This month we begin the beautiful season of autumn. As grandma used to say at this time of year, "I opened the door and influenza" (in flew enza... Get it?) Yes, look at this month as the time of opportunity — you can either resign yourself to using your accumulated sick days for actual sick days, or you can bolster that immune system of yours and keep illness at bay. The choice is yours.

So, how do you keep those nasty, nose-dripping colds away? Proper nutrition and supplementation, that's how!

Let's begin by explaining what exactly the immune system is and how it works. The immune system includes several of the organs in your body, including the thymus gland, spleen, tonsils, adenoids, and lymph nodes, as well as the white cells in your blood. All of these systems work together to keep you well. If one or more of the components are not working properly, you can get sick when you come into contact with germs.

Your first line of defense is a good diet with lots of fruits and veggies. Your second line of defense is to wash those hands of yours! You can pick up a lot germs on your hands, and the minute you rub your eye or scratch your nose, you give these germs a nice warm place to live and thrive.

The third line of defense is supplementation. There are many vitamins and herbs which are known or suspected to enhance your immune system. Here is a list of those which are thought to be the most important:

1. Vitamin C — works as an antioxidant and an immunostimulant. Studies have shown that Vitamin C may help to open constricted bronchiole tubes when you do get sick. If you have a troubled stomach, take it in the form of Ester-C. Recommended dosage: 1200 mg/day
2. Beta Carotene — also an antioxidant and immunostimulant. Recommended dosage: 15,000 IU/day
3. Zinc — a powerful immunostimulant. Please note, however, that doses over 100mg per day have been shown to actually impair the immune system. Zinc lozenges are a good way to get this mineral. Recommended dosage: 20 mg/day
4. Quercitin — a flavonoid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and antihistamine properties. Recommended dosage: 500 mg/day
5. Garlic — has antibiotic properties. Research indicates that 1 milligram of allicin (the key component in garlic) is equivalent to 15 standard units of penicillin. Garlic can be rough in the stomach, so those with troubled stomachs should take it with caution. Anyone with ulcers or anemia should not take garlic supplements. Recommended dosage: You can eat one clove per day (raw) or take the same in pill form.
6. B complex — the B vitamins are necessary for your immune system to work properly. Take as directed on the bottle.

If the list above seems like way too many pills for you to swallow, you can choose to take a good multivitamin to combine some of them, or you can start off with only a few of them, and gradually add on as you go.

Nutitionist Bonnie Nasar, RD, graduated from New York University with a Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and Food Studies. She completed her dietetic internship at Harlem Hospital in NYC. In addition to a private practice, Bonnie also works as a consultant to a nursing home in Red Bank, New Jersey. Ms Nasar has also worked at American Health Magazine.