You can find a variety of supplements and products that promise to boost your immunity. However, boosting your immunity may not be as easy as you think — for a number of reasons.
The immune system in your body is quite complex. From the common cold to COVID-19, the immune system must be powerful and effective enough to protect the body against a variety of diseases, but not to the point where it overreacts negatively. This is because a too strong immune system might develop autoimmune disorders. To maintain such an intricate balance, a variety of factors must be taken into consideration.
Even though it is complicated, you can take certain measures to help your body's immune system fight infection and illness.
Here are the top scientifically-backed strategies (immunity boosters) to develop & maintain a strong and healthy immune system.
Maintain a healthy diet
The most important thing to develop a strong immune system is a healthy diet. So it is important to consume a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, proteins and healthy fats.
Besides giving your immune system the energy it requires, ensure your diet contains the essential vitamins and minerals. This is because they play an important role in keeping the immune system healthy.
- Vitamin B6 - it is naturally present in chicken, fish like salmon & tuna, bananas, and vegetables etc.
- Vitamin C - It is commonly present in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and strawberries, and in tomatoes, broccoli, spinach etc.
- Vitamin E - it is abundant in almonds, wheat germ oil, sunflower oil and seeds, avocados, peanut butter and spinach
Experts say that vitamins are more efficiently absorbed by our body from natural dietary sources, than vitamin supplements. So eating a well-balanced diet is the most effective way to support your immune system.
Exercise regularly
Being physically active isn't just for building strong muscles or de-stressing yourself; it's also essential for staying healthy and building a strong immune system.
Certain exercises can boost the functions of your immune system by improving your blood circulation, which helps the immune cells and other molecules that fight against infections to travel more efficiently throughout your body.
In fact, some studies claim that even a 30-minute moderate to vigorous exercise on a daily basis can boost your immune system. So it is important to stay active by doing regular exercise.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Your body depends on water to perform many vital functions. Even your immune system is supported by water.
The fluid within your circulatory system, known as lymph is responsible for carrying infectious disease-fighting immune cells all over your body. This lymphatic fluid is primarily composed of water. So if you become dehydrated, the circulation of lymph slows down, which can make your immune system weak.
Many of us think we dehydrate when we do physical activities like exercise or sweat, but we lose water constantly through our breathing, along with urine and bowel movements.
To keep your immune system functioning at its best, you must replace the lost water by drinking lots of fluids daily — and knowing how much water you should consume each day is the first step. The more you involve yourself in physical activities the more water you should drink.
Get enough sleep
The process of sleeping might not seem to be active, but your body undergoes many important things even when you are sleeping. For example, important molecules that fight against infections are synthesized while you sleep.
Some studies have shown that lack of quality sleep makes people sicker after being exposed to viruses, like those responsible for causing the common cold.
When it comes to enhancing the ability of your immune system to fight against infections and disease, one should know how much sleep they should get every day, as well as know what to do if you are having sleeping problems or sleep-deprived.
Minimize stress
Whether stress happens instantly or builds up over time, it's important to know how stress impacts your overall health — especially the effects on your immune system.
When you're stressed out, particularly in the case of frequent chronic stress that lasts long, your body reacts by triggering a stress response. This helps you deal with the stressful situations that come your way. The unfortunate side of this reaction is that it suppresses your immune system, which increases the likelihood of illness or infection.
Different people experience stress in different ways and how they relieve it is also different. So one should learn to identify stress since it can negatively affect your health. It's important to learn activities like deep breathing exercises, mediation, or prayer that can reduce your stress.
Lastly, a word about supplements
The market is flooded with supplements that claim to boost your immunity - be cautious about these claims.
Like medications, many supplements are not approved by the FDA. In addition, there's no conclusive research to support that supplements can enhance your immune system or improve the odds of fighting against diseases.
However, there are some studies conducted on groups of people by various health organisations and they say that supplements can strengthen the general immune response of the body.
Instead of relying on the claims on a label, consider natural ways like changing lifestyle habits, diet etc., to improve your immunity system and its functions.
The best way is to consult an expert to know the tips that reinforce the defence system of your body against harmful pathogens.
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