9 All-Natural Supplements to Boost Your Immune System This Fall

The fact that we rarely use conventional cold remedies at the Braswell house should come as no surprise. It’s my view that mild colds can strengthen our immune systems, preparing us to overcome more severe illnesses. And leaving cold symptoms alone allows our bodies to fight the germs and heal faster.

That said, we still need to support our immune systems as much as we can throughout cold and flu season. Especially as a parent, it’s important to me that our boys are well protected and able to fight symptoms quickly. Maintaining a healthy gut ecosystem, eating nutrient-dense foods, and intentionally boosting immune health are good avenues for this. Another great option is immune-boosting supplements.

Here I’m sharing nine natural supplements that are cold and flu season staples in our home. They truly make such a difference in how quickly we recover.

Nutrient-Dense Whole Foods vs. Immune-Boosting Supplements

I always recommend a food-first approach to wellness. Nutrient-dense foods (like beef liver, oysters, and raw dairy) provide bioavailable vitamins and minerals that your body usually absorbs better than natural supplements.

That said, the modern world makes it difficult to fill our nutritional needs with food alone. Poor soil health, erosion, and pesticides all contribute to unhealthy (and nutrient-deficient) crops. Not to mention the antibiotics, glyphosate, and GMO products fed to our meat sources.

Between low-quality food and high stress levels (which further deplete our nutrient stores) it can be difficult to get the vitamins and minerals we need. Combined with a healthy and intentional diet, immune-boosting supplements can improve our ability to fight against the common cold and the flu. My family uses many of these natural supplements on a daily basis.

Liquid Vitamin C

This is the go-to immune-boosting supplement for most people fighting cold or flu symptoms. But it’s important to know that not all vitamin C supplements are created equal. Synthetic ascorbic acid is the lab-made version of vitamin C, so it’s less bioavailable and usually less effective. When searching for a liquid vitamin C brand, you want to choose one that uses whole-food vitamin C. On the label, it should specify that the vitamin C comes from whole fruit extracts. We love brands like Mary Ruth’s, Purely-C, or MitoLife.

Bee Propolis

Found in bee hives, this compound contains both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. Bees use honey and propolis as part of their immune system (they even use it as an antiseptic for their hive). Meaning, it can be incredibly beneficial to us when fighting cold or flu symptoms. Bee propolis sprays and throat drops are great for sore throats and immune system upkeep.

Homemade Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry is packed full of natural vitamin C — but that’s just one of its many benefits. It’s known to help lower inflammation and contains antioxidant properties to protect your cells. You can count on elderberry for rich stores of flavonoids, folate, iron, calcium, and vitamin A. We love sourcing homemade elderberry syrup from our local farmer’s market. You can also buy it online from a brand like Mary Ruth’s.

Cod Liver Oil

Another whole-food supplement, cod liver oil is extremely rich in vitamin A. Although not as well-known as other immune-boosting supplements, vitamin A is essential for cell function. It can regulate the immune response cells, and it acts as the first line of defense against germs and viruses. We love Rosita Cod Liver Oil and Green Pasture Cod Liver Oil supplements and take them daily (even when it isn’t flu season).

Magnesium Supplements and Mineral Bath Salts

You can get magnesium orally and topically — through magnesium supplements and magnesium bath salts. If you’re fighting the flu, magnesium is a great resource to help you ease cramps and body aches. As for the immune system, magnesium is a powerful way to calm oxidative stress and improve lung function. One study showed that higher magnesium intake was associated with fewer (and often less severe) COVID-19 symptoms.

Homeopathic Remedies

If you’re concerned about supplement side effects or feel unsure about building your own immune-boosting supplement routine, homeopathic remedies could be helpful for you. These remedies are made from highly diluted plants, so they’re extremely safe to use. The best homeopathic remedy is one that perfectly matches your symptoms (even down to the color of their nasal discharge). Our favorite homeopathic remedies to have on hand are ColdCalm (a blend from Borion), ferrum phosphoricum (for fevers), and calcarea carbonica (to boost general immunity).

Beef Liver

Organ meats are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet (call them a superfood). Grass-fed beef liver is full of B vitamins, vitamin A, choline, folate, iron, copper, and vitamin K2. In my practice, I often use beef liver to replace a holistic prenatal vitamin. The nutrients in grass-fed beef liver are naturally occurring, which makes them more bioavailable than even the best natural supplement. The high levels of nutrients in beef liver help to nourish your cells — supporting their defense against the common cold and more serious illnesses. Most people take desiccated beef liver supplements (I like the Perfect Supplements brand), but you can also cook it at home.

Oyster Zinc

If you get sick often, you may find a zinc supplement to be helpful. It’s not as commonly recommended as vitamin C, but zinc plays a role in your immune system that’s just as important. Zinc helps with both innate and adaptive immunity — which means it functions on the frontlines of your immune system health at all times.

I always recommend whole-food immune-boosting supplements, and zinc is no different. The Smidge brand takes zinc from oysters, keeping all the nutritional cofactors intact. Meaning, you’re less likely to upset your copper intake when you consume this zinc.

Electrolyte Supplements

Staying hydrated is a simple way to stop flu symptoms in their tracks (or at least make them easier to manage). But I don’t mean just chugging water.

Natural water used to contain plentiful minerals and electrolytes. But modern water sources are overly filtered, with chlorine and fluoride added. This makes it much more difficult to stay hydrated (and too much purified water can even strip electrolytes out of the body).

Whether you’re sick or not, I always recommend adding minerals back into your water. You can do this with high-quality salt or an electrolyte supplement. Our family uses the BodyBio electrolytes and Redmond’s Re-Lyte.

Always Turn to Natural Flu Remedies as Your First Line of Defense

While some immune-boosting supplements (like vitamin C) are considered the holy grail, each nutrient in your body has an important role to play when fighting disease. Your body’s response to cold and flu symptoms can tell you more about how it will respond when facing a more serious illness.

At my house, we look at flu season as an opportunity to tweak our diet and immune-boosting supplement protocol to find the best support, year round. We always use natural supplements, whole foods, and plenty of rest as our first line of defense against illness. That said, it’s okay if you exhaust your options and need to try something conventional (especially in the case of a high fever). No matter how “crunchy” you are, there’s always room for balance.

Want to learn more about what I keep in my family’s remedy cabinet? Download my full guide to learn what I keep stocked for the fall / winter months.

About the Author:

Katie Braswell is a holistic nutritionist focused on optimizing women’s health at all stages of pregnancy and motherhood. She believes women’s health recommendations are drastically behind the times and has made it her mission to change that — using real food and ancestral methods that help women regain vibrancy and wellness. Her continued education has led her to graduate from the Lily Nichols Prenatal Nutrition Institute and the Fertility Academy.

*For full transparency, as an affiliate of these brands, I may be compensated for my endorsement. I have chosen to partner with these companies because I truly believe in the quality and use them regularly for my family and myself.