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Melatonin, elderberry and echinacea? We can be well-rested and in tip-top immune shape? Be still our hearts.
We are such fans of the Olly Sleep gummy, but this version is packed with a slew of immune boosters! Which means this one tops our list every time.
Melatonin
Note: if you’re a stranger to this precious sugarplum sleep dust, we highly recommend you read our melatonin gummy guide. It will give you a better sense of how melatonin works and where to start in the ‘tonin-verse, if you haven’t been acquainted with this fascinating molecule.
Two Olly Immunity Sleep gummies contain 3 mg of melatonin, which we’ve found to be a solid dosage. We definitely feel the waves of sleep approaching about thirty minutes after taking these. But here’s the great thing about gummies: if you want less melatonin, just take one! We do this sometimes, and this’ll help with any potential morning grogginess if 3mg is too many milligrams for you.
But these are so much more than just a sleep gummy. Let’s explore the immunity dimensions:
+ Elderberry
Elderberry is a superfood, so we’re on board right out of the gate. But beyond sounding super pretty, what does it do?
It’s a potent antiviral, reducing symptoms, duration, and severity of colds & the flu,1 and a potent antibacterial, inhibiting growth of infectious pathogens like Streptococcus.2
It’s also a powerful antioxidant, which means it will protect your body from free radicals (so even your skin gets a boost). This berry is an amazing source of vitamins and minerals. Everything from Vitamin A and Vitamin C to even folate and iron! Color us impressed.
Fun fact: Did you know that when elderberry leaves are crushed, Elderberry gives off a totally rank smell? In the olden days, people would crush elderberry leaves and attach them to their horses’s manes to repel flies while riding. What a world.
We could go on and on about these fascinating berries, but the elderberry elixir isn’t the only thing these gummies have got going on. This is a downright melatonin horn of plenty.
Selenium
Seeing as it’s named after the Greek Goddess of the moon, this seems like a perfect addition to a sleep gummy. As it turns out, selenium plays a major immune supporting role in a number of different ways.3
It may also help protect your heart, your thyroids and your mental health. Plus it’s another potent antioxidant. Worthy of a goddess, for sure.
And let’s not neglect the classics:
Vitamin C
Tried and true, it’s hard to have a conversation about boosting your immune system without mentioning this powerful all-purpose vitamin. These have 100% of your daily C!
Zinc
Zinc’s another heavy hitter for your immune system, supporting a huge variety of immune & cellular functions.4 We dive into Zinc a little more in our Zicam gummy review, another great gummy if you’re weighing your immunity gummy options.
Echinacea
Of course, no immune-boosting supplement is complete without the famous echinacea. This power flower can both help reduce the likelihood of catching a cold and/or shorten your recovery time if you do come down with something.5 It’s also anti-inflammatory, can help with blood sugar, and seems to rapidly reduce anxiety.
Speaking of anxiety and mood: this gummy has a couple more things that’ll help you peacefully drift off to dreamland wellness.
You thought we were through the list?
Seriously, Olly, we love you. Some might say you’ve kind of gone overboard here with the ingredient epicness, but not us. We are a little bit extra ourselves, here in the gummy galaxy, and we’re always up for maximal supplementation.
Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm is an herb that’s been used to treat a plethora of maladies naturally, and it’s recently gained traction in the gummy vitamin world as an added bonus for stress relief, relaxation and treating anxiety. We love the flavor and the chill vibe it imparts.
L-theanine
The queen molecule of chill. We’ve noticed that L-theanine is often paired with Lemon Balm in melatonin gummies, and we’ve come to think of these three as the hat trick of epic tranquility.
L-theanine is an amino acid usually found in tea leaves, and it’s well established as a relaxation aid and as a stress & anxiety reducer. It also seems to have some beneficial immune supporting properties, too!6
The best thing about l-theanine is that it gives you relaxation without drowsiness, so you can take it by itself any time! (We are totally obsessed with Goodbye Stress for that very reason.)
Ok, we made it through! Now just let your body take the night off, while this healing gummy goes to work!
We have to admit that while we love some other straight-up-sleep gummies slightly more (read: SugarBear Sleep), when it comes to immune-boosting benefits, we’ll never pass this Olly up. Knowing that we’re supporting our body’s natural defenses always has us waking up feeling refreshed and ready to face the day.
Rest up and recharge, indeed. Get ’em here.
citations
- Hawkins, Jessie et al. “Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) supplementation effectively treats upper respiratory symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials.” Complementary therapies in medicine vol. 42 (2019): 361-365. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2018.12.004
- Krawitz, Christian et al. “Inhibitory activity of a standardized elderberry liquid extract against clinically-relevant human respiratory bacterial pathogens and influenza A and B viruses.” BMC complementary and alternative medicine vol. 11 16. 25 Feb. 2011, doi:10.1186/1472-6882-11-16
- Hoffmann, Peter R, and Marla J Berry. “The influence of selenium on immune responses.” Molecular nutrition & food research vol. 52,11 (2008): 1273-80. doi:10.1002/mnfr.200700330
- Shankar, A H, and A S Prasad. “Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection.” The American journal of clinical nutrition vol. 68,2 Suppl (1998): 447S-463S. doi:10.1093/ajcn/68.2.447S
- Melchart, D et al. “Immunomodulation with echinacea – a systematic review of controlled clinical trials.” Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology vol. 1,3 (1994): 245-54. doi:10.1016/S0944-7113(11)80072-3
- Williams, J.; Kellett, J.; Roach, P.D.; McKune, A.; Mellor, D.; Thomas, J.; Naumovski, N. l-Theanine as a Functional Food Additive: Its Role in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Beverages 2016, 2, 13.
