5 Plants That Could Support Your Immune Health

Immune health is a hot topic, but what exactly does it mean to have a healthy immune
system? It doesn’t mean that we never feel a bit under the weather because that’s just a
part of life. Instead, immune health means our body keeps us well most of the time and
helps us bounce back quickly if we feel less than our best.

Many things can deplete our immune systems, including stress, poor diet, or lack of
sleep. So to counter these daily immune system stressors, people often turn to natural
ways to optimize immune health. One way to accomplish this is by using botanicals, or
plant-based supplements.

Botanicals and herbs have been used for centuries in traditional medicine to promote
vitality and well-being, passed down by knowledgeable healers from generation to
generation. For a long time, Western medicine largely dismissed these treatments, but
in recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the science of botanicals as a way
to support health

Some botanical supplements work by directly supporting the cells of the immune
system while others help by helping the body better regulate stress or improving sleep
quality, which also indirectly benefits immunity. Today, there is a growing body of
scientific evidence to support the use of certain botanicals for immune health. They are
powerful allies that can be part of a daily wellness routine. Here are 5 botanical
supplements that could help support your immune health.

1. Sambucus Nigra (Black Elderberry)

Black elderberry is more popular than ever, but it’s been used medicinally for centuries. 1 The berries and
flowers of elderberry contain antioxidants, which help protect the body against oxidative damage from
free radicals that could otherwise negatively impact your immune cells. 2

Some research suggests it may help when you’re feeling a little under the weather by supporting a
healthy immune response. Your immune system uses a complex array of signaling molecules to control
how your body responds to potential pathogens, and elderberry may help to regulate these signals. 3

A meta-analysis featuring 180 participants looked at the effect of elderberry syrup on upper respiratory
health and found that it shortened how long people felt under the weather, so it could be something to
use when you start to notice you don’t feel well. 4

2. Panax Ginseng (Ginseng or Korean Ginseng)

The powdered roots of Panax ginseng have been used historically in Traditional Chinese Medicine for
many aspects of health. 5 The word Panax is derived from Greek, meaning all-healing. 6

People given Ginseng saw positive changes in many immune cells, including: 7 8

• T cells, which are vital players in our adaptive immune system.
• B cells, which are essential for producing antibodies.
• Dendritic cells, which are key players in alerting the immune system to potential threats.

A lot of the research on ginseng points to its ability to support the equilibrium of the immune system, so
it’s primed and ready to keep you well. The benefit of ginseng may be related to compounds found in
the plant like saponins, ginsenosides, and other phenolic compounds that support immune health in your body. 9

3. Eleutherococcus Senticosus (Siberian Ginseng)

Although it shares ginseng in the common name, Eleutherococcus (or eleuthero) is different and affects
your health in different ways. Traditionally it’s used to support energy, Siberian ginseng is an adaptogen,
meaning it helps the body better deal with stress. 10

Adaptogens are plants that help the body to resist physical, chemical, or biological stressors by helping it
to maintain homeostasis. This may be beneficial for immune health because stress is known to have a
negative impact on our bodies, including immune cells.

Eleutherosides are the compound in Siberian ginseng that are thought to underlie its effects and support
healthy immune activity. In particular, Siberian ginseng could support T-cell production and Natural
Killer cell activity. 11 12 Remember, these immune cells are essential for keeping you healthy and
protected against potential threats.

When used in combination with Andrographis, a plant with a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine,
Siberian ginseng may provide additional positive health benefits. 13

Supportive nutrients for weight management

Many nutrients can support your efforts to maintain a healthy weight. While none of these will lead to
weight reduction on their own, they make sure that essential supportive processes in the body are
working optimally.

4. Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi)

Also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Reishi (or Lingzhi) is a woody mushroom used for centuries
for overall health and well-being. Reishi is one of the more studied mushrooms and has been called the
10,000-year mushroom or the Mushroom of Immortality. 14

Like the other plants listed above, Reishi helps modulate the immune response. 15 16 In fact, its action is
so potent that it’s not always recommended for people with autoimmunity because it can be so
effective at activating immune cells.

Interestingly, one study on athletes found that Reishi could support the immune response of healthy
athletes exposed to stress (this is important because strenuous exercise can temporarily deplete the
immune system). 17

Reishi also is considered a calming botanical that may support your immune system. Inflammatory
cytokines are chemical messengers that signal for inflammation as a normal part of the immune
response, but sometimes they can get out of balance. Reishi appears to help reduce the production of
some of these inflammatory cytokines, keeping your immune response in check. 18

5. Malpighia glabra (Acerola)

Acerola, also known as Barbados cherry or West Indian cherry, is a small, red fruit found in the tropics.
It’s often used as a food or beverage ingredient because it’s known to be one of the best natural sources
of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). 100 grams of Acerola contains about 1,600 mg of vitamin C – that’s 50 to 100
times the amount found in the same serving size of oranges or lemons. 19

Most people are familiar with vitamin C to support the immune system, and it does this by supporting
the activity of several important immune cells. 20 Vitamin C is essential for the function of neutrophils,
macrophages, and Natural Killer cells – all of which are important for a healthy immune system. 19

Vitamin C is helpful for both the adaptive and innate immune systems. 21 The adaptive immune system is
the part of the immune system that “remembers” threats and helps to protect you from them in the
future. The innate immune system is the first line of defense against potential threats. Supplements usually contain the synthetic form of vitamin C, but Acerola provides a natural form of
vitamin C. 22

Plants for Immune Health Key Takeaways

These five all have different mechanisms by which they support immune health. Some, like Siberian
ginseng and Reishi, help to modulate the immune response, while others, like Acerola, provide essential
nutrients that are necessary for healthy cells.

While a holistic approach is necessary to keep your immune system healthy, all these plants could be a beneficial way to stay healthy and feel well.

Caitlin Beale, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian and freelance health writer. She has a master’s degree in nutrition and over ten years of experience as a registered dietitian. You can learn more about Caitlin Beale, MS, RDN at www.caitlinbealewellness.com.

+The views expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of Pure Encapsulations®.

1 Tiralongo, Evelin, Shirley S. Wee, and Rodney A. Lea. Nutrients 8, no. 4 (March 24, 2016): 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8040182.

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3 Ulbricht, Catherine, Ethan Basch, Lisa Cheung, Harley Goldberg, Paul Hammerness, Richard Isaac, Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, et al. “An
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