IMMUNE TONIC

Herbs that fall into the categories of “immune tonics” and “immune modulators” are generally slower acting and have a subtler but more prolonged effect than “immunostimulants”. They’ve been used for centuries as a type of long-term prevention therapy in people with poor immunity (or low immune resilience) who tend to get frequent infections. Some of these herbs, particularly antioxidant-rich varieties, also have cancer preventive properties such as the ability to reduce inflammation and combat oxidative stress. These two classes of herbs are very similar to each other and one of the only differences is that immune modulators may have a slightly more regulating or balancing effect on the immune system. Many immune modulators are also considered “adaptogens,” and they help harmonize the endocrine and nervous systems, in part by acting on part of the body called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis—this makes them especially beneficial for conditions characterized by an overactive immu