Building Resilient Immune Systems for Kids: A Natural Approach

A strong immune system is the body’s first line of defense. By giving it the right kind of support through good lifestyle habits and a daily dose of optimal nutrition, you can boost your little one’s resilience for a healthier and happier childhood.

Nurturing a Strong Immune System

At its best, the immune system runs like a well-oiled machine, ensuring that the body is protected from threats and we can bounce back with relative ease after setbacks. It can even be easy to forget it’s there, busy at work in the background of our daily lives. But even a robust system needs upkeep and care to keep running smoothly! 

Healthy lifestyle practices help ensure that the body is responsive to our environment and potential threats–without becoming too reactive or suppressed, which are signs of a compromised immune response. There are multiple health habits that parents can use as building blocks for a more resilient immune system. Let’s take a look at a few:

• Sleep is critical for immune strength. Research shows the body produces cytokines during sleep, which are proteins that prompt a robust immune response when needed. We lose out on these protective benefits when sleep is lost–and kids need even more of it than adults. During the school-age years alone, kids require 9-12 hours of quality shuteye. Sticking to a consistent bedtime routine–which includes putting aside distractions and devices with blue light at least an hour before winding down–primes the body for sleep, where the body can recover and manage daily environmental stressors.

• Good hygiene might go without saying, but teaching kids to wash their hands thoroughly—especially before eating, after using the restroom, and after being in public spaces—can go a long way to keep the immune system from working overtime. Although easy to overlook at times, dental hygiene and immune function are also closely linked. When in doubt, you can’t go wrong getting squeaky clean from head-to-toe!
• Physical activity and spending time outdoors can also have immune-boosting effects. Moderate exercise has been shown to improve immune function, for instance, and while stress can weaken immunity over time, exposure to nature is linked to stress reduction.

This means that engaging in family and social activities like playing in the park, hiking, or even simple backyard games can not only improve kids’ physical markers of health, but also promote greater resilience.

• Nutrition plays an essential role in immune health, and one that should never be overlooked! A balanced, whole-food diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats provides the vitamins and minerals necessary to fuel the immune system and support important immune cell activity.

Natural Ingredients for Immunity

Here are some superstar ingredients to look out for to give your little one an extra boost of immunity:

Elderberry is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, particularly anthocyanins, which are known to boost immune function. They also promote the production of those all-important cytokines and have long been used as a natural remedy. Around 400 BC, even the “father of medicine,” Hippocrates, gave elderberry a shoutout for its many uses.

Vitamin C is a trusted go-to for immune support, and for good reason! Besides having an intriguing history (sailors once relied on citrus fruits to thrive during long sea voyages), this vitamin has been shown to protect immune cells from oxidative stress and support the production of white blood cells.

Probiotics, or "good" bacteria, are crucial for maintaining a healthy balance in the gut microbiome, where around 70 percent of the immune system resides. When the microbiome is well nourished, this naturally promotes healthier immune function too. Gut-supportive probiotics are especially plentiful in fermented foods like yogurt with live active cultures, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and tempeh. 

Baker’s Yeast Beta Glucan, or  Wellmune, is a natural extract derived from the cell walls of baker's yeast, which contains beta glucans. These have been shown to enhance immune function and the cells responsible for recognizing and neutralizing threats.

Immune-Supportive Supplements

Understandably, busy parents don’t always have time to whip up perfectly balanced meals. As an added support, consider trying a daily supplement for a boost of nutrition and better immunity.

ChildBiotics Immune & Digestive Support is made with four clinically-backed probiotic strains for optimal digestive and immune function. Each delicious, chewable tablet delivers 5 billion CFU to supplement your child’s daily probiotic intake and support fewer missed school days.

Now reformulated to include elderberry, First Defense promotes resilience in infants and children with its unique blend of immune-supportive herbs and minerals.

Formulated for a tasty orange flavor and antioxidant power, Liquid Vitamin C supports little ones’ overall health while boosting the immune system’s response to environmental stressors.

ChildLife’s gummies each come individually packaged in blister cards to retain moisture, making Elderberry Super-Immune SoftChew Gummies easy-to-chew and kid-approved with a natural berry flavor. With an ingredient list that includes vitamin C and Wellmune, this is a great all-in-one supplement option–and it’s sugar-free too!

Nurturing a strong immune system doesn’t have to be an overwhelming full-time job. By incorporating a daily dose of good lifestyle habits along with more supportive nutrition into your child’s routine, you can promote overall well-being in a natural, sustainable way.