3 Amazing Herbs For The Immune System

Do you think your immune system is taking adequate care of you?

Do you fall prey to seasonal illnesses or illnesses that get passed around: colds, flu, etc? Are sick more often than others around you?

If you are answering yes to the last two questions, then your immune system may not be protecting you adequately.

Highly Sensitive People And The Immune System

It is a bit unfair to blame the immune system for our getting sick particularly if you are a highly sensitive person.

One of the biggest health challenges that highly sensitive people have is supporting and maintaining a healthy immune system. Our immune system often cannot cope with the demands that our nervous systems and cultural expectations place on it.

Although everyone needs to take care of their immune systems, HSPs need to step up their self-care to compensate for higher demands on their bodies. The specific burden that highly sensitive people have is stress – stress in such high volume that it overwhelms our bodies, immune system included, if we are not careful. Even if we were to lead an extremely quiet lifestyle, we need to support our immune systems because our hyperactive nervous system are naturally active all of the time. In the best of situations, we are vulnerable to becoming depleted from nervous system stress.

The Special Problem Of Stress And The HSP Immune System

If we are experiencing a lot of stress and our immune systems become weakened, then when other problems arise, we have a more difficult time coping with them. Viruses, parasites, and other invaders are more likely to take hold in our systems.

Therefore, in addition to stress reduction strategies, it is a good idea for highly sensitive people to offer their bodies some immune system support. These herbs can help:

1. ashwaghandha is one of the most important herbs for highly sensitive people because not only does it help with stress but it also builds you up. It has the ability to reduce high cortisol levels which gets activated under stress and which can be chronically active in highly sensitive people. Since highly sensitive people are under stress a lot of the time, ashwaghandha is highly valuable as a defense against the effects on long term elevated cortisol which can cause metabolic syndrome and other conditions. Metabolic syndrome is considered an indicator of the potential to eventually get diabetes. Ashwaghandha is one of the most important Ayurvedic herbs because it not only calms the nervous system, but it also boosts energy and vitality, making it particularly important for HSPs who often feel drained.
2. tulsi or holy basil is considered a holy plant in Ayurveda that brings in positive energy into the body and help eliminate negative energy. It is rich in antioxidants and  strengthens the immune system. It is considered a healing agent for the nervous system, so it reduces stress symptoms. Like ashwaghandha, tulsi is considered an adaptogen, which means it will strengthen the body. Tulsi will improve mental functioning in particular the memory.
3. neem is an amazing herb that is antiviral, antifungical, antibacterial and antiseptic. It is a blood cleaner that is beneficial for skin conditions and dental health. Neem is a strong immune system booster.

All of the herbs individually and combined will help any highly sensitive person to improve the functioning of their nervous and immune systems. They are herbs that I use and personally recommend.