My Favorite Immune Support Protocol

August 24, 2023 Dr. Anna Cabeca

Immune support. It’s one thing you don’t think about until you need it, right? When the sun is shining and lazy days by the water are on your agenda, you aren’t thinking about the sniffles, sore throats, and congestion that cooler temps often bring.

Not to be downer, but it’s my job to remind you that it’s time to start thinking about supporting your immune system now, before it’s too late. An ounce of prevention now is worth a whole boatload of cure later.

And after 30+ years in medicine, I’ve developed a protocol with all natural ingredients to give your immune system the love it needs: Vitamin C + Zinc + Maca + D3/K2 + NAC = the best back to school immune support.

Here’s why these specific nutrients are my top picks.

Why Is It So Important To Support Your Immune System?

There are so many things to love about this time of year. The crisp autumn air and the leaves changing colors always make me wonder at the glory of God’s creation. And when the pumpkins and harvest-themed decor starts to show up, it just makes me happy.

But with the start of the school year, cooler weather, and less sunlight, other, less desirable things start to show up, too.

Bacteria and viruses that make you sick.

With kids crowding into classrooms together and not being all that great at proper hygiene, they can bring home some serious germs this time of year.

Plus, as sunlight starts to wane, so does our natural source of Vitamin D — along with its powerful immune system support.

This is why now is the time to start working on your immune system health. This is your chance to start building up your immune system lines of defense and supporting your overall immune system response — before winter officially rolls in and makes things even worse.

Let’s dive into my favorite ways to support your immune system so you’re ready!

My Top Picks For Immune System Support

Supporting your immune system isn’t just a one and done type of situation. You’ve got to carefully build a solid, whole-body foundation of health that includes support from many different angles. You’ve got to create an “immune support system.”

Here’s my short list of best immune system vitamins and supplements.

Vitamin C For Immunity

Probably the most famous immune support supplement is vitamin C. Yes, vitamin C for immune support has been a household staple for ages. But even though we know vitamin C is good for your immune system, most of us aren’t getting enough daily for proper immune support. And unless you take high quality, bioavailable vitamin C supplements, your body can’t reap the benefits of this amazing vitamin.

So why is vitamin C so great for immune support?

Well for one thing, it’s needed for so many bodily functions, and your body can’t make it. So you’ve got to ingest it. (1)

And then there are the studies, like the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study done all the way back in the 70s, where over two thousand participants who took vitamin C were tracked. The vitamin C group were less likely to get sick and had less severe colds when they did. (2)

Vitamin D3 And K2 For Immune Support

Another one of my favorite immune support vitamins is the combination of vitamin D3/K2.

Vitamin D is absolutely crucial for dozens of bodily functions and organs, including your heart, your brain, and your bones. It’s also an important immune system ally. (3,4) And while your body can synthesize vitamin D after sun exposure, in the fall and winter months, it can be extremely challenging to get as much vitamin D as you need to keep everything humming along properly.

This is where vitamin D supplements come in.

But, I like to use vitamin D supplements in conjunction with vitamin K2. Why? Because these two nutrients are like best friends. They work together in your body, especially to metabolize calcium — which is amazing news for your bone health (especially for perimenopausal and menopausal ladies!). D3 and K2 also synergistically support heart health. (5)

Immune Support Superstar: Zinc

Zinc is one of those minerals that our bodies desperately need — for almost 100 chemical reactions in the body…but most of us aren’t getting enough of. It’s regarded as an antioxidant. (6) And you can’t really understate how much your immune system needs zinc. In fact, a zinc deficiency can lead to inflammation and even atrophy of the thymus (a gland that helps protect your immune system). (7)

Again, it can be challenging to get enough zinc into your diet. It’s found in shellfish, meat, nuts, and seeds, but, is notoriously hard for the body to absorb.

And that’s why I love zinc supplements. They’re a great insurance policy to fill in the gaps of your diet. In fact, a meta-analysis of studies about zinc supplementation concluded that zinc can reduce the duration of cold symptoms by as much as 48%. (8,9)

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) And Immune Health

Have you heard about N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) for immune support? Honestly, it deserves all the hype it’s gotten, because it’s one of the best immune support supplements around.

NAC is an amino acid that’s known for being a precursor to the body’s master antioxidant, glutathione. (10) NAC is widely considered to promote an immune response and demonstrate anti-inflammatory characteristics. (11,12)

In fact, in one small study of postmenopausal women, NAC administration significantly improved markers of inflammation — to the point where the postmenopausal ladies’ blood marker values were closer to those of much younger women. What’s really remarkable is the fact that these effects were also observed 3 full months after study participants stopped taking the NAC supplements. Researchers attributed this to NAC’s effect on the immune system. (13)

A Quick Note About Your Immune System And Stress

Remember how I said you’ve got to support your whole body when it comes to immune support? Well, your adrenals and your immune system are intimately connected.

Which means stress can seriously impact your immune system. In fact, more than 300 studies have looked at the relationship between stress and immunity over the years, and the results are clear: psychological stress can modify your immune response. (14)

This is why I love adaptogens, especially maca. Adaptogens help your body “adapt” to stress…because it’s not like you can simply erase stress from your life. You’ve got to learn how to mitigate its effects.

Mama Doctor’s Immunity Bundles

After 30+ years in medicine, I’ve put together the perfect immunity protocols for supporting your immune system the right way.

To make it easier on you, I’ve bundled all of my favorite immune supporters together. This covers all of your bases, from highly bioavailable vitamin C all the way to your stress response.

This bundle is ideal to start taking regularly now — before you get sick. But it’s also perfect to have on hand in case you need acute support!

Check out my Mama Doctor Immunity Bundle Deluxe here.