Immune Support for Back-to-School Season

It’s back-to-school season which means your family is likely going through an exciting but potentially stressful shift. Early mornings, new routines, new sense of self, and greater exposure to seasonal bugs. Classrooms, sports practices, gyms, and other shared spaces make it easier for germs to circulate. 

A healthy immune system develops based on learned responses to environmental exposures. The goal is to give the body the nutritional building blocks and lifestyle support it needs to respond well, recover efficiently, and keep sick days to a minimum.

Here are a few ways to support your immune system and that of your kiddo this season.

Fueling Appropriately

One of the simplest foundations for immune health is eating a colorful, antioxidant rich diet. Fruits and vegetables provide essential and immune benefiting nutrients such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene, flavonoids, and polyphenols that help protect cells from oxidative stress and recover from infection. 

I always encourage my patients to aim for at least 2-different color groups at each meal:

• Orange and yellow foods: carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, citrus, bell peppers

• Red and purple foods: berries, red cabbage, tomatoes, beets

• Green foods: broccoli, kale, spinach, herbs, peas

• White and tan foods: onions, garlic, mushrooms, cauliflower

Supplemental Nutrients and Herbs for Immune Support

Vitamin D

Aside from its widely known use as a bone support, our immune cells use vitamin D to help coordinate both immediate immune defenses and longer-term adaptive immune responses. Vitamin D also supports the integrity of the body’s physical barriers such as the skin as well as the lining of the respiratory and digestive tracts, all of which serve as an important first lines of defense against encountered pathogens. Because exposure to sunlight during the winter months in the midwest is insufficient for our cells to adequately synthesize this key nutrient, vitamin D status is often worth assessing particularly for children and adults with frequent infections.

Zinc

Zinc is essential for the development and function of many immune cells, including neutrophils, natural killer cells, and T and B lymphocytes. These cells help the body recognize and respond to infections appropriately. Food sources include pumpkin seeds, meat, poultry, seafood, beans, lentils, dairy products, and fortified foods. When dietary intake is limited or there is increased demand for zinc, targeted supplementation may be useful. That said, when it comes to zinc more is not always better. Long-term, high-dose zinc use can affect copper status, so dosing should be monitored and individualized by your health care provider.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a plant-based compound found in foods such as red onions, apples, broccoli, and citrus whose antioxidant activity can support a balanced inflammatory response. Quercetin is especially beneficial this time of year as it helps to stabilize mast cells that release histamine in response to common allergens. Therefore it can ease common allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes, and congestion.

Elderberry

Elderberry is the dark purple fruit of the black elder tree and is commonly used as a syrup, tea, lozenge, or capsule. It is one of the more familiar herbal options for seasonal immune support. I just harvested mine this past week and look forward to making syrup for my family this season. When used early in an acute illness, elderberry may be helpful in reducing the intensity or duration of upper-respiratory symptoms. Its rich anthocyanin content also contributes antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. 

Important Reminders

Supplements are useful tools but they work best when they support the basics. Our immune system also functions optimally on:

• Consistent sleep

• Regular meals with adequate protein and produce

• Proper hydration

• Daily movement and outdoor time

• Stress support and appropriate downtime

• Hand hygiene

• Respiratory etiquette such as covering coughs and wearing masks

• Taking time for rest and staying home when feeling unwell or actively sick

Where nutritional and lifestyle support are important fundamentals, they are not an alternative to nor should they replace recommended vaccinations. Informed, shared decision making is important and I encourage all families to discuss the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommended immunization schedule with their pediatric team. 

The goal of supporting immune health is not to completely avoid getting sick. That’s not possible. It is about helping the body respond appropriately, recover well, and stay resilient through the busy fall and winter months.

An integrative approach to immune health means allowing space for conventional prevention, healthy lifestyle practices and using appropriate, evidence-informed tools together to help children families stay healthy.