Whether it’s cold and flu season, allergy season, or a stressful “season” in your life, it’s never a bad time to invest in boosting your immune system.
And the same holds true for your kids, too. Building a strong immune system is an essential part of growing up. Along with playing, learning, and eating healthy foods, developing a solid immune foundation in childhood can set your little one up for a healthier adulthood.
Unfortunately, getting your kids to take their vitamins and remedies isn’t always easy. And it’s even harder when they’re feeling under the weather.
Here’s the good news: Mother Nature provides many herbs that naturally stimulate the immune system. Thankfully, herbal medicine isn’t always bitter or “icky.” Many herbs are mild and sweet, making it easy to get your kids (or picky adults) to reap their benefits.
Let’s learn more about what herbs could help your family should stay strong, resilient, and healthy!
The Best Kid-Friendly Herbs for the Immune System
Honey
Honey is an herbalist’s “spoonful of sugar” to help the medicine go down. And in fact, it is the medicine, as anyone who’s calmed a screaming sore throat with honey and lemon tea can attest.
Honey has been used in ancient healing systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years to treat a wide range of issues. Honey is often used to soothe tension, moisten dryness, fight infection, and improve the digestibility of other herbs or medicinals.
Honey is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and contains several phytonutrients that support the body’s immune functions. Honey is also known to help encourage healing and wound repair.
How to Use Honey to Boost the Immune System
Of course, it’s no surprise that kids love honey. Just remember to use honey in moderation, as it is high in sugar. Try to pair honey with other immune-boosting herbs for the best benefits. You can even use honey to cover up the bitter or sour taste of other herbs and make taking other remedies a more enjoyable experience.
Ginger
Like many natural remedies, ginger is both a culinary herb and a medicinal herb. Ginger is best known for helping relieve nausea and indigestion, but it is also a potent immune-boosting and longevity herb.
Ginger’s immune benefits come from its high levels of antioxidants. These antioxidants reduce the oxidative stress on the body so the immune system can focus on fighting pathogens - not healing free radical damage. Ginger also relieves stress, clears the respiratory systems from mucus and congestion, and helps to fight colds and allergies.
How to Use Ginger to Boost the Immune System
Ginger is an extremely versatile herb and can be used fresh or dried. You can sip ginger and honey tea, chew on ginger candies, or even cook meals with ginger and other immunity herbs. Try this Ginger Chicken Soup to add a boost of healing herbs to your evening meal.
Orange Peel
Just the smell of orange peel or orange essential oil is enough to wake you from a fog and put a smile on your face.
Orange has been proven to improve mood and give us a natural boost of energy. And like oranges themselves, orange peel has a high vitamin C content which helps to reduce inflammation and activate the immune system.
How to Use Orange Peel to Boost the Immune System
Kids love orange juice, but conventional products tend to be packed with refined sugar. Instead, juice your own oranges at home and add orange zest to the juice. You can also add orange zest to many recipes, like salads, stir fry, and even simple boiled rice for a citrus kick.
Another great way to use orange peel that kids will love is to make an herbal steam bath to clear the respiratory system. Boil water, then place the hot water in a glass bowl with the peel of an orange (or a few drops of orange essential oil) and 2-3 drops of eucalyptus oil. Have your child sit with their head a safe distance away from the bowl so they can breathe in the fragrant steam (but do not burn themselves on the steam, water, or sides of the bowl). This steam “treatment” opens up sinuses and clears away harmful bacteria from the respiratory tract for better breathing, reduced allergies, and improved immune health.
Elderberry
Elderberry is a famous immune-boosting herb with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Studies show that elderberry can help improve your immune response and reduce the length and intensity of a cold. In fact, you can use elderberry all year long to give your immune system the boost it needs to fight colds before they start.
Aside from improving immune health, elderberry also boosts energy and reduces painful inflammation.
How to Use Elderberry to Boost the Immune System
There are many different ways to take elderberry. From pills to candies to tinctures and teas, there’s something for everyone - even kids!
The most effective way to use elderberry to enhance your immune system function is to take Dr. Danielle’s Elderberry Immune Assist. This specially formulated immune supplement blends four crucial immune boosters into one: Elderberry, Zinc, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D.
The Best Teas for the Immune System
While many of the herbs we shared above can be brewed into a helpful immune tea, here are a few other herbal teas that support and strengthen your immune system naturally.
Echinacea Tea
Echinacea tea has been shown to boost the immune system and help the body fight off invaders like viruses and bacteria. Like elderberry, echinacea can shorten the length of a cold. Echinacea can also soothe a sore throat and help clear up a stuffy nose. Mix a little honey into your child’s echinacea tea to help it go down easy!
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is famous for helping us relax and fall asleep at night, but it can also help us steer clear of colds and allergies. Studies show that chamomile tea boosts the immune system and reduces stress.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint is a delicious and fragrant tea that is enjoyed all over the world. Like ginger tea, peppermint tea is often used to soothe tummy troubles. But, research shows that it is an antiviral, helps to reduce inflammation, and protects the body’s immune system.
The All-Around Best Immune Herbs for Families
If the past year has taught us one thing, it’s that our health is all we can really count on. And one of the best ways to protect your health is by laying a foundation for a strong and robust immune system with natural medicine.
To ensure everyone in the family is getting the herbal immune support they need, use Dr. Danielle’s Elderberry Immune Assist. With four all-natural ingredients proven to support the body’s immune system, Elderberry Immune Assist is an easy win for moms and kids alike.
Get the whole family on the path to better immunity with Dr. Danielle’s Elderberry Immune Assist!
