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Best Supplements for the Fall

By Ethan Boldt

November 11, 2024

Autumn leaves, chillier temperatures, drier air and less sunlight mark the seasonal transition from summer to fall. Along the way, these can often impact our immune system, energy levels, skin, our outlook and more.

While eating a high-quality diet and exercising regularly can certainly help, there are some supplements worth considering for the fall season to help make the transition easier. They can help your healthy immune system (which is important year-round), to boost energy levels, promote healthy supple skin, support a positive outlook and more.

Let’s examine how you can upgrade your supplement routine for the fall.

As always, you should consult your healthcare professional prior to beginning any new dietary or lifestyle regimen.

1. Probiotics

The immune system is your body’s built-in first line of defense and is on duty year in and year out to support your overall health. And your gut health is connected, as up to 80 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive tract.

The presence of bacteria, specifically the “good guys” kind called probiotics, plays a role between the gut microbiota and immune system. Probiotic supplements and foods contain “good guy” bacteria that populate your gut and support its health.

While probiotic foods provide the gut microbiota with beneficial bacteria to support a healthy gut and a healthy immune system, a daily probiotic supplement contains strains known to support a healthy immune system and a healthy digestive system.

Ancient Nutrition’s once-daily SBO Probiotics Immune formula combines tough, effective probiotic strains with prebiotics, postbiotics and superfoods to support your healthy immune system.

2. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is critical for supporting a healthy immune system as well as a healthy inflammation response. We get vitamin D mostly from the sun, but we lose sunlight in the fall and with the colder weather, people spend much less time outside. This can mean a shortfall in this critical nutrient.

Overall, it’s estimated that a whopping 45 percent to 75 percent of all adults in the U.S. experience at least some degree of a vitamin D shortfall. Lower levels of vitamin D may also affect serotonin function, which is key in regulating your outlook.

There are not many food sources of vitamin D. Fish like mackerel, halibut and sardines are the best sources of vitamin D. So consider supplementing with Ancient Nutrients Vitamin D ( D3, the more absorbable form). Or at least taking a multivitamin, such as Ancient Nutrition’s multivitamins, that features at least 100 percent Daily Value (DV).

3. Magnesium

Energy levels can plummet in the fall, but making sure you have enough magnesium may help boost your energy. After all, it helps regulate calcium, potassium and sodium, and it’s essential for over 300 different biochemical functions in the body.

In fact, magnesium is necessary for six of the 10 chemical steps in making adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and ATP is considered the energy currency of the body. Without magnesium, you simply may not have the energy levels you want.

Eat oire magnesium-rich foods, such as leafy green veggies, sea vegetables/algae, beans, nuts and seeds. Otherwise, only low levels of magnesium are typically included in multivitamins, so a magnesium supplement should be considered. Ancient Nutrients Magnesium contains 300 mg (71% DV) in addition to 25 mcg of vitamin D.

4. Vitamin C

Vitamin C becomes popular when it starts getting cold outside and for good reason. Not only does it support a healthy immune system, it assists in the synthesis of collagen and boosts skin health. It also helps support healthy inflammation levels.

Popular vitamin C foods include leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, citrus fruits, berries, peppers, and most tropical fruits, too.

Vitamin C is often included in most multivitamins, but adults looking for extra antioxidant and healthy immune system support can take a vitamin C supplement like Ancient Nutrients Vitamin C + Probiotics, which features 1,000% DV. It’s delivered in a gold-standard, liquid metabolite form that maximizes absorption for more sustained benefits, including a healthy response to inflammation.

4. Iron

Another mineral to consider getting more in fall due to falling energy levels is iron. You need iron to maintain normal energy levels, as the body uses iron to produce hemoglobin, a type of protein that transports oxygen via blood from the lungs to other tissues throughout the body.

Women of child-bearing years in general need to be careful to get enough since demand for iron increases during menstruation due to blood loss. Being a vegetarian or vegan also increases your risk of running low.

Some ways to increase iron intake include eating a variety of iron-rich foods (like beef, lentils and nuts) and those that support enhancement of iron absorption (such as vitamin C foods), in addition to possibly taking an iron supplement.

Ancient Nutrients Iron contains 18 mg, which is 100% DV, and supports cognitive health and reduces fatigue. Most multivitamins, such as 100% DV of iron in Ancient Multivitamin Women's, include some iron.

5. Vitamin B6

While all B vitamins are important, B6 assists with the normal functioning of the immune system. It plays a critical role in producing T lymphocytes, which are specialized cells made naturally in the body that send signals that help to promote a healthy, balanced immune system.

Vitamin B6 also helps convert food into cellular energy, so may assist in reducing your occasional fall fatigue. B6 even affects certain neurotransmitters in the brain and promotes a positive mindset and healthy cognitive function.

Vitamin B6 can be obtained through chicken, tofu, fish, bananas and legumes. It’s featured in Ancient Nutrition's Vitamin B Complex, which contains 63 mg (3,706% DV). This supplement supports cognitive health, healthy sleep and cellular energy production. Vitamin B6 also contained in most multivitamins.

6. Elderberry

The nutrition profile of elderberry fruit is quite impressive. It features flavonoids with powerful antioxidant properties and anthocyanidins, which are chemical compounds known for their healthy immune system-supporting effects. Elderberries are also rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, iron and potassium, among several other essential nutrients.

The berries contain chemical compounds called anthocyanidins, which are the same pigmented antioxidants found in blueberries and cherries. These compounds have general healthy immune system-supporting effects.

Most elderberry supplements on the market contain added sugars, which is counterintuitive when you’re supporting your healthy immune system. A recommended elderberry supplement is sourced from the highest quality elderberry, plus it's fermented to aid absorption. Among its many benefits, it should support a healthy immune system, healthy immune function and gut-related immunity.