What makes immune protection such a strong pillar of optimal health?

The prevalence of modern day stress has been met by a shift in how we manage it while protecting our immune system. That shift has become a fundamental pillar of best practices in the natural health industry.

It is important because we are all prone to stress and pathogens on a daily basis. Physical, mental, emotional or environmental, stress can deplete our immune system.  Some of us have a naturally greater capacity to fight stress and rarely get sick, whereas others chronically feel sick, run down and tired.

Either way, we can visualize the body as a castle.  The wall of the castle – your skin, bones and connective tissue – is designed to keep things out.  Your mucosal membranes, genital urinary tract and eyes function like a moat.  Inside your body is an army of cells; millions of loyal soldiers maintaining the fortress and multitasking as a self-defense system literally comprised of archers, sentries, intelligence agents, communicators and armed guards.

With daily attacks from bacteria, viruses and parasites, it’s easy to imagine how taxing it is for the protectors of your human castle to keep your immune system strong and active.

This is where a protected – and balanced — immune system comes in.  An underactive immune system makes us more prone to colds, flu, disease and infection. On the other hand, if your immune system is overactive, it can be subject to allergies and can potentially trigger an autoimmune response. As in our castle analogy, an optimal immune system is a balanced one.

In order to keep your defenses strong, it is more important than ever to support your immune system. The best approach is a holistic one of reducing your toxic load, maintaining a well-balanced diet while incorporating natural supplementation and positive lifestyle solutions to reduce and mitigate stress.

On that front, medicinal mushrooms have proven to be powerful allies in the fight against stress by working as immunomodulators1; substances that bring balance or calm and activate the immune system, as needed. Medicinal mushrooms also share the remarkable qualities of adaptogens, which protect our bodies from all forms of stress.  They literally help our cells adapt to stressors. These adaptogens are unique in their capacity to support both the mind and the body in combating the effects of chronic stress.

One of the most efficient ways to bring medicinal mushrooms – these effective immunomodulators and adaptogens – into our regimes is through natural supplementation with PURICA Immune 7.  It is a dynamic formulation of six medicinal mushrooms — agaricus2, cordyceps3, coriolus4, reishi5, maitake, shiitake6 — along with Nutricol®, a proprietary blend of grapeseed and green tea to provide comprehensive immune support.

Using PURICA Immune 7 – with its use of micronized medicinal mushrooms for better absorption —  can strengthen the walls to our castle and ensure that our immunity is optimized to protect us, not only throughout the fall and winter seasons, but year-round.

 

1 Immune Modulation From Five Major Mushrooms: Application to Integrative Oncology, Integr Med (Encinitas). 2014 Feb; 13(1): 32–44. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684115/

2 Effects of the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill on immunity, infection and cancer. Review article Hetland G, et al. Scand J Immunol. 2008. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/18782264/

3 Pharmacological and therapeutic potential of Cordyceps with special reference to Cordycepin, 3 Biotech. 2014 Feb; 4(1): 1–12. Published online 2013 Feb 19. doi: 10.1007/s13205-013-0121-9 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4202470/

4 Coriolus versicolor mushroom polysaccharides exert immunoregulatory effects on mouse B cells via membrane Ig and TLR-4 to activate the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways.
Yang SF, et al. Mol Immunol. 2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/25480394/

5 Reishi immuno-modulation protein induces interleukin-2 expression via protein kinase-dependent signaling pathways within human T cells., Hsu HY, et al. J Cell Physiol. 2008. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/18189229/

6 Immune-enhancing effects of Maitake (Grifola frondosa) and Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) extracts, Ann Transl Med. 2014 Feb; 2(2): 14. doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.2014.01.05 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4202470/

In association with:

Tawnya Ritco, RHN

Tawnya Ritco is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN), product specialist and health educator with Purica who was first inspired 20 years ago by her family to study the relationships between food, hormones, blood sugar and cardiovascular and overall health. She now has more than 12 years of direct experience in the natural health industry with a focus on active living, healthy eating and whole food supplementation. Her career’s work has included the promotion of herbal remedies, marine phytoplankton and now the dynamic line of natural supplements carrying the Purica brand name. A 2008 graduate of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, she has represented Purica since 2009. Her passion is the power of natural whole foods, plant-based nutrition and educational marketing.