5 Nutrition Tips for a Healthy Immune System

1. Assess Your Daily Food Intake
When it comes to supporting a healthy immune system, experts often recommend adequate intake of vitamin C and zinc. But did you know that any nutrition deficiency can negatively affect your immune system?

There is scientific evidence that several vitamins (A, B6, B9/folate, B12, C, D, and E) along with trace elements (zinc, copper, selenium, and iron) are important for supporting a healthy immune system and reducing the risk of colds & flus.

It’s also important to consume antioxidants, such as CoQ10, α-lipoic acid, and certain plant polyphenols., which are important for your cellular defence.

While the direct immune system benefits are still under debate, scientific research has shown that a combination of certain vitamins, antioxidants, and polyphenols may induce body fat loss, which is likely to benefit your immune system in the long run.

In general, a multi-vitamin and multi-ingredient supplement are convenient ways to ensure that your nutrition supports a healthy immune system year-round. You can find dietary reference intake tables here and contact our team about our supplements here.

2. Eat the Right Amount of Macronutrients for Your Body and Lifestyle
Eating too much or too little can impair your immunity. Eating too much puts unnecessary stress on your body and eating too little can result in nutrition deficiencies. Therefore, it’s important to eat a well-balanced diet for your body and lifestyle habits.

Our team of scientists recommends following Canada’s Food Guide for long term health and well-being.

3. Be Mindful of How Age Affects Your Body’s Immune System
Ageing is inevitable, and all the cells in your body will age, including your immune cells. Therefore, enjoying a healthy diet and staying physically active are even more important as we grow older.

For older adults, certain nutrients become even more important for a healthy immune system.

● Protein deficiency is common as we age. So common it affects between 20-60% of older individuals. Keep in mind that your daily protein intake should be between 1.2 – 1.6g of high-quality protein per kg of bodyweight per day.

● Other nutrients that older adults may be deficient in are vitamin D3, calcium, B complex vitamins (B6, B9/folate, and B12), magnesium, selenium, and zinc. Our team of scientists highly recommend supplementing these nutrients to ensure a healthy immune system.

4. Ensure High-Quality Protein Intake for a Healthy Immune System
While protein deficiency is common among older adults, protein is a very important nutrient for people of all ages, especially when it comes to your immune system. A protein deficiency can increase the risk of colds & flus.

Your age, bodyweight, and physical activity level will determine the total amount of protein you need per day. If you’re highly active or an older adult, we suggest that you get between 1.2 – 1.6g of high-quality protein per kg of bodyweight per day.

Keep these protein tips in mind:
● High quality & complete proteins are preferred over low quality & incomplete proteins
● Animal proteins are higher quality than plant-based proteins
● Milk protein isolates are preferred over milk protein concentrates

With these considerations, our team developed Muscle 5 specifically to be an all-in-one shake that provides high-quality protein and other immune-boosting nutrients. Each scoop of Muscle 5 has 40 grams of high-quality whey and milk protein isolates from grass-fed cows, vitamin D3 (1,000 IU), calcium (450 mg), and creatine monohydrate (3 g).

5. Stay Hydrated for Overall Well Being
Staying hydrated is important for your overall well-being, including your immune system. Remember that the absence of water is lethal within days; thus, it’s critical to maintain hydration, especially during cold & flu season. Aim for 2-3 litres of fluids per day.

To help elite athletes stay hydrated and get proper nutrition to support their immune systems, we developed Restore 9. This recovery supplement contains everything an athlete needs for full muscle recovery, stress fracture resistance, electrolyte balance, and immune support.

Ingredients like vitamin D3, calcium, zinc, copper, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, along with New Zealand whey protein isolate, maltodextrin, sucrose, and dextrose, all work together to provide both direct and indirect immunomodulatory benefits, reducing the number of sick days an athlete will experience.

Learn more about Restore 9 here.