Our immune system is usually the first line of
defense against any kind of germ that wants to enter our body. The immune
system is also what helps to fight infections within our body, so for you to be
healthy and strong, you need to make sure your immune system is guarded and
kept strong. So what can you do to help boost your immune system on your own?
Below I have explained how to boost immune system naturally. Although some
people prefer to use supplements to boost their immune system, there are also
natural ways to boost your immune system without using supplement. These
natural ways are much better and more effective than any supplement.
Maintain
and Eat a Healthy Diet
As with other parts of your body, a healthy
diet is prerequisite to a strong immune system. The nutrients you get from this
healthy diets; especially plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, herbs, and
spices are essential in keeping your immune system functioning properly,
according to a proper research and reports by Dr. Yufang Lin “Many plant-based
foods also have antiviral and antimicrobial properties, which help us fight off
infection,”
So for you to boost your immune system and
maintain a healthy immune system, you need to make sure you eat plenty of
vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats.
In addition to providing your immune system
the energy it needs, a healthy diet can help ensure you're getting sufficient
amounts of the micronutrients that plays a major role in maintaining your
immune system.
For a good diet that supports good immune
health, you should focus on incorporating more plants and plant-based foods to
your everyday meal. If possible, add fruits and veggies to soups and stews,
smoothies, and salads, or eat them as snacks. Carrots, broccoli, spinach, red
bell peppers, apricots, citrus fruits (such as oranges, grapefruit,
tangerines), and strawberries are all great sources of vitamins A and C, while
seeds and nuts will provide protein, vitamin E, and zinc. Other sources of
protein and zinc include lean meat, seafood, and poultry; according to the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Since experts believe that your body absorbs
vitamins more efficiently from dietary sources, rather than supplements, the
best way to support your immune system is to eat a healthy and well-balanced
diet.
Get
Plenty of Quality Sleep
Sleeping is certainly a good way to keep your
body at rest. Do you know, when your sleep, your body heals and regenerates? This
is why getting quality sleep is critical for a healthy immune response.
Although sleeping doesn't feel like much
active process, but there are plenty of important activities happening in your
body when you are sleeping, this includes important infection-fighting molecules
which are created while you sleep. Also during sleep is when your body produces
and distributes key immune cells like cytokines (a type of protein that can
either fight or promote inflammation), T cells (a type of white blood cell that
regulates immune response), and interleukin 12 (a pro-inflammatory cytokine),
according to a review published in Pflugers Archive European Journal of
Physiology.
Studies have shown that people who don't get
enough sleep are easily prone to getting sick after exposure to viruses, such
as those that cause the common cold. To give your immune system the best chance
to fight off these infection and illness, it's important you allow your body
get the quality sleep it deserves every night.
When you don’t get enough sleep, your immune
system may not do all these properly, making it less able to defend your body
against harmful invaders thereby exposing your body to sickness.
Increase of cortisol levels may also be caused
by sleep deprivation, which of course is also not good for immune function. Our
immune system wears down as a result, and we tend to have [fewer] reserves to
fight off or recover from illness.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends all
adults get at least seven hours of sleep per night to optimize health. To
ensure you get quality sleep, practice good sleep hygiene: Turn off the
electronics at least two to three hours before bed, and avoid violent or
stressful books or conversations.
Drink
Water and Keep Yourself Hydrated Always.
Water plays lots of major roles in your body, this
includes supporting and boosting your immune system. In fact, drinking water
does much more than just boosting immunity. Keeping yourself hydrated always
has a positive impact on your entire body system and even aids in digestion
process. All of your body's defenses work better when they are properly
hydrated.
Did you know? A fluid in your circulatory
system called lymph, which carries important infection-fighting immune cells
around your body, is largely made up of water. So keeping yourself dehydrated
slows down the movement of lymph, which may sometimes lead to an impaired
immune system.
Exercising or sweating are not the only ways
you lose water from your body system, you're constantly losing water through
your breath, as well as through your urine and bowel movements. To help support
your immune system, be sure you're replacing those water you lose with water
you can use by drinking just the right amount of water needed by your body.
Exercise
on a Regular Basis
Doing moderate-intensity exercises can help
you maintain a healthy immune system and also lowers your risk of developing
chronic diseases (like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease), as well as
viral and bacterial infections.
It is a good practice to pay close attention
to your body when exercising because if you use an exercise that is too
intense, it can affect your body system and also lower your immunity. You need
to find the proper balance for intensity when exercising for it to bring
positive effects.
Exercise also increases the release of
endorphins (a group of hormones that reduce pain and create feelings of
pleasure) making it a great way to manage stress. “Since stress negatively
impacts our immune system, this is another way exercise can improve immune
system.
For better immune system benefits with
exercise, it is recommended that you take your exercise outside. Spending time
in nature has shown to support mood, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation,
and support immune system health.
Sunshine also boosts vitamin D in the body,
which usually plays a key role in immune health.
Reduce
Stress
Finally, you need to minimize stress as this
generally is bad for your health. Whether it comes on quickly or builds over
time, it's important for you to understand how stress affects your health
including the impact it has on your immune system. When your body undergo a
period of stress, particularly those chronic ones that's frequent and
long-lasting, your body tends to responds by initiating a stress response. This
stress response, in turn, suppresses your immune system which may increase your
chance of infection or illness.
Everybody express stress differently and also
handles it differently. So as an individual, given the impact stress can have
on your health, it's important to know how to identify and handle it. You can
implore several ways which may include deep breathing, mediation, prayer or
exercise, yoga, however you should find what really helps you relieve stress,
get familiar with the activities that help you reduce it and learn how to
implore those activities when the need arises.
Final thoughts, our immune systems
are generally what helps us stay healthy and as an individual, you need to
learn how to maintain, boost and keep your immune system strong if you want to
live a healthier and happy life. So if you're looking for ways to help boost
your immune system, consider keeping up with the lifestyle habits above, rather
than relying or focusing your energy on supplements that you may not really
know if they really work.
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