Having a vaccination gives us lifelong protection from killer diseases, but building immunity makes demands on our body’s resources. There are a few key supplements we can take to help us build antibodies after vaccinations without feeling tired, achy or feverish.

Whether you’re planning to travel and need protection from tropical diseases, having some boosters, or getting your annual flu and covid shots, here’s how to make sure you easily build antibodies to stay healthy!

How do vaccinations work?

The immune system is placed under stress as it works to build antibodies, so it makes sense to support it as much as possible, take make sure our bodies are ready to defend us from pathogen attack.

Vaccines work by ‘teaching’ the immune system to recognise when your body’s been invaded by a particular bug, by introducing a harmless version that looks exactly the same, and trains it to attack the offending organism. This protects you against future infection because your immune system has a ‘memory’.

For instance, let’s say you get a virus. This kicks your immune system into action, and it starts to build antibodies to kill the virus. This antibody-building process takes about four days. If you come into contact with the virus again in the future, then those antibodies are ready and waiting to destroy it so quickly that you you don’t even become ill.

There are different types of vaccines because your immune system responds in different ways to different bugs. Some vaccines contain a weakened version of a living virus or bacteria, while in others the virus or bacteria are inactivated (dead).

Some people need extra support to build antibodies after a vaccination. The elderly are less efficient at this process and also less efficient at absorbing nutrients, which is why nutritional support can make such a difference to this group. People with other underlying health issues ranging from allergies and autoimmune conditions to celiac disease, IBS and other digestive system problems, may also be less efficient at making antibodies.

The importance of nutrition to build antibodies after vaccinations

Poor nutrition is known to weaken immune function, so eating a healthy balanced diet is important if you want to keep those bugs at bay. Some nutrients are especially important for your immunity, specifically to help it build antibodies when it meets a new pathogen. This is exactly the process that it takes on when we have a vaccination.

Zinc makes white blood cells

Recognised by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as needed for the normal function of the immune system. Zinc plays a crucial role in building antibodies.

As an essential mineral, zinc is involved in the activation and proliferation of immune cells, meaning it makes white blood cells and keeps them working. It’s also needed to build antibodies, and keeping our mucosal barrier which lines our noses, lungs, stomachs and intestines strong and healthy.

Zinc deficiency can impair the immune response and compromise the body’s ability to fight infections effectively. By supporting antibody production, zinc helps strengthen the immune system’s defences, zinc enhances our ability to mount an effective immune response after a vaccination. Various studies have found zinc deficiency may cause problems with the immune system.

Surprisingly, many people who eat a healthy diet nevertheless have a zinc deficiency.

Vitamin D3 activates antibody production

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in building antibodies after vaccinations by balancing the immune system’s response, and helping to activate of immune cells involved in antibody production. It activates genes involved in immune function and makes immune cells grow and mature, including B lymphocytes, which are the cells that make antibodies.

The main source of vitamin D is the sun because our skin makes vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight. In the UK, many of us don’t get enough vitamin D in autumn and winter when the sun is weaker. You could be missing out during the summer too if you have darker skin, don’t go out much or always cover-up when you’re outside.

The situation is so severe in the UK that the government recommends that all UK residents should take a vitamin D supplement in winter.

Probiotic bio cultures activate dentritic cells

Probiotic bacteria in the gut play a crucial role in building antibodies after vaccination by controlling the immune system’s response and increasing the effectiveness of the vaccine. These beneficial microbes interact with immune cells in the lymph tissue of the gut. There, they help produce immunoglobulins (including IgA, IgM, and IgG) which are essential for our immune response against pathogens – including those in vaccines.

Additionally, probiotics help regulate the balance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, promoting a balanced immune response without excessive inflammation. This means they can help avoid the aches and pains that often follow a vaccination.

Furthermore, probiotics help dendritic cells to mature and work. These immune cells play a vital role in triggering the formation of antibodies in response to vaccinations.

Having a diet rich in fruit and vegetables helps keep your gut microbiota healthy. To replenish supplies, it’s best to choose a good supplement with a wide range of probiotic bacteria that can build live colonies in the intestine.

Additional nutrients that support the immune system after vaccinations

B vitamins

The Bs are needed for immune system support too, including B6, B12 and folate (folic acid).

B vitamins are crucial for building antibodies after a vaccine as they are involved in various metabolic processes that support the immune system’s function, including the production and maturation of immune cells. Additionally, certain B vitamins, such as vitamin B6, play a role in antibody production by helping to regulate the activity of immune cells and the expression of cytokines involved in the immune response.

Vitamin C

It may be found in a wide range of fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruit, kiwi fruit, berries, tomatoes and peppers, but if you’re not getting your Five A Day then your vitamin C levels could drop, as your body can’t make its own supply. There’s evidence vitamin C deficiency leads to immunity problems and a higher risk of succumbing to infections. Researchers also believe vitamin C boosts parts of the immune system.

Vitamin C and all the B vitamins are water-soluble, so whatever your body doesn’t use is passed through urine, out of the body. That’s why you  you need a daily supply.

Why vaccinations are more important than ever

Vaccines make you immune or resistant to infectious diseases and are incredibly important for human health. It was, after all, a vaccine that eradicated smallpox – one of the deadliest diseases ever.

In the western world we are used to hygienic conditions and top rate medical care if we do catch illnesses. We no longer see people in our daily lives blinded or brain damaged by measles, or crippled with withered limbs or club feet from polio. We’re not used to friends suffocating to death from tuberculosis or our children dying of whooping cough. Yet every one of these illnesses is on the rise again, thanks to the idiotically dangerous trend of avoiding vaccinations.

They’re not just about protecting ourselves – they also help to protect people than us who have health conditions that weaken them, or cannot afford medical care that we take for granted.

There 7 reasons why vaccines are so important

1 – Vaccinations are highly effective at preventing the spread of infectious diseases, reducing the risk of outbreaks and epidemics within communities.

2 – Vaccinations provide individuals with immunity against specific diseases, reducing their likelihood of becoming infected and experiencing severe illness, complications, or death.

3 – When a large proportion of the population is vaccinated against a disease, it creates herd immunity, which helps protect those who cannot be vaccinated, such as people with weakened immune systems or allergies.

4 – Vaccinations have led to the eradication or significant reduction of many deadly diseases, such as smallpox and polio, saving millions of lives worldwide and improving public health outcomes.

5 – Vaccinations contribute to substantial cost savings by reducing healthcare expenditures associated with treating vaccine-preventable diseases and preventing productivity losses due to illness.

6 – Vaccinations can provide long-lasting protection against infectious diseases, reducing the need for medical interventions and improving overall health outcomes over time.

7 – Vaccination programs contribute to global health security by preventing the spread of infectious diseases across international borders and reducing the risk of pandemics.