A Balanced Immune System
The primary job of our immune system is to differentiate between our own cells and the cells of invaders and to recognize when our cells are out of control, dividing too rapidly or going to parts of the body where they’re not needed.
When our immune system is out of balance it means it is either under active or overactive. An under active or weakened immune system might look like a person who catches every cold in the winter. On the opposite end you have an overactive system which could look like allergies or autoimmunity.
This is why I love the idea of balancing our immune system as opposed to always ‘boosting’ it. If you already have an overactive immune system, this won’t be helpful. It’s important to note that there are times when stimulating our immune system is beneficial. For example, at the onset of a cold or as a precautionary measure if you’re about to get on a plane. But for the most part, we want to go deep to the root of the problem and support our body so it has appropriate responses to our internal and external world.
Before we get into herbs let’s talk lifestyle. This is the place to start, if we don’t address our daily habits like food, sleep, stress and movement, herbal medicine will not be as effective.
When you’re thinking of food, focus on eating as close to the earth as possible aka the less processed the better. I’m not into diets and food trends and super foods, I’m into foods in their whole form. If you can focus on this one thing you are sure to get more vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients into your body, all things the immune system loves.
Sleep and stress can often be overlooked, but high quality sleep and stress management are imperative!
Now for herbs:
There are 2 main categories of immune supportive herbs I want to talk about.
Immunomodulators: These are tonics that are slower acting and have a more prolonged affect. The thing that I love about immunomodulators is that they are balancing and so can be used for weakened immune systems AND overactive immune systems. Many of these plants are also adaptogens so they work by balancing the stress response. You can take these herbs daily through the fall and winter, you can take them for allergies but just be mindful that you need to take them daily and consistently over a longer period of time. Some examples are ashwagandha, astragalus, cordyceps, eleuthero, ginseng, holy basil, licorice, reishi, rhodiola, shiitake and schisandra.
2. Immunostimulants: These are herbs you use on a short term basis to address acute infections, not chronic, ongoing problems. You can take these at the beginning of an infection, when you think you’ve been exposed to something or even before you get on an airplane. Because they are stimulating, they would lead to imbalance if used long term. Some examples are boneset, echinacea, garlic, japanese honeysuckle, prickly ash, usnea and spilanthes.
Keep in mind that there are many ways to take herbs, you can take them by tea, tincture, powder, vinegar and as food. Most of the time it’s your own preference, but sometimes you have to take it in a particular form to access the medicinal components. If you need help with this you can always reach out to an herbalist (including myself).
