Illness is an unavoidable event. Even though cold and flu season is coming up, if you stay healthy now, you won’t have to miss work.
The immune system protects the body from germs that come from outside. It keeps you and your family healthy. It can fight anything, from COVID-19 and other common cold and flu viruses to dangerous infections and even cancer. A strong immune reaction is helped by, among other things, living a healthy life.
Even though the idea of making yourself less sick sounds appealing, it has been hard to do so for a number of reasons. The defense system is a group of parts that work together. Balance and balance are needed for it to work right. Researchers are always learning more about how complicated and interconnected the immune system is. Changes in living and better immune function have not yet been proven to be linked by science.
But that doesn’t change the fact that the topic of how living affects the immune system is interesting and should be studied more. Researchers are looking at how nutrition, exercise, age, and mental stress affect the immune system in both animals and people. A healthy lifestyle, on the other hand, is a good idea because it has been shown to improve immune function and bring other health benefits.
Increase immunity the healthy way
There are many things in stores that say they can help your defense system. But there isn’t much scientific evidence to back up the idea that there is any way to improve immunity. Adding more cells to your body, whether they are defense cells or other kinds, is not always a good thing. Athletes who do “blood doping,” or increase their blood cell count in a lab to improve their ability, are more likely to have a stroke.
It is hard to improve immune cells because there are so many different kinds, and they all behave differently to different microorganisms. How many cells should be pushed, and which ones? No one in the science world has found it yet. Immune cells are constantly being made, which science has shown. Clearly, it makes a lot more lymphocytes than it needs. Some of the extra cells die before they go into battle, while others die after the battle through a process called apoptosis. No one knows how many immunity cells the immune system needs or what kinds of cells it should have for the best performance.
Eating a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables
Incorporating a healthy diet ensures your body is getting the vital antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, including A, C, E, B6, potassium and zinc, it needs to produce infection-fighting white blood cells.
A balanced diet includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and low-fat dairy. Eating well also means limiting saturated fats found in high-fat meats and dairy, and cutting back on your salt and sugar intake.
Exercising regularly
When you’re active, your body naturally produces more white blood cells. Plus, while exercising, the cells circulate the body more rapidly and potentially detect germs faster. What’s more, physical activity boosts your overall health, helps you sleep better and reduces stress, which all help maintain a strong immune response.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week and muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week.
Maintaining a healthy weight
According to the CDC, obesity has been linked to reduced immune function and also may lower vaccine effectiveness. Adults should aim for a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25 or lower.
The best way to manage weight loss is incorporating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.
Get vaccinated
It’s important to follow the recommended vaccine schedule, including flu and COVID-19 shots. Vaccines train your immune system to recognize and create specific antibodies to fight off certain diseases and prevent serious illness. Plus, it’s safer for your immune system to learn from vaccines, rather than through infection from harmful germs.
Getting enough sleep
Studies show chronic lack of sleep can reduce your body’s white blood cells and affect your body’s fighting power, causing you to get sick more often. A good night’s rest also contributes to your overall health, better weight control and decreased stress.
Sleep requirements vary by age, but the average adult should get seven to nine hours of sleep each night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Reduce stress
Chronic stress reduces your ability to ward off germs. When you’re stressed, your body produces higher levels of the hormone cortisol, which suppresses your immune response by decreasing white blood cell production.
Getting plenty of sleep and incorporating stress-relieving techniques, such as yoga, meditation, exercise and talk therapy, are key to keeping your stress in check.
Quit smoking and limit alcohol
Smoke from cigarettes contains more than 7,000 toxic chemicals that can harm white blood cells, making you more susceptible to infection. In addition, excessive alcohol use weakens the immune system. Call 1-800-Quit-Now for help to stop smoking.
Also, drink in moderation. Try to keep it to no more than two drinks or less on special occasions.
Your immune system is your body’s best defense against infection and disease. Taking care of yourself boosts your immunity so it can better take care of you.
