Strengthen Your Immune System
Best Way To Boost Your Immunity
The idea of increasing your immunity is tempting, but the ability to do so has proved elusive for several reasons. In the hurried ways of modern life, you might take your immune system for granted. The immune system is a collection of cells, tissues, and organs that works jointly to defend our body disease-causing pathogens. Therefore, to work well, it requires balance and harmony. Working quietly in the background, our immune system protects us from bacteria, viruses, and other microbes that could defend us against diseases.
It’s a complex network of organs, cells, and various proteins in our body that act in a coordinated manner to defend our body from various types of pathogens. During the flu or viral season, many of your friends might get sick, but some would stand tall, even when everyone in their home is sick with the flu.
Have you ever wondered how some people get sick very often, and some are more prone to catching a cold or viral infection? A weak immune system not only makes you vulnerable to infection and slows down wound healing but also makes you lethargic, fatigue, and causes anemia. Well, it’s all about the body’s immune system. The immune system is the first line of defense of our body against alien microorganisms entering the body stronger your immune system lesser would be the chance of you falling ill.
As a matter of fact, most of your habits and lifestyle has a direct impact on your immune system. To boost the immune system need to adopt the healthy habits and quit the bad ones. Here, in HEALTHY and FITNESS, we will provide you tips with which you can ensure that your immune system is strong enough to protect you against various types of infections.
1. IMPROVE YOUR GUT HEALTH:
Your gastrointestinal tract makes up a large part of your immune system, up to 70% of your immune cells live along its part. The lining of your intestines, for example, secretes antibodies and contains cells that recognize and destroy harmful bacteria. Since a gut receives a lot of microorganisms with the food we eat, the wall of our gut provides a barrier immunity, which prevents these microorganisms to even enter our body.
Apart from providing immunity, our gut is home to about more than 1000 species of bacteria that normally live there. The gut microbiome that resides in the gastrointestinal tract provides essential health benefits, particularly by regulating our immune system. Moreover, it has recently become obvious that alterations of these gut microbial communities can cause immune dysregulation, leading to autoimmune disorders.
Now here are some proven ways by which you can improve your gut health and boost your immunity as well.
a) Take A Probiotic Daily.
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for you, especially for your digestive system. Probiotics are often called good or helpful bacteria because they help to keep your gut healthy. They do so by balancing the growth of pathogenic bacteria in your gut. This helps you got to maintain a healthy community of microorganisms that boosts your body’s immunity. Many types of bacteria are classified as probiotics. They all have different benefits, but most come from two groups.
i) the lactobacillus and
ii) the bifidobacterium,
i) Lactobacillus: Lactobacillus may be the most common probiotic is the one you will find in yogurt and other fermented foods. Different strains can help with diarrhea and may help people who can’t digest lactose, the sugar in milk.
ii) Bifidobacterium: Bifidobacterium can be found in some dairy products. It is also found in large numbers in yogurt, and in foods like olives, sauerkraut, salami, and cheese. It may help ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and some other conditions.
b) Avoid Taking Heavily Processed Foods.
A study published in the Nutritional Journal of WHO looked at the impact of the Western diet and lifestyle on people’s immune function. It found that a large number of calories in processed and fast food may lead to health problems such as increased inflammation, reduced control of infection, increased rates of cancer, and increased risk for allergy and autoinflammatory diseases. And we’re not only harming ourselves, but the study authors also point to research that poor dietary choice gets encoded into both DNA and our gut microbiome.
Meaning that our food and lifestyle choices can permanently change the balance of bacteria in our bodies and we can weaken the immune system. It also means those changes can be passed on to our offspring. So cut down on fast foods and heavily processed foods and include more natural foods in your diet.
2. CHECK YOUR VITAMIN LEVELS:
Vitamins are essential to life. These organic compounds, usually acquired as a part of a balanced diet are required for biological and metabolic processes. Vitamins are also essential for the proper functioning of our immune system. Immune cells are one of the most rapidly dividing cells of our body, and they need large amounts of vitamins to reproduce and function properly.
i) Vitamin C
Most people to consume vitamin C after a cold and flu. This is because it helps build your immunity by encouraging your body to produce antibodies that fight disease. Vitamin C is believed to increase the production of white blood cells. White blood cells help us fight any external infection. As your body does not produce or store it, you need daily vitamin C to maintain its levels to improve the immune system. When food is processed, vitamin C is usually destroyed more than any other nutrient. So you need to take it from raw fruits and salad. Popular citrus fruits include: grapefruit, orange, kiwi, pineapple, lemon. Almost all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, as well as it is also easy to squeeze lemons into any food to increase immunity.
ii) Vitamin D
Vitamin D is probably the most important vitamin related to your immune health. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and is thought to promote natural defenses against the diseases of our body. People who get chronic infections have low levels of this vitamin, I recommend supplementing with 2000 to five thousand international units of vitamin D per day. Get plenty of sunshine and eat foods rich in vitamin D. You can ask your doctor to check your levels to determine the exact amount that you need.
iii) Vitamin A
Retinoic acid, a biologically active form of dietary vitamin A, can have profound effects on the immune system. So much so that retinoic acid is being tested as a potential therapeutic for the treatment of certain autoimmune diseases like arthritis, psoriasis, or multiple sclerosis. However, more than a billion people have very low levels of this vitamin. Foods rich in vitamin A include foods like eggs, milk, and green vegetables.
iv) Vitamin E
Finally, vitamin E, while known mostly for its potent antioxidant ability has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in our immune system.
Now you can get a lot of these vitamins in large quantities by ingesting one multivitamin pill a day, but it’s obviously better if you get these vitamins from natural sources. Aim for a balanced diet of whole unprocessed foods that contain plenty of vitamins and antioxidants. Be sure to include four to five servings of greens like lettuce, mustard, and collard greens. Get plenty of mushrooms. Not only are mushrooms are a great source of immune-boosting vitamin D, but studies also show that varieties such as Reishi mushroom can boost white blood cell activity. Add plenty of garlic when crushed garlic releases Allicin, a compound that fights infection-causing microbes.
3. GET MOVING:
Physical Activity stimulates the immune system and strengthens the infection defense. Exercise has anti-inflammatory effects, which means that moderate amounts of exercise enhances immune function above sedentary levels. Physical activity is also associated with reduced resting C – reactive protein levels, which is a protein whose levels indicate the level of inflammation and stress in your body.
Exercise helps to circulate your blood and improve the flow of lymphatic fluid. Lymphatic fluid travels through your cells and tissues and removes bacteria toxins waste products and even cancer cells. Do some types of cardio exercise five days a week, at least 30 to 40 minutes per day. However, the continuous rigorous workout can even weaken the immune system, leaving you prone to flu and viral infections.
4. CUT THE STRESS:
Chronic stress suppresses the immune response of the body by releasing the hormone cortisol. Cortisol interferes with T cells, a specific type of white blood cell to reproduce and receive signals from the body. Cortisol also reduces the antibody secretion of IGA, which lines the gut and respiratory tract and is our first line of defense against pathogens.
Stress can also have an indirect effect on the immune system, as a person may use unhealthy behavioral coping strategies to reduce their stress, such as drinking and smoking. To investigate whether the stress of important examinations had an effect on the functioning of the immune system, Geico Glasser conducted an experiment on first-year medical students 49 of them were males and 26 were females.
All of them were volunteers. Blood samples were taken one month before the final examinations, which was considered a relatively low-stress time. And during their examinations, which was a high-stress time, immune functioning was assessed by measuring T cell activity in the blood samples. The blood sample is taken from the first group before the exam contained more T cells, which were highly active as compared to the blood samples which were taken during the exams, which showed a low concentration of T cells and less active cells.
Geico Glasser also found that immune responses were especially weak in those students who reported feeling most lonely, as well as those who are experiencing other stressful life events like psychiatric symptoms, such as depression or anxiety. This study clearly showed the relation between stress and our immune system.
I could talk about just one thing here to manage stress, that would be to meditate, even 15 to 20 minutes in the morning, make it a habit at least three to four times per week. It sets your mind in the right direction first thing in the morning and makes you more tolerant of the stressors that come your way throughout the day. It reduces your cortisol levels and research even shows it helps to prevent the breakdown of your chromosomes that can lead to cancer and premature aging. (READ: Role of YOGA in STRESS Management and RELAXATION)
5. ADEQUATE SLEEP:
When it comes to your immunity, sleep plays a very important role. While sleeping for 10 hours a day won’t prevent you from getting sick, skipping or it could adversely affect your immune system, leaving you susceptible to viral and bacterial infections like flu and sore throat. Without sufficient sleep, your body makes fewer cytokines, a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation for an effective immune response.
Cytokines are released in much smaller quantities when you are sleep deprived. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies in cells are reduced during the periods when you don’t get enough sleep. So lack of sleep can adversely affect your immune system. Your body needs sleep to fight infectious diseases. Long term lack of sleep also increases your risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
How much sleep do you need to boost your immune system?
The optimal amount of sleep for most adults is seven to eight hours of good sleep each night. Teenagers need nine to 10 hours of sleep, and school-aged children may need 10 or more hours of sleep. To create effective sleep hygiene, make a schedule to be in the bed at a fixed time every night, preferably before 11:30 pm, and try to be asleep between 12:30 to 2:30 am.
Because that time is very important as far as your circadian rhythm is concerned. In today’s advancing age of technology and gadgets, one thing that has been hit hard is asleep. All of us have struggled with asleep at one point or another in our life.
Habits that damage your immune system:
1) Quit smoke.
2) Avoid Junk Food.
3) Leave a sedentary lifestyle.
4) Avoid obesity.
5) If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
6) Get enough sleep.
7) Wash your hands frequently.
8) Try to reduce tension.
9) Use more vitamin C than ever.
Even the healthiest of people get sick every now and then. But by fine-tuning certain aspects of your health routine, such as diet and stress management, you can help strengthen the defense of your immune system against bacteria, toxic chemicals, and viruses that cause conditions like the common cold and flu.
