Vitamins are one of the major keys in boosting and
maintaining our immune system. Recent studies have
found that the herb Echinacea is not as effective in
helping to boost the immune system as was previously
thought. In fact much of the benefits of Echinacea
were thought to be linked to the placebo affect.

While there is no magical cure-all herb out there
(that we currently know of) there are certain vitamins
that can help our immune system immensely, as well as
assist in overall good health and well being.

If you feel that your diet is lacking a complete
range of vitamins and nutrients, the first step in
boosting your immune system may be to take a multi
vitamin. Multi vitamins are a great way to supplement
your current diet and assist you in reaching the
recommended daily intake for each vitamin and mineral.

Before choosing any multi vitamins you should do a
thorough assessment of what vitamins and minerals you
may be lacking. This will help you to choose the
right multi vitamin for your needs.

Aside from multi vitamins, it is imperative that you
get the proper antioxidant vitamins in your diet.
These antioxidant vitamins are vitamin A, vitamin C,
vitamin E, and beta carotene. It is vital that you
get the recommended daily amounts of these antioxidant
vitamins since they not only help to boost your immune
system but have also been found to fight against
certain cancers and other diseases.

You should try and eat foods that contain these
vitamins such as berries, melons, dark and leafy green
vegetables, dairy, whole grain foods, and some meat
products. If you feel you are not getting enough of
these antioxidant vitamins in your diet you should
ensure that your multi vitamin does.

Iron is also very important to a healthy immune
system. Iron is found in many multi vitamins even
though it is actually a mineral. Iron deficiencies
can cause all sorts of problems, not just a weak
immune system. Eating foods that are high in iron,
such as spinach, is very important to good health.

Other than the proper vitamins, what else can we do to
help boost our immune system? Getting enough sleep is
very important in helping keep our immune system in
proper working order. Sleep is vital for our immune
system and our body's general health. Without sleep
our body has difficulty in working up to its full
potential.

Stress is another factor that can seriously diminish
our immune system. People often don't realize the
effects that stress can have on our entire body and
our well being. We can often be under great stress
and not even realize.

By trying to minimize stress in our lives or deal with
it using deep breathing and relaxation techniques we
can not only boost our immune system but lead happier,
healthier lives.

Using vitamins to help boost our immune system is only
the start to good health and fewer illnesses. While
vitamins are probably one of the most important
factors of good health, the way we live our lives is
also very important. By trying to reduce stress and
tension, and getting more sleep and rest, our health
can improve quickly and lead us into a much more
pleasant old age.

Janey Millay writes for
the Vitamins research site http://www.fhrvitamins.com .