The legendary and sought-after "immune boost" somewhat resembles "detoxification". It has become widely talked about, but it is covered by a somewhat vague feeling, you might say, and it is one of the first things we wonder about when faced with a product. Does it boost the immune system? It does, and companies never miss the opportunity to assure us of that by advertising various forms of vitamin C. I read a review where someone took omega-3 and was happy that yes, they "boosted the immune system" (although that is not primarily what omega-3 does for us).
What happens is that various plants in nature have developed their own defense mechanisms to protect themselves from external threats that stress them (microorganisms, diseases, sun radiation, etc.). No one guaranteed us that by consuming these plants, the same phytochemicals would perform the same function in our bodies. They could be incompatible with us for a thousand reasons. But that is exactly what happens.
What are some of these plants? In India and China, they have plenty of their own (turmeric, ashwagandha, bacopa), which they early on realized have various beneficial actions and from which their "traditional medicines" emerged. Many are well known to us, such as green tea, cocoa, ginkgo biloba, echinacea. The red grape. Our own, ancient (but widely cultivated in Europe and Asia) sea buckthorn is exactly the same. Your familiar spirulina.
Another category is various dark-colored berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, etc. The dark color is not for beauty - it is a form of protection, obtained from the rich flavonoids they contain. One of these is elderberry, which is available here.
With all of these, what happens when we consume them is that they provide us with a wealth of beneficial phytochemicals with antioxidant activity. In contrast to plain vitamin C, which tries to work alone, here phenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, triterpenes, and various others work together. Most will also contain various vitamins and minerals, but that is not what sets them apart. It is this phenolic profile.
These help us in the same way as plants, by fighting the effects of external stress on our bodies - intense physical exertion, stress, poor diet, sun radiation, an infection, anything that strains us, all create oxidative, inflammatory reactions.
The same will be done for us by elderberry here. It may increase certain inflammatory cytokines (IL-8, TNF-a) that we want to work in case of an infection, so it will "boost the immune system". But the main mechanism is the antioxidant activity that will assist our bodies in dealing with oxidative stress.
Our bodies have naturally developed their own antioxidant mechanisms through evolution - powerful enzymes with names unknown to us work tirelessly and patiently for our health, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, etc. With something like elderberry (or vitamin C), we provide them with reinforcements as they tire and deplete themselves in the battle against oxidative stress.
It is good that we can find something like this for ourselves and our loved ones. When we are not talking about young children, having a spoonful of elderberry when we need it is something we can always have.
From there on, taking into consideration the above, a phytochemical composition with broad antioxidant action like the ones mentioned above is good for us all year round - not just when we catch a cold. From these, we will also gain many other benefits - a sense of well-being, energy, and a brighter complexion. We can see what else is available and we can incorporate it for a few months of the year.
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