3 Everyday Tips for Immune Support

By Emily Sohn, "3 Everyday Strategies to Boost Your Immunity," September/October 2010

Stay healthy with these 3 immune boosters.

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The New Vitamin D Debate
Quick Low-Calorie Dinner Recipes

1. Fill Your Vitamin D Tank.

You may have fewer health problems—ranging from colds to cancer—if you get enough vitamin D. Your body naturally makes vitamin D from sunlight. You can also get it—albeit in smaller doses—from fatty fish, such as salmon, and fortified milk. But because Americans don’t get enough vitamin D, most experts recommend a D supplement. New research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that taking such a supplement may help boost your immune system. In a study of more than 300 Japanese children, those who took daily vitamin D supplements (1,200 IU) were 40 percent less likely to get a common flu virus than kids who took a placebo. Laboratory studies indicate that the nutrient may help immune cells identify and destroy bacteria and viruses that make us sick, says Adit Ginde, M.D., M.P.H., a public health researcher at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. Aim to get at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily (check with your doctor before taking more).

2. Get a Daily Dose of Soluble Fiber. »