spread throughout the day) to bolster immune resilience.*

Zinc

Like vitamin C, zinc is great at multitasking. A trace mineral needed in very small quantities, zinc is an antioxidant and also powers critical processes throughout our bodies, from DNA creation to healing and preventing infection. 

Zinc plays a critical role in multiple parts of the immune system, from the skin barrier to lymphocytes. Several studies have demonstrated that zinc supplements benefit human health regarding infection. Zinc reduces the amount of copper in the body so it's important to talk to your doctor and take copper as recommended to avoid copper deficiency.

Advanced recommendation: Liquid Zinc offers superior absorption. Since high-dose zinc can deplete copper, it's advisable to balance it with a small amount of copper (1-2mg daily) for long-term use.*

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is alas on the rise around the world from a mix of lifestyle and nutrition. While the best source of Vitamin D is sun exposure to our skin, vitamin D supplements are backed by research and are often essential as our bodies can only produce vitamin D year-round from the sun near the equator. Another critical multitasker, vitamin D benefits everything from our bones to our immune systems. 

One study in pregnant women found that vitamin D supplements increased regulatory T cell immunity, suggesting it has immune-boosting properties. A meta-analysis of ten different randomized controlled trials found a strong association between vitamin D supplements and the reduced risk of the flu, another indicator of a healthy immune system. 

Advanced recommendation: Optimize vitamin D levels (40-60 ng/mL) by combining supplementation (5,000 IU daily or as directed by your healthcare provider) with daily morning sun exposure to regulate circadian-driven immune function.*

Quercetin: Nature's Antiviral Bioflavonoid

Quercetin is a polyphenol with potent antioxidant and antiviral properties. It enhances zinc ionophore activity, meaning it helps shuttle zinc into cells where it can exert its immune-modulating effects.

Thankfully, there are many antioxidants to consider and they all help combat oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, which hinders immune function. While vitamins A, C, and E and zinc were mentioned earlier, other antioxidants to consider include selenium, manganese, flavonoids, and carotenoids. You can easily get antioxidants from healthy foods including berries, grapes, and kale, which are all high in flavinoids. 

Advanced recommendation: Take quercetin with bromelain for enhanced absorption. Pair it with zinc during cold and flu season for additional protection.*

Elderberry

A popular antioxidant to support immune system work is elderberry, a purple berry  often turned into a syrup. Like many other foods with antioxidants, elderberry's dark purple color is connected to its high concentration of anthocyanins, which also have many health benefits. While more research is needed, elderberry supplements are very safe and popular to help fight the common cold and other viruses. Here is a recipe we love to make and we always pair it with BodyBio PC for boosted cellular uptake. 

Adaptogenic Mushrooms: Reishi, Cordyceps & Turkey Tail

Long used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), adaptogenic mushrooms have exploded in popularity recently in the West for their stress-reducing properties. Adaptogens get their name from helping the body adapt to stress. Adaptogenic mushrooms include reishi, shiitake, maitake, lion's mane, cordyceps, and turkey tail. Thanks to their adaptogenic and antioxidant properties, adaptogenic mushrooms show promise for immune support. One study found that shiitake mushrooms consumed daily increased certain immune cells and other research indicates that mushrooms have many immune-boosting properties. 

Advanced recommendation: Consume a blend of adaptogenic mushrooms daily in powdered or capsule form to support both innate and adaptive immunity.*

Garlic

Garlic has been prized around the world for thousands of years both for its culinary and medicinal properties. Recent research suggests garlic enhances immune system functioning, including critical immune cells like macrophages, lymphocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells among many others. Whether you experiment with garlic supplements or cook with more garlic, you will be in good company.

Probiotics & Postbiotics: The Gut-Immune Axis

While most people connect probiotics to gut health, digestion, and the microbiome, probiotics make a lot of sense in the context of immune system health. Since 70-80% of immune cells reside in the gut, microbiome balance is critical for immune function. Probiotics introduce beneficial bacteria, while postbiotics (metabolites like butyrate) help regulate immune responses. While more research is needed to explore this hypothesis, probiotic foods offer many other health benefits so you can't go wrong.

Advanced recommendation: Use a high-quality probiotic and supplement with butyrate to support gut barrier integrity and inflammation control.*

What Else Could Strengthen Your Immune System?

Beyond supplementation, a holistic approach to immune health is essential:

• Morning Sun & Circadian Alignment: Expose your eyes to natural sunlight within the first hour of waking to regulate immune-modulating hormones like cortisol and melatonin.
• Cold Exposure & Sauna: Intermittent cold plunges and heat therapy (sauna) can enhance stress resilience and immune system priming.
• Nutrient-Dense Diet: Prioritize whole foods rich in bioavailable vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols (e.g., grass-fed meats, organ meats, fermented foods, and colorful vegetables).
• Stress Management: Chronic stress dysregulates immune function. Practice breathwork, meditation, or yoga to activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Quality Sleep: Prioritize deep, restorative sleep. Dim lights at night, avoid screens, and maintain a consistent sleep-wake cycle.

What Could Weaken Your Immune System?

Common lifestyle triggers and stressors can weaken your immune system. Alcohol, stress, sugar, and other inflammatory factors can take a toll on your immune system and resilience over time. The best thing you can do is to take care of your body and your mind, whether that's through lifestyle changes alone or seeking additional support from supplements for immunity.

• Chronic Stress: Elevates cortisol, which can suppress immune function.
• Ultra-Processed Foods & Seed Oils: Promote inflammation and impair gut health.
• Sleep Deprivation: Disrupts immune-regulating cytokines and T-cell function.
• Excess Alcohol & Sugar: Weakens immune defenses and disrupts the gut microbiome.
  

Make Easy Changes to Support Your Immunity

Choose ways to boost your immune system health that feel doable and achievable to you. The best immune strategy is proactive, not reactive. By integrating targeted supplementation, strategic lifestyle choices, and a holistic approach, you can build a resilient immune system capable of adapting to challenges.

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