Does a Vitamin a Day Keep The Doctor Away? Sustainable Supplements to Boost Your Immune System

Alice Hartwell

Our immune systems can take a beating in the modern world. Stress, travel and changing seasons can all impact our body’s ability to fight off viruses and illnesses that seem to run rampant as the evenings get darker. Enter daily vitamins and supplements – seemingly the remedy for our collective health woes. This topic has divisive discourse, with some swearing by the benefits of supplementation, while others consider them just another extension of wellness capitalism.

(source: Pinterest)
@babybella777 mornings with me before we start making things for you cc @Orebella ☁️🤍🫶🏼🪩 #orebella ♬ ♡ ᶫᵒᵛᵉᵧₒᵤ ♡ - SoBerBoi

Bella Hadid recently shared her extensive morning supplement routine on Tiktok

Personally, I see both sides of the argument. While I’m certain the average healthy individual doesn’t need a drawer full of daily vitamins to function, my own experiences won’t let me write them off entirely. For years, I have battled with chronic tonsillitis – we’re talking 4+ times a year of swollen throat hell. Every time I felt a little rundown or went through a particularly intense period of stress, I could call it like clockwork. It became very clear that my immune system was in pretty bad shape, she was crying out for help and needed some support. At the start of the year, I started taking a multivitamin, not feeling especially hopeful. To my welcome surprise, not only have I not had tonsillitis once, but I haven’t really been sick in any regard, which I feel can’t be a coincidence. 

 

As with all wellness, it works differently for everyone, but I would certainly consider giving daily supplements a chance if you suffer from regular sniffles throughout the autumn/winter period. Here are a few sustainable, immune-boosting products I’ve found to keep you fighting fit with the changing season.

Vitamin C

There’s a reason we all reach for orange juice when combatting a cold – vitamin C is revered for its immune-boosting properties and stimulation of defensive white blood cells. According to The Nue Co., these capsules will provide you with the pure vitamin C equivalent of 15 oranges when taken daily. The wellness brand focuses on sustainable-sourced, ethical formulations, with organic, community-sourced ingredients.

Vitamin C - The Nue. Co

Zinc

Another essential mineral for optimum bodily function, Zinc helps your immune system fight off bacteria and viruses. As a bonus, it can also help with skin and hair health and promote healthy cognitive function. Wild Nutrition is a trailblazing sustainable wellness brand based in East Sussex that has recently been awarded B-Corp status for its conscious commitments. 

Food-grown Zinc Plus - Wild Nutrition

Vitamin D

Sunlight becomes a little harder to come by as we move into autumn, so time to start getting your supplement fill instead. Boost your immune system in the most ethical way possible with these vegan capsules from Ethical Nutrition, made completely plastic-free and packaged in recyclable materials.

Vegan Vitamin D - Ethical Nurition

Probiotics

Another supplement I personally swear by is probiotics. I find their effect the most visual, with a noticeable difference to my daily bloating when I skip a dose. Besides this, they also support a healthy immune system by keeping a good balance of healthy gut bacteria. I have been taking these capsules from Bio-Kult for years and wouldn’t be without them in my morning routine. Last year, this brand planted over 30,000 trees as part of its environmental conservation commitments and partnership with the climate action platform Ecologi.

Everyday Probiotic - Bio-Kult

Share This Story

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Pinterest
WhatsApp

Related Posts

What To Do in September

Summer might be nearly over but we’d argue that September is actually the biggest month around for sustainability – not only is it Secondhand September and Sustainable Fashion, but you’ve also got Fairtrade Fortnight and Zero Waste Week too. Here’s our September round-up of the things to do that are making into ours….

Read More

What To Do in August

From craft beer and canoeing, to sustainable cocktail bars and wild food walks, here’s our round-up of the top the capital has to offer in August, all with a sustainable, ethical or positive impact twist.

Read More