Last Updated on July 11, 2022
The question that is on everyone’s mind amid all this COVID-19 is: How we can boost our immune system?
With increasing immune-boosting supplements that we see online, we don’t know if they genuinely work.
Some manufacturers offer misleading advertisements, and you can be easily duped, especially if you don’t know what you are looking for.
Well, boosting your immunity is a rather tough question to answer because the immune system is one factor that we cannot measure or quantify.
It’s a delicate and unique system that involves a wide variety of components that work hand-in-hand to fortify and assist your body in fighting off pathogens and viruses.
The immune system is no singular system for full functionality, it needs harmony and balance for the overall system to work well.
The idea of boosting immunity is quite enticing, who doesn’t want to be like ‘superman’ no one, right?
From the scientific point of view, there is a lot of the unknown when it comes to the interconnectedness and the intricacies of the immune system and its response.
According to researchers, there has not been a direct link between enhanced immunity as a result of improved lifestyle changes. But this does not mean that there is zero effect of improved lifestyle on immunity.
For this post, we are going to have a detailed and in-depth discussion on ways that you can give your body an upper-hand against diseases and other pathogens. So, let’s get to it!
Before delving any deeper, let’s first take a look at how the immune system works to enables us to know how we can boost our immune system.
How does the immune system work?
The immune system is our body’s natural immune defense system. It’s a complex network of organs, tissues, and cells that protects our bodies against invaders like parasites, bacteria, virus, and even fungi which has the potential to make us ill.
These pathogens are everywhere, and we encounter them in our daily life, a properly functioning immune system will act as a barrier protecting our bodies against these pathogens.
And if they enter our bodies, the immune system will release white blood cells to combat these foreign substances.
Our immune system can recognize and identify millions of different antigens, and if necessary, it can eliminate all of them.
A properly functioning immune system can keep most of the illnesses at bay.
Best and healthy ways of how to strengthen your immunity
Inlay man’s term, the immune system is a process of balances and checks that protects and assists your body against diseases and illness.
Here are some of the healthy ways that you can boost your immune system:
- Increasing your vitamin intake – Vitamin C, E, and B6 have been known for their immune-boosting capabilities. All these vitamins can be sourced from eating a well-balanced diet; thus, you will not require taking extra supplements.
- Getting sufficient sleep – For those who get a good night’s sleep, their bodies stand a better chance of fighting illnesses. Its recommended that adults should sleep approximately between 7-9 hours.
- Regular exercising – Exercising even at moderate rates will help you in maintaining a healthy immune system. But too much exercising if you are not feeling well can harm your immunity.
- Taking plenty of water – Regular water intake is known to have a positive impact on your immunity; not only does it aid in digestion but also prevents pathogens and bacteria from getting into your nose, mouth, and eyes. Staying hydrated all day will go away in assisting the proper functioning of your body.
- Taking a well-balanced diet – Food has been known to enhance our immune system, you should always try to incorporate lean protein, dairy products, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Also, try incorporating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as eggs and salmon. These foods will build-up your immunity as well as help you maintain a healthy weight.
Things that can weaken your immune system
There are other lifestyle habits which can weaken your immunity and they include:
- Poor diet, including such as too much sugar intake
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol use
- Not getting enough sleep
- Dehydration
- Not maintaining a regular exercise
- Obesity
- Stress
- No good support system
- Taking too many antibiotics
Healthy ways which can boost your immune system
On the market, there is a wide variety of brands that claim to improve or boost your immunity.
From the scientific point of view, boosting your immunity makes little or no sense well, you should note that at times enhancing the number of immune cells in your body can be a bad thing for your body.
Boosting the cells in your immune system is not a clear-cut procedure as there are different cells in the immune system, and they respond differently to different microbes.
The all-important question is, what number of cells and the amount to boost? And so far, scientist do not have an answer to that.
What we know from a scientific point of view is that the body generates its immune cells. For the extra cells in the body, they will be removed through a natural process called apoptosis.
Dieting and its impact on the immune system
A healthy immune system requires proper and regular nourishment, which is majorly gotten from the foods we eat. Research carried out has shown a correlation between malnourishment and vulnerability to contracting infectious diseases.
There has been some evidence that shows that micronutrient deficiencies such as vitamins A, B6, C, and E, folic acid, copper, iron, selenium, and zinc.
Vitamin A and D have been known to promote the production antibodies and antimicrobial peptides that will cushion your body against bacteria and pathogens.
Low levels of both are known to significantly know to increase the chances of your body contracting infections.
Vitamin C is very vital for your health as it’s known to reduce the severity and duration of common cold or flu.
Additionally, they are also responsible for supercharging your immune cells as it enters and creates reactive oxygen that fights the pathogens and infections.
Zinc also is known to strengthen your immune cells and boost the proper functioning of your immune system as well as improve your body’s response to pathogens in vaccines providing you with round the clock protection.
Nutrition is very essentials as it gives our immune system a fighting chance against pathogens.
One of the critical nutrients is retinol (Vitamin A); the nutrient is essential for the production of immune cells that includes T helper cells (Th cells), T regulatory cells (Tregs).
Additionally, it’s vital for the development of antibody-producing cells (B cells); lastly, it promotes the healthy barrier function in the gut.
Inadequate zinc levels, as well as Vitamin A and C, can result out in an abnormal immune function, which raises the risks of bacteria of vital infections.
I recommend to my readers to always include liver into their diets as its highly rich in vitamin A, B vitamins, and minerals, including zinc.
The relation between the immune system and stress
Modern technology and medicine have linked a close relationship between the body and the mind.
A wide range of illnesses such as heart disease, stomach upsets, headaches, hives to mention a few have been known to impact negatively on the emotional well-being of humans.
Short waves can boost your immunity, but, long term stress can negatively hamper your immune system.
There have been compelling scientific studies and research which show that chronic stress can lead to a decline in immune function.
This direct effect on your immune system can change the direction of pre-existing conditions.
For example, studies show that increased levels of stress hormones like Cortisol can lead to the rapid progression of cancer cells.
Scientists have also proven the fact that people who are more prone to stress have a higher chance of being affected by cardiovascular disease.
Extreme bouts of stress are a natural killer of T-cells; a reduced macrophage activity will significantly your immune response.
The good news is you can take charge to tame your stress. You can incorporate these steps into your stress management plan.
- Being positive
Even a subtle shade of sadness can hamper your immune system. Researchers have established that a person’s overall mood and outlook can affect immune responses to viral infections such as flu and the common cold.
- Avoid junk food
When stressed, a huge percentage of human beings manifest their emotional stress by stress-eating. Junk food in extreme amounts can wreak havoc to your immune function.
Junk food has a high content in fats, especially polyunsaturated fats.
These kinds of fats have been known to inhibit the immune system and response; it’s recommended when boosting your immune system to cut reduce your fat intake to not more than 25% of daily.
Another bad aspect of junk food is they have high amounts of sugar. Processed sugars are known to inhibit phagocytosis, a process in which bacteria and viruses are engulfed and chewed by the white blood cells.
- Using laughter to combat stress
Scientists have found out that good and positive emotions have been known to reduce stress hormones as well as increase the number of immune cells and activating others.
So, always look at ways of adding a bit of happiness and laughter in your life as it will go a long way to boosting your immune system.
- Regular exercising
Exercising stimulates the production of feel-good hormones and chemicals, which not only improves your general mood but also allows you to sleep better.
Both of these two key factors are crucial in strengthening the proper functioning of your immune system.
Even though scientists are yet to quantify the overall sleep effect on your immunity, they are yet to know how a good night’s sleep can improve/boost your immune system.
Just like antioxidants, sleep reduces oxidative stress, which will, in turn, reduces the weakening or harming of your body cells.
But one thing is for sure, having a regular sleep duration of between 7-9 hours, which equips your body’s resistance against infectious diseases.
Boosting your immunity with supplements and herbs
When you walk into a convenience store or pharmacy, you will find shelves filled with immune-boosting supplements and herbs. There have been some studies that show an improvement in some components of the immune system.
However, there has been little or no evidence to show a relationship between supplements and herbs to fortify your immune system to the point that it will better equip your body to better fight viruses and other pathogens.
However, there has been one supplement that has been making waves in the market Immune Defence has been specially manufactured to help your body deal better with a cold or flu by improving your immune system and also reducing the duration and severity of its symptoms.
One of the most important things to note is never over-do on the supplements as some may cause adverse health effects to your body. Always consult your doctor to know exactly what you need before taking any immune-boosting pills prescription.
Note that, immune supplements will only improve your immunity but will not fight against viral infections and pathogens.
Final word
Our bodies cannot function without a robust immune system; therefore, you must have a properly functioning immune system that will protect your body against illnesses and pathogens.
In this article, we have seen various ways in which we can improve and boost our immunities, ensuring our bodies remain in top-notch condition.
One of the supplements that I would advise my reader to try is Immune Defence the immune-boosting pills are made of natural ingredients that will help your body strengthen its immunity with no adverse side effects.
Immune Defence booster pills will be the first line of defense that will complement your immune system.
For those who are really serious about enhancing your immune system, Immune Defence supplement should be your first choice. With that, I wish you all the best in your immune-boosting journey.
