Urijah Faber said, “good health is true wealth,” and nothing could be more true. Health is the greatest wealth—especially during the sick or flu season. And while we can take certain precautions—washing our hands, getting vaccinated, and getting enough sleep—we should also actively support our immune health by ingesting the right vitamins and minerals.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

The body’s large collection of bacteria is called the microbiome. An unbalanced microbiome can result in infection, poor gut health, and a weakened immune system. Probiotics are the body’s tiny warriors that defend the microbiome—they are the good bacteria that support other good bacteria and fight the bad. Probiotics can be found in foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, and kimchi.

Prebiotics are the food for the probiotic warriors; the prebiotics fuel and strengthen the good bacteria. Prebiotics are found in foods like bananas, greens, onions, and artichokes.

While it’s good to get prebiotics and probiotics from food, food doesn’t always contain the right amount or the types our bodies need. Using probiotic and prebiotic supplements can be a great way to access the right probiotics and prebiotics.

Prebiotics can be found in LiFiber, ProBionic, ProBionic Plus, Bios 7, Immunizen, and Hawaiian Noni. Probiotics are found in ProBionic and ProBionic Plus.

Green Tea Catechins

Did someone say “tea time”? Not only can green tea create a natural energy boost—it can also boost immune health!

Green tea catechins contain natural antioxidants that protect the body from oxidative stress—an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants. Catechins can also boost the immune system: epidemiologic studies have found that those who consume green tea typically have lower rates of contracting influenza.

And if you’re wanting an extra health boost, the epigallocatechin-3-gallate (ECGC) content—a powerful antioxidant—is three times higher in dry matcha leaves than regular tea leaves. So let’s drink up some Unicity Matcha or any of the products below!

Green tea catechins are found in Unicity Matcha Energy, Bios Life E, Unicity Matcha Focus, XXtra Power Generation, Liver Essentials, LC Ascent, and Core Health.

Zinc

After iron, zinc is the most present mineral found in the body, and it operates as one of the body’s key building blocks. Zinc is critical to the healthy development and function of immune cells, and it has been proven to decrease the duration of the common cold. The mineral can also aid in protein synthesis, healing wounds, normal growth and development, and possibly slowing age-related macular degeneration.

The body has no specialized system for storing zinc, so it must be consumed regularly. Below are some of the products that contain the vital mineral.

Zinc is found in many Unicity products such as Core Health, Quadplex, Complete, Balance, Cardio Basics, Vision Essentials, Bone Mate Plus, Vegan Complete, Neigene Collagen, Hawaiian Noni, and many others.

Vitamin C

Whenever the common cold strikes, the most frequently suggested antidote is vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential tool in the immune health arsenal, and it supports immune defense by aiding cellular function.

But before we begin gulping down orange juice, it’s important to note that different sources of vitamin C are broken down and absorbed by the body at different rates: Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Ascorbate, and Magnesium Ascorbate are each used at different rates. So to have a steady supply of vitamin C circulating throughout our bodies, it’s important to use a variety of sources.

Vitamin C can be found in Bio C, Vitamin B Complex with Vitamin C, Core Health, Bios Life C, and Cellular Essentials Kit (Cardio-Basics and Bio-C).

Echinacea

Echinacea, better known as the purple coneflower, is a flowering plant in the daisy family. It was long used, and is still used, as a remedy by the Plains Indians to aid sore throats, colds, coughs, and snake bite.

It is one of the plant types most well-known for supporting a healthy immune response, and it has been clinically proven to reduce the length and frequency of sickness as well as the severity of symptoms. Similar to green tea, echinacea also contains anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants that fight oxidative stress.

Instead of picking flowers to brighten your home, use them to enhance your immune system. Echinacea can be found in SIG and Red Clover.

Let’s take our immune health into our own hands by consuming essential vitamins and minerals that boost our immune system!

PLEASE NOTE: Make sure to consult your doctor before taking any dietary supplements.

Whether it’s a daily multivitamin, an on-the-go probiotic powder, or a vitamin C tablet, you’re probably very familiar with vitamins and supplements. Dietary supplements have gained increasing consumer interest in recent years, and they are only continuing to rise in popularity. A 2019 market analysis showed that the global dietary supplement market is expected to reach 216.3 billion in USD by 2026. With that statistic, and over 90,000 vitamin varieties available, it’s clear that supplements play an important part in nutrition.

But do the supplements in your medicine cabinet live up to their name? With all their popularity, do they truly make a positive impact on your health?

Benefits

Evidence suggests that vitamins and supplements can support health in a variety of ways. Calcium can support strong bones, vitamin C and E promote good cell health, vitamin B12 can aid in nerve and blood cell health, and fish oil promotes good heart health. Other research has shown that a combination of various vitamins and minerals can support vision loss prevention.

Some supplements are required to ensure proper development. One such example is prenatal vitamins. Expecting mothers require 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to help form the neural tube, thereby preventing fetal brain and spine damage. Just as a prenatal vitamin can help fetal development, taking supplements that contain nutrients you may not normally consume through food, such as vitamin D and zinc, can help your body develop and meet daily micronutrient requirements.

And with how busy and hectic life can get, taking the time to sit down and eat all the required nutrients is unrealistic. Supplements can support your on-the-go, quick-paced lifestyle so that you don’t have to compromise your nutrient intake.

Nutrient Deficiency Support

For people who are nutrient-deficient, supplements can offer the nutrients they wouldn’t otherwise receive. So if cheese and ice cream don’t sit well in your stomach, aka lactose intolerance, calcium supplements can provide the needed nutrients without the painful side effects.

Other medical conditions make supplements a necessity in preventing nutrient deficiencies. For example, adults diagnosed with osteoporosis require extra vitamin D in addition to what they get from their regular diets.

Important Precautions

While supplements can be beneficial and effective, it’s important to remember that they should not and cannot replace a healthy diet and lifestyle. Supplements are designed to supplement a healthy lifestyle and not create it. So, DO NOT abandon your broccoli and berries, but DO view supplements as a positive boost that can help you meet daily nutritional requirements.

It’s also imperative to consult your physician before implementing any supplements into your diet. One reason for this requirement is that certain supplements may nullify the effects of different medications—for example, iron supplements are known to impede the absorption of certain levothyroxine medications (medications designed to substitute or supplement the thyroid).

Proper Dosage

Be mindful of what vitamins you’re already incorporating into your diet, and follow the recommended dosage guidelines. So if you start the day with a large glass of orange juice, you’ll need to account for how much vitamin C is in the beverage before consuming a vitamin C supplement. Adhering to the dosage guidelines will help you receive the benefits and avoid negative side effects.

Unicity Supplements

It’s important to prioritize quality over quantity: well-made, science-based supplements are almost always a better choice than the sugary vitamin gummies at the local drugstore.

With nearly a quarter million supplements available, you may wonder what makes Unicity supplements preferable to others. Below are some unique qualities that are true for all Unicity products.

You can consume Unicity supplements with the assurance that the company only produces products that Make Life Better. So pour yourself a glass of Unicity’s LC Base, Unicity Matcha, or Balance with the confidence that you’re treating your body to only high-quality nutritional supplements.

We live in a world where sugary sweets and artificial additives are almost inescapable. The protein and fiber content in our food has decreased, sugar and carb content has increased, and packaged and processed foods surround us. Essentially, fuel—fat and carbs—is regularly prioritized over the body’s building blocks—protein, vitamins, and minerals.

It may seem that the obvious solution is to eat more fresh produce. We’ve all heard since before we could walk just how important it is to eat our fruits and vegetables—they provide essential nutrients, promote optimal health, and can reduce the risk of disease. But while fruits and veggies are necessary for a healthy lifestyle, it’s important to realize that the produce we pluck from the supermarket may not be as nutrient-rich as it once was.

CO2

In 1998, scientists were studying zooplankton and were surprised to find that they could make algae—zooplankton’s primary food source—grow faster if they exposed it to more light. The overexposure to light made the plants grow faster, but there was an unintended consequence: nutrient depletion. The algae became what potato chips are to humans—junk food—and the zooplankton began to die off. This discovery prompted scientists to ask how excessive CO2 exposure affects plants and the human diet.

Studies have suggested that protein intake is at risk, especially for those who eat plant-based diets, due to elevated atmospheric CO2. In addition to less protein, certain grains and legumes have reported lower concentrations of zinc and iron when grown under elevated CO2 concentrations. Overall, the research has been consistent in showing that minerals have decreased by eight percent on average in the produce we eat.

Other Pollutants

Just as smog pollutes our lungs, it pollutes plants in a similar way. Air pollution can harm plants directly through their leaves or indirectly through soil acidification. The pollutants can decrease the chance of survival, alter the physiological makeup, and damage appearance.

One of the more serious negative consequences is the depletion of soluble sugar—an important energy source for all living organisms. Studies have shown significantly depleted soluble sugar levels at all tested polluted sites.

Farming

Farming and cultivation techniques have also affected different fruits and vegetables. For example, corn used to be far different from the sweet-tasting side dish that accompanies summer picnics and Sunday dinners. Corn began as teosinte—a bushy plant with short spikes of grain, only five to 12 kernels, and the taste of a flavorless potato. Obviously, corn’s predecessor doesn’t sound too appealing, but it did contain ten times more protein than its sweet corn successor.

Over thousands of years, teosinte was mutated to contain more kernels and then later altered to have a sweeter taste with softer kernels. These mutations created a vegetable that, while delicious, is no longer near as nutritious.

Many farming techniques have created similar mutations in our favorite fruits and veggies. Peaches, bananas, eggplants, carrots, and more have been mutated into vastly different types of foods than their predecessors—different in taste, look, and nutrient composition.

A groundbreaking 2004 study examined food composition changes from 1950 to 1999, and the results revealed that—in the 43 crop varieties studied—protein, calcium, riboflavin, and iron were just some of the minerals that had been significantly depleted. The study suggested that changes in the cultivated varieties of fruits and vegetables over the 49-year period were to blame for the nutrient depletion.

Essentially, people wanted sweet, starchy produce, and that’s what the agriculture industry delivered!

So with changes in farming techniques, CO2 levels, and other pollutants…

What Do We Do?

Even though our produce may suffer from nutrient depletion, that doesn’t mean the fruits and vegetables we find at the grocery store or plant in our gardens aren’t worth eating. In fact, most doctors recommend that we should get the majority of our nutrients from a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables.

However, to make up for the nutrient loss and meet daily micronutrient requirements, dietary supplements can be a great solution. Check out our article about supplements to learn more. (Make sure to consult your primary physician before using supplements.)

Another way to combat nutrient depletion is by adding more vegetables and fruits to our diets. Getting creative with veggies and fruits can make it easy! Throwing a handful of spinach into a post-workout smoothie or adding extra veggies to our morning omelets are just a few ways to get all the necessary nutrients we need.

So let’s continue to chow down on kale and munch on strawberries! But let’s also remain aware of the nutrient levels in our food and our daily nutrient requirements.