Alternative Medicine’s Answer to Seasonal Wellness—Part 3

Posted by Ben:

Earlier this week, I started a three-part series focusing on one topic, seasonal wellness. In Part 1, I discussed how silver is good for immune system support. On Wednesday, for Part 2, I explored the world of Homeopathic medicine by talking about the flu-fighting benefits of Oscillococcinum. Today, however, is a bonus. Why? Because today I’m going to cover three products that are great for seasonal wellness and immune support.  

Part Three: Vitamin D, Astragalus and Olive Leaf

 
First off, let’s look at Vitamin D, because there’s been an increasing amount of coverage lately given to this special vitamin, which acts more like a steroid hormone than a true vitamin, and how it may help support health and wellness.

 
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally produced by the human body when exposed to direct sunlight. Unfortunately, most of us live far away from the equator, work indoors, travel in cars, socialize inside and lather on the sunscreen whenever we do take the opportunity to go outside and soak up some rays.

 
The 100% Daily Value for Vitamin D used for product labels is 400 IU. The NIH has set the safe upper limit at 2000 IU, but acknowledges newer data supporting an upper limit as high as 10,000 IU/day. However the average diet, or the Standard American Diet (SAD), only account for about 100 IU a day. This is why it’s important to discuss supplementation with your primary health care provider to help you determine if you’re getting enough D in your diet. Video: What is the Best Vitamin D Supplement?

 
While Vitamin D has long been known as a strong component of bone health, as it works hand in hand with calcium to help ensure proper bone nutrition, D also plays a role in moderating a healthy immune system. A recent study was published by researchers at Oregon State University that found some starting evidence of the important of Vitamin D in regard to the immune system. The news release concerning the study stated:
 

The fact that this vitamin-D mediated immune response has been retained through millions of years of evolutionary selection, and is still found in species ranging from squirrel monkeys to baboons and humans, suggests that it must be critical to their survival, researchers say.

The research also provides further evidence of the biological importance of adequate levels of vitamin D in humans and other primates, even as some studies and experts suggest that more than 50 percent of the children and adults in the U.S. are deficient in "the sunshine vitamin."

"The existence and importance of this part of our immune response makes it clear that humans and other primates need to maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D," said Adrian Gombart, an associate professor of biochemistry and a principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
See full release here.

 

Astragalus
 
Astragalus, or astragalus root, is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. In western herbal medicine, as well as the traditional Chinese medicine, one of astragalus’ main uses was to strengthen a healthy immune system, making it another perfect herb in a discussion of seasonal wellness.

 
In fact, it’s been covered once before here on the Swanson Vitamins Blog. Instead of revisiting, I’ll direct you to my last post on the natural health benefits of Astragalus. 

 
Olive Leaf
 
And finally, there’s Olive Leaf, which I was not actually planning on covering in this series, but thanks to a few loyal Facebook Fans, I decided to include it. The Bible itself actually refers to the olive tree as the “tree of life.” That’s a pretty strong endorsement right there, but the testimonials from our customers is what convinced me that it’s a serious contender for wellness support.

 
Everyone knows the health benefits of olive oil, as it’s one of the cornerstones of the Mediterranean diet. But the leaves of the olive tree have also been used throughout the years to support a healthy lifestyle and protect a healthy immune system. Similar to green tea, olive leaf extract helps support three main factors: natural energy levels, cardiovascular health and immune health. Makes you wonder if the real secret to living a healthy life lies in the color green.

 
I hope this three-part series on seasonal wellness was as much fun and informative for you as it was for me to write. Hopefully, taking a few extra steps to protect our good health and strong immune systems will help us all have a season of wellness.

 
Thanks to our Facebook Community for adding inspiration to today’s post. If you’re not a fan, you’re missing out. It’s easy to join, and if you’re not already on Facebook, creating account only takes a minute or two. Then, you can share ideas and questions with over 3,000 other natural health aficionados.

 
Posted by Ben