Effective Immunity Boosters

Effective Immunity Boosters

Is it possible to boost your immune system? While you can’t entirely prevent germs from entering your body, you can affect how your body responds to viruses, bacteria, and pathogens. 

Consistently maintaining a healthy lifestyle will significantly strengthen your immune system. Don’t wait until you’re sick to start cultivating healthy habits. In this article, we’ll show you eight effective immunity boosters to help your immune system, starting today.

8 Ways to Boost Your Immune System

Our immune system protects us from viruses, bacteria, fungi, and toxins produced by microbes. Various organs, the lymphatic system, cells, and hormones all make up this incredible system that serves to protect our body from harmful invaders.

Get Enough Sleep

Experts recommend 7 or more hours of good quality sleep for adults each night. 

Teenagers and children need even more rest. Sleep deprivation can have devastating short-term and long-term repercussions on growth, development, and health.

Over time, sleep deprivation can suppress immune function and contribute to chronic illness. People who don’t get adequate sleep are also at higher risk for infection.

Your body needs a rhythm of rest for internal repair and restoration. In addition, sleep is a prime time for the body to respond to any invading pathogens or disease agents so you can stay healthy and recover quickly.

Avoid Excess Alcohol 

Excessive alcohol consumption can weaken the immune system and increase your risk of getting sick. 

The combination of excessive alcohol consumption and crowded social settings, where you will be exposed to lots of germs, can be especially burdensome for your immune system.

The CDC and Dietary Guidelines for Americans define moderate drinking as:

  • 1 drink or less a day for women
  • 2 drinks or less a day for men
  • non-drinking

If you don’t currently drink alcohol, there’s no reason to start. The health benefits of alcohol are also available via a nutritious diet and other healthy lifestyle habits. 

Stay Physically Active

Studies have shown that regular exercise at appropriate intensity levels can benefit the immune system. Physical activity leads to improved immune competence, which helps to control pathogens. 

Exercise also positively affects other contributors to immune function by helping you

  • Improve sleep
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Relieve stress 

How much exercise do you need? Studies show that 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity can boost viral defense. But take care not to do too much; overtraining can have the opposite effect and decrease your viral defense. 

Stay within recommended time and intensity ranges for best results. Immune-boosting exercise can be as simple as brisk walking 30-60 minutes five days a week and incorporating strengthening and stretching exercises for all major muscle groups.

Eat a Healthy, Nutrient-Rich Diet

Your diet is probably the principal factor affecting your health, wellness, and immunity. In a world of fast-food chains and conveniently packaged foods, it’s important to remember the old adage “you are what you eat” is true.  

Choose a variety of whole, plant-based foods. This will naturally increase your intake of fiber and other nutrients, which will help you maintain a healthy weight and boost your immune system.

A low-fat diet may help increase white blood cells and improve the composition of gut microbes that help with immunity. Conversely, you should limit or avoid the following foods which contribute to inflammation and impair immune response such as:

  • Sugar
  • Saturated fat
  • Excess salt
  • Fried and processed foods

There are many benefits to eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and healthy fats. These foods can reduce oxidative stress and damage, improve insulin sensitivity, and promote healthy gut bacteria balance.

Consume Antioxidant-Rich Foods and Supplements

Eating a healthy diet, including the foods mentioned above, will naturally boost your intake of the following vitamins and minerals that have been shown to enhance immune function. 

Here are some key nutrients and foods to eat that will ensure you get these immune-boosting powerhouses.

  • Beta-carotene: sweet potatoes, carrots, green leafy vegetables
  • Vitamin C: red peppers, oranges, broccoli, mangoes, lemons
  • Vitamin E: nuts, seeds, spinach, broccoli
  • Vitamin D: fortified cereals, oily fish, egg yolks, fortified plant-based milks
  • Iron: organ meats, beef, poultry; non-heme iron sources include fortified breakfast cereals, beans, lentils, spinach, nuts, seeds
  • Selenium: brazil nuts, beef, turkey, chicken, fortified cereals, beans, lentils
  • Zinc: nuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, beans, lentils

Although you can take supplements to ensure you’re getting an adequate supply of these nutrients, try to get them directly from food when possible.

Take Probiotics

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that promote a healthy balance of microbes in the intestinal tract and strengthen the immune system. Although they still need to be studied in greater depth, probiotics have shown promising results. Prebiotic foods are also crucial for providing the right kind of fiber to feed healthy microbes.

Sources of prebiotics include:

  • Garlic
  • Onions
  • Asparagus
  • Artichokes
  • Bananas

Sources of probiotics include:

  • Yogurt
  • Kefir
  • Ferment vegetables such as sauerkraut
  • Tempeh
  • Kombucha
  • Supplements 

Before buying supplements, do your research and talk to your doctor to ensure you’re getting the correct dosage from a reputable source. 

Reduce Stress

You can’t deny the mind-body connection. What we experience mentally and emotionally affects our physical bodies and vice versa. For example, research has definitively shown that chronic and acute stress causes the immune system to go down.

Find healthy ways to manage your stress. According to research, social support and relaxation techniques reduce stress and increase well-being over time. 

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight or obese can increase inflammation, which impairs immune function and increases susceptibility to disease. 

Studies have also shown that obesity can impair immunity with decreased cytokine production, altered lymphocyte and natural killer cell function, and reduced response to antigen stimulation. 

Obesity can negatively impact the immune system, but the good news is the other steps mentioned in this post can also help you maintain a healthy weight.

Immunity is governed by a complex system, not a single entity. There are no easy solutions to maintain a strong immune system, but there are simple steps you can take today. As you focus on the eight steps presented in this article, you will have a healthier life.

What Are SARMs & Other SARM Questions Answered

What Are SARMs & Other SARM Questions Answered

SARM stands for Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, and essentially, they are a generation of compounds that began to be developed in the 1990s. The compounds were designed to activate cells that would normally respond to testosterone, but targeted to only certain cell types (such as muscle and bone) rather than the whole body, as is the case with testosterone produced by the body. 

What is an Androgen Receptor?

The Androgen Receptor (AR) is a type of nuclear receptor that is activated by binding any of the androgenic hormones, including testosterone and dihydro-testosterone. Here’s some key information about the Androgen Receptor listed below:

  • Standard Name: Androgen Receptor
  • Alternate Names: KD, AIS, TFM, DHTR, etc.
  • Location: It is located on the X chromosome (Xq12) in humans.
  • Reference Sequence Length: The reference sequence length is 180246 base pairs.
  • Protein Names: The protein names include androgen receptor isoform 1, androgen receptor isoform 2, androgen receptor isoform X1, and androgen receptor isoform X2.
  • Protein Molecular Weight: The protein molecular weight is 99.06 kilodaltons.
  • Gene Ontology Characteristics:
    • Functions: Androgen binding, receptor binding, zinc ion binding, metal ion binding, receptor activity, androgen receptor activity, protein dimerization activity, sequence-specific DNA binding, etc.
    • Locations: Axon, nucleus, dendrite, cytoplasm.
    • Processes: Transport, cell death, cell growth, cell proliferation, cell-cell signaling, signal transduction, male gonad development, male sex differentiation, etc.

The androgen receptor plays a crucial role in the development and function of male characteristics and organs. It is also involved in hair growth, muscle development, and other male-specific functions. Mutations in the androgen receptor gene can lead to a variety of conditions, including androgen insensitivity syndrome.

Are Androgen Receptors Steroids?

No, androgen receptors are not steroids. Instead, they are proteins that respond to androgens, which are a class of steroid hormones.

Here’s a brief overview:

  1. Steroids: These are a class of lipids characterized by a carbon skeleton with four fused rings. Steroid hormones are steroids that act as hormones in the body. Examples include testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, and cortisol.
  2. Androgens: This is a subgroup of steroid hormones that promotes the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics. Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and the most well-known androgen.
  3. Androgen Receptors (AR): These are proteins located inside cells, specifically in the cytoplasm. When androgens, like testosterone, enter a cell, they bind to androgen receptors. This binding activates the receptor, allowing it to move into the cell’s nucleus where it can influence the transcription of specific genes. This gene regulation is responsible for many of the physiological effects of androgens.

Can Androgen Receptor Cause Prostate Cancer?

No, not directly. The androgen receptor (AR) plays a central role in the normal growth and development of the prostate gland. However, it is also involved in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. While the androgen receptor itself doesn’t “cause” prostate cancer in a direct sense, the interplay between androgens (like testosterone) and the androgen receptor can promote the growth of prostate cancer cells.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

  1. Normal Prostate Growth: Androgens, primarily testosterone and its metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT), bind to the androgen receptor in prostate cells, promoting their growth and division. This is essential for the normal development and function of the prostate.
  2. Prostate Cancer Initiation and Progression: The transformation from normal cells to cancerous cells is multifactorial, involving genetic mutations, environmental factors, and other variables. Once these cells become cancerous, many prostate cancers still rely on androgens and the AR for growth, especially in the early stages of the disease. This is why therapies that reduce androgen levels or block their effects are often used to treat prostate cancer.
  3. Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC): Over time, some prostate cancers can evolve to grow even when androgen levels are shallow or when AR signalling is inhibited. This stage of the disease is termed “castration-resistant” because it progresses despite treatments that lower androgen levels or block AR signaling. Intriguingly, even in this stage, the androgen receptor can still play a role, as some tumours find ways to activate AR signalling despite low androgen levels or in the presence of AR blockers.
  4. Genetic Considerations: Mutations or amplifications in the AR gene can change the behaviour of the androgen receptor. Some mutations might make the receptor more sensitive to lower androgen levels or allow it to be activated by other molecules, contributing to prostate cancer progression and resistance to treatment.

In summary, while the androgen receptor itself is not a direct “cause” of prostate cancer, it plays a crucial role in the development, progression, and treatment response of the disease. The relationship between androgens, AR, and prostate cancer is complex and is a major focus of research in the field of oncology.

What is the difference between SARMs and Testosterone? 

SARMs were developed to specifically target ‘beneficial’ target cells, such as stimulating muscle and bone growth in research animals, and weight modulation while sparing less ideal target cells, such as the cells of the prostate. 

Testosterone itself is an endogenous hormone secreted from the testes and adrenals in men and the ovaries and adrenals in women. It has systemic impacts on the body, meaning widespread throughout many organs including the nervous, skeletal, muscular, and reproductive systems, with impacts on metabolism as well, such as fat distribution, according to the National Institutes of Health. (https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/understanding-how-testosterone-affects-men)

Excessive testosterone can have deleterious effects on the body as the surplus can be converted to estradiol, affecting hormone balance, and high testosterone levels can contribute to low sperm counts, heart attacks, prostate enlargement, and other conditions (https://www.health.harvard.edu/drugs-and-medications/testosterone–what-it-does-and-doesnt-do)

SARMs vs. Steroids 

Anabolic steroids are largely designed to mimic the subject’s natural testosterone, therefore they do not have the selective effect on targeted tissues and cells that a SARM has.  Many of the problems of excess testosterone are also noted in anabolic steroid use, as well as cardiovascular issues like high blood pressure, strokes, ventricular dysfunction, heart attacks, and high cholesterol. 

Steroid use has also been associated with liver disease, tendon injury, and skin issues like acne, increased oil production, and jaundice, 

Steroids may be used orally, topically, or injected while SARMs are primarily taken orally. Our SARMs are for sale in either a powdered or liquid formulation for flexibility in your research needs. 

Where to Buy SARMs?

Locating SARMs for sale is often a difficult proposition for independent research labs, as a rash of unscrupulous companies has flooded the internet claiming to sell SARMS. However, there are a few who produce an inferior product, that is either contaminated or is a complete fabrication. A 2016 survey of the purity of SARMS to buy online done by the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that more than half (59%) of the compounds were substantially different from their labeling. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29183075/) 

Choosing where to buy SARMs in 2021 is still difficult, however, the best place to buy SARMs is from a supplier that is trusted and able to provide certificates of authenticity from a legitimate laboratory, able to perform mass spectrometry, and UV purity verification. 

At Umbrella labs, we are a US-based company that uses third-party analytical chemists to provide only pure, non-degraded,  Peptides and Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators SARMs for sale

We have implemented strict QA/QC protocols to ensure maximum purity of all our SARM and Peptide products. We employ industry-leading High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Liquid/Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in our manufacturing pipeline, and routine analyses are conducted in a CLIA environment using a flexible range of Thermo Scientific and Agilent modalities.

Umbrella Labs SARM Guide

While our product list indicates that we sell either SARMs or peptides, actually our offerings vary from SARMs, peptides to plant-based steroids for sale. 

 For example, we have the following SARMS for sale:

RAD-140 (Testolone)

MK-2866 (Ostarine or Enbosarm)

LGD-4033 is also called Ligandrol.

RAD-150

ACP-105

LGD-3033

OTR- AC (Ostarine ester)

S-4 (Andarine) 

YK-11

Our other compounds for sale include: 

MK-677 is a ghrelin receptor agonist and Growth Hormone stimulator

SR9009 and SR9011 are Rev-Erb alpha agonists 

GW0742  is a Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist 

GW501516 (Cardarine) is also a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist. 

5a Alpha Laxogenin is a plant-based steroidal compound

If you are deciding where to buy SARMS in 2021, it is essential to know the mechanism of action of the compounds that you are purchasing. Even among the SARMs themselves, their affinity for different ligands of the androgenic receptor will differ. 

SARMs Research

All of our SARMs have a body of research, with only a fraction of available published studies noted in our product descriptions. A thorough literature search in your institution’s preferred database will yield the best information, we have included all alternative names of the compounds for your convenience. 

Are SARMs safe for human consumption? 

Our SARMs are sold for laboratory research use only. Not for human consumption, nor medical, veterinary, or household uses. Please familiarize yourself with our Terms & Conditions prior to ordering.