IMMUNE SYSTEM RECOVERY
I’m seeing more people struggle to recover from virus infections:
• Struggling to get their energy back.
• Struggling with coughing that keeps hanging on.
• Experiencing ongoing secondary ailments, one after the other.
These symptoms all point to poor immune function that you need to rebuild.
If you or someone you know is struggling to recover their health and regain energy, it’s important to realise that immune function is directly related to inflammation and gut health.
When your gut microbiome is healthy, your immune system is better able to heal and protect you from disease-causing viruses and bacteria, and aid recovery too.
A simple nutrient tonic you can add to your morning routine is to combine one level teaspoon of Nourish prebiotic powder to rebuild beneficial microorganisms PLUS one level teaspoon of Turkey Tail mushroom powder for its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and strengthening properties.
IMMUNE TONIC RECIPE
Ingredients
1 level teaspoon of Nourish prebiotic powder.
1 level teaspoon of Turkey Tail (Coriolus versicolor) mushroom powder.
¼ cup of organic plant-based milk – Bonsoy, Almond, Coconut, or Hemp milk.
¼ cup hot water.
Instructions
Pour the milk and then the hot water into a sturdy glass or teacup.
Add the Nourish and Turkey Tail ingredients and whisk until the powder dissolves into the liquid.
If you are sensitive to the flavour of mushrooms, use unfiltered (cloudy) cold-pressed organic apple or pear juice instead of milk and hot water so you mask the taste.
Both apples and pears have a prebiotic effect that stimulate the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria like bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.
Enjoy every morning before you eat other food.
You can download our free IMMUNE RECOVERY TONIC Turkey Tail + Nourish Recipe Sheet to keep as a handy reference by clicking on the link.
NOURISH PREBIOTIC ACTION
The ingredients in Nourish were chosen because of their prebiotic action in your gut.
Marshmallow root contains a type of soft fibre called mucilage that is rich in prebiotic starches (polysaccharides), which help to regulate gut microorganisms.
Elderberry contains antioxidants (polyphenols) that have strong prebiotic effects on your gut microflora. Antioxidants protect our cells from damage.
Lemon Balm supports digestion and the movement of food through your gastrointestinal system.
Graviola leaf (Soursop) supports the growth of Lactobacillus casei (friendly bacteria) in your gut.
Green tea (Matcha) acts as a prebiotic that helps increase your colon’s Bifidobacterium species (friendly bacteria).
Irish moss is a prebiotic mucilage (fibre) that positively influences gut microbial communities.
Aniseed nourishes beneficial gut bacteria and helps stabilise your intestinal microflora.
Licorice root nourishes and helps modify the composition and diversity of your gut microbiota.
TURKEY TAIL ACTION
Turkey tail (Coriolus versicolor) is one of the most popular medicinal mushrooms, offering a host of benefits that support a healthy immune system and reduce inflammation.
Researched properties include: anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue (tiredness, exhaustion), antioxidant, hepatoprotective (liver), antitumour, anticancer, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial effects, immunomodulatory, immune-activating, immunotherapeutic and immune-boosting properties.
Turkey tail is also used to improve insulin resistance, help fight pathogenic bacteria, and acts as a prebiotic balancing and promoting levels of healthy bacteria in the intestines.
IMMUNE RECOVERY
The one thing your body cannot do is create what it needs to produce energy and repair your body – that’s why we eat, drink fluids, and breathe.
But it’s what we eat and drink that makes the difference – especially to your gut microbiome and immune function.
Nutrition is the process of providing the food (nutrients and elements) necessary for your body to survive and thrive.
Your immune system is affected by your nutritional status.
Healthy nutrition reduces your risk of disease, boosts immune strength, aids recovery, and nurtures health and well-being.
If you want to be well, you’ve got to eat well!
If you really want to recover and stay well – remove refined SUGAR from your diet, including hidden sugars found in processed and highly refined foods.
Sugar feeds infection and inflammation like petrol feeds a fire.
And – prevention is always going to be your best cure.
I’d love you to read my blog about sugar, what to avoid, and healthier sweetening options.
And if you’re not sure what to eat, a good starting point is the Mediterranean Diet.
We also have a Healthy Eating Directory you can explore.
And, our Nutritional Therapist Sinead Burns can also help you if you’d like the support of a practitioner.
PRACTITIONER SUPPORT
I love sharing general health tips and nutrient-rich recipes that can help you create better health.
But the information I share is not meant to replace professional support.
If you suffer from chronic infections, disease, or poor immune function always seek qualified advice.
Your health is precious so please protect it.
All the very best,
Lisa Rieniets ND.
REFERENCES
I’ve included live links to research and studies so you can explore how Nourish prebiotic powder and Turkey Tail mushrooms can benefit your health and wellbeing.
Aquino, Jailane de Souza, et al. ‘Models to Evaluate the Prebiotic Potential of Foods’. Functional Food – Improve Health through Adequate Food, InTech, 2 Aug. 2017. Crossref, doi:10.5772/intechopen.69174. (Prebiotic Potential of Foods)
Aubert P, Guinobert I, Blondeau C, Bardot V, Ripoche I, Chalard P, Neunlist M. Basal and Spasmolytic Effects of a Hydroethanolic Leaf Extract of Melissa officinalis L. on Intestinal Motility: An Ex Vivo Study. J Med Food. 2019 Jul;22(7):653-662. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2018.0154. Epub 2019 Apr 16. PMID: 30990736; PMCID: PMC6653806. (Lemon Balm)
Authier H, Bardot V, Berthomier L, Bertrand B, Blondeau C, Holowacz S, Coste A. Synergistic Effects of Licorice Root and Walnut Leaf Extracts on Gastrointestinal Candidiasis, Inflammation and Gut Microbiota Composition in Mice. Microbiol Spectr. 2022 Apr 27;10(2):e0235521. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.02355-21. Epub 2022 Mar 9. PMID: 35262409; PMCID: PMC9045305.(Licorice Root)
Benson KF, Stamets P, Davis R, Nally R, Taylor A, Slater S, Jensen GS. The mycelium of the Trametes versicolor (Turkey tail) mushroom and its fermented substrate each show potent and complementary immune activating properties in vitro. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019 Dec 2;19(1):342. doi: 10.1186/s12906-019-2681-7. PMID: 31791317; PMCID: PMC6889544.(Turkey tail)
Camilleri, E., Blundell, R., Baral, B. et al. A comprehensive review on the health benefits, phytochemicals, and enzymatic constituents for potential therapeutic and industrial applications of Turkey tail mushrooms. Discov Appl Sci 6, 257 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-024-05936-9 (Turkey tail)
Chugh RM, Mittal P, Mp N, Arora T, Bhattacharya T, Chopra H, Cavalu S, Gautam RK. Fungal Mushrooms: A Natural Compound With Therapeutic Applications. Front Pharmacol. 2022 Jul 13;13:925387. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.925387. PMID: 35910346; PMCID: PMC9328747. (Medicinal mushrooms)
Dybka-Stępień K, Otlewska A, Góźdź P, Piotrowska M. The Renaissance of Plant Mucilage in Health Promotion and Industrial Applications: A Review. Nutrients. 2021 Sep 24;13(10):3354. doi: 10.3390/nu13103354. PMID: 34684354; PMCID: PMC8539170. (Marshmallow root)
Jin JS, Touyama M, Hisada T, Benno Y. Effects of green tea consumption on human fecal microbiota with special reference to Bifidobacterium species. Microbiol Immunol. 2012 Nov;56(11):729-39. doi: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2012.00502.x. PMID: 22924537. (Green Tea)
Kasprzak-Drozd K, Oniszczuk T, Stasiak M, Oniszczuk A. Beneficial Effects of Phenolic Compounds on Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Syndrome. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Apr 2;22(7):3715. doi: 10.3390/ijms22073715. PMID: 33918284; PMCID: PMC8038165. (Anise)
Liu J, Kandasamy S, Zhang J, Kirby CW, Karakach T, Hafting J, Critchley AT, Evans F, Prithiviraj B. Prebiotic effects of diet supplemented with the cultivated red seaweed Chondrus crispus or with fructo-oligo-saccharide on host immunity, colonic microbiota and gut microbial metabolites. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2015 Aug 14;15:279. doi: 10.1186/s12906-015-0802-5. PMID: 26271359; PMCID: PMC4535385. (Irish Moss)
Meza-Gutiérrez NN, Magallón-Servín P, Balois-Morales R, Pérez-Ramírez IF, López-Guzmán GG, Berumen-Varela G, Bautista-Rosales PU. Growth Promoting Activity of Annona muricata L. Leaf Extracts on Lactobacillus casei. Plants (Basel). 2022 Feb 22;11(5):581. doi: 10.3390/plants11050581. PMID: 35270049; PMCID: PMC8912565. (Graviola Leaf)
Reider S, Watschinger C, Längle J, Pachmann U, Przysiecki N, Pfister A, Zollner A, Tilg H, Plattner S, Moschen AR. Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Prebiotic Intervention with Polyphenols Extracted from European Black Elderberry-Sustained Expansion of Akkermansia spp. J Pers Med. 2022 Sep 9;12(9):1479. doi: 10.3390/jpm12091479. PMID: 36143265; PMCID: PMC9504334. (Elderberry)
Saleh MH, Rashedi I, Keating A. Immunomodulatory Properties of Coriolus versicolor: The Role of Polysaccharopeptide. Front Immunol. 2017 Sep 6;8:1087. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01087. PMID: 28932226; PMCID: PMC5592279. (Turkey tail)
Tsirulnichenko, L. and Kretova, J., 2020. Prebiotic properties of licorice root extracts. doi: https://dspace.emu.ee/xmlui/handle/10492/5598 (Licorice root)
Venturella G, Ferraro V, Cirlincione F, Gargano ML. Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jan 10;22(2):634. doi: 10.3390/ijms22020634. PMID: 33435246; PMCID: PMC7826851. (Medicinal Mushrooms)
Zhao J, Hu Y, Qian C, Hussain M, Liu S, Zhang A, He R, Sun P. The Interaction between Mushroom Polysaccharides and Gut Microbiota and Their Effect on Human Health: A Review. Biology (Basel). 2023 Jan 12;12(1):122. doi: 10.3390/biology12010122. PMID: 36671814; PMCID: PMC9856211. (Mushrooms effect on gut microbiome)
