If you’re looking to improve your immune system naturally, you may be wondering how to boost immune system naturally. It’s easy to say, but it’s actually a lot harder to do. Eating right and changing your lifestyle can help your body’s natural defenses and fight off diseases. With the Corona epidemic, it’s a great time to make sure your body is strong enough to fight off germs and viruses. So, how can you get all the info you need about your immune system in one place?
This post will review how to boost your immune system naturally in your day to day lifestyle.
What is immunity?
Immunity is the ability of the body to defend from viruses, bacteria and foreign bodies, for which people are exposed to them in their daily life. The immune system is different in each body, and it becomes stronger with the maturity of body, therefore, adult and teens are much stronger as compare the children.
How many types of immunity in your body?
Three types: Innate, Adaptive and Passive:
Innate – This is to note that a person is born with some level of immunity to protect from the invaders from day one, and this includes the external barrier of your body. In other words, you can say your initial defense system from pathogens [in biological term, an organism that can produce or causes a disease such as a virus, bacteria, fungi or parasite or sometimes cause epidemics].
Adaptive /acquired – As you grow with the life, your body become stronger with adaptive and is protected from pathogens, and after getting vaccination it build up a series of antibodies to various pathogens.
Passive – This is borrowed from other sources, and it does not last for longevity, like a child get some antibodies from the mother before birth and with breast milk to protect the baby from infections in early age.
How to boost immune system naturally?
1. Eat more whole plant foods:
Eating whole plant-based foods can give you a head start when it comes to fighting off bad bacteria and other germs. The antioxidants found in these foods can help reduce inflammation by fighting off free radicals that can cause inflammation if they get too high. This is important because chronic inflammation can lead to a range of health issues, from heart disease to Alzheimer’s and some cancers. Additionally, the fiber found in plant foods helps keep your gut microbiome healthy, which can help boost your immunity and stop bad germs from getting into your digestive system.
2. Maintain a healthy diet:
If you want your immune system to stay strong, you need to make sure you’re getting enough of the right nutrients. Eating lots of veggies, fruits, grains, lean protein, and healthy fats can help keep your body’s homeostasis. Vitamins B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc are all found in certain foods, like chicken, fish, tuna, green veggies, and potatoes. Magnesium is also found in whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Moreover, the vitamins found in fruits and veggies can help reduce the length of your cold.
3. Get sufficient sleep:
Getting adequate sleep is super important for your immune system and your body’s homeostasis. If you don’t get enough, you’re more likely to get sick, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough. Adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, teens 8-10 hours, and kids up to 14. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try cutting back on screen time for an hour or two before bed. That’s because the blue light from your phone, TV, or computer can mess up your body’s sleep cycle.
4. Stay hydrated:
It’s really important to stay hydrated if you want to stay healthy. Dehydration can cause headaches, poor performance, mood swings, digestive issues, and even make you more likely to get sick. Make sure you drink enough fluid every day, like water, since your body doesn’t really communicate how thirsty you are. Also, try to avoid sugary drinks like fruit juice or tea. You should drink when you’re thirsty and stop when you’re not. If you’re working out, outside, or in a hot place, you should keep drinking. Older adults should keep drinking even when they don’t feel thirsty.
5. Eat more healthy fats:
If you’re looking for a way to boost your body’s immune system, omega-3 fats like salmon and olive oil might be the way to go. Not only do omega-3s help fight inflammation, but they can also help fight off bacteria and viruses that can cause disease. Olive oil is especially anti-inflammatory and has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
6. Exercise regularly:
Physical activity is not only beneficial for building muscle and relieving stress, but also for supporting the immune system. Research has shown that moderate exercise can have a positive effect on the immune system, with even one session of moderate exercise having a positive effect on immune competence in individuals with weakened immune systems. Additionally, regular moderate exercise may help to reduce inflammation and promote regular regeneration of the immune system. Common forms of moderate exercise include walking, cycling, running, swimming, and hiking. It is recommended to aim for a moderate exercise routine of at least 150 minutes per week.
7. Minimize stress:
It’s important to get rid of stress and anxiety if you want to stay healthy. Chronic stress can cause inflammation, imbalance in your immune system, and even suppress your immune system in kids. To help manage stress, there are things you can do like taking deep breaths, doing meditation, eating healthier, drinking more water, and exercising. You can also see a licensed counsellor or therapist, either in person or online.
8. Eat more fermented foods:
Fermented foods have lots of good bacteria like probiotics that live in your gut and help your immune system fight off bad bacteria. A study in 126 kids found that those who drank a small amount of fermented milk each day had a 20% lower rate of childhood infections than those who didn’t. You can also take probiotic supplements if you don’t eat fermented foods often.
9. Limit added sugars:
Studies are showing that adding sugar and refined carbs can make you more likely to be overweight and obese. Plus, if you’re overweight or obese, you’re more likely to get sick. So, if you want to keep your immune system strong, it’s important to cut down on added sugars. Aim to eat less than 5% sugar per day, which is about 2 tablespoons of sugar per 2,000 calories. That way, you can reduce your inflammation and help you lose weight, which can help you avoid chronic health issues like type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
10. Supplement wisely:
It’s easy to believe that supplements can help with the coronavirus, but the studies found that there’s no evidence that any of them can prevent or treat it. Some studies also suggest that supplements like echinacea, vitamin C, zinc and elderberry can help boost your immune system, but they don’t mean they’re effective against COVID-19. Plus, since supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, they can be mislabeled, so make sure you only buy ones that are tested by an independent third-party organization.
11. Stay up-to-date on recommended vaccines:
In order to have a strong immune system, it is essential to take advantage of the most effective means of protection available to us: vaccines. The immune system is already highly intelligent, but vaccines can help it become even more so by training it to recognize and combat certain diseases. Vaccination is a safer way for the immune system to acquire knowledge than infection with these pathogens. Therefore, it is important to stay informed about recommended vaccinations, particularly those related to CoVID-19 vaccines or booster vaccines, as well as the annual flu shot.
12. Protect Your Health:
In order to maximize the effectiveness of the immune system, it is essential to focus on preventive health measures. Prevention is more effective than cure, and nothing can improve one’s health more than abstaining from illness. Vaccinate against local or regional illnesses, adhere to the highest standards of hygiene (e.g. hand washing, safe food preparation), and reduce one’s stress levels. Ultimately, the most effective way to strengthen the immune system is by protecting it from attack.
13. Laugh aloud:
Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but we can always find ways to manage it. So surround yourself with confident and inspiring people. Watch and read comedy. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Life is to be enjoyed and lived well.
14. Plan your travel:
Put on your walking boots and get out there. Traveling is a great way to relax and unwind. A change of pace and break from routine helps you to think openly and creatively. So, get out there and discover the world! You’ll come back feeling refreshed and inspired.
15. Things to Avoid:
Avoid smoking and alcohol. Studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of infection. Smoking alters the immune system’s balance, which can lead to autoimmune disease. If you drink alcohol, make sure to limit your intake. Heavy alcohol consumption is not only associated with poor health, but many other serious health conditions.
What kind of foods useful to boost your immune system?
#Blueberries:
Blueberries are packed with flavonoids called anthocyanins, which have anti-oxidant properties that can help make your immune system stronger. A 2016 study found that flavonoids are really important for the immune system in the respiratory tract. People who ate foods that had a lot of flavonoids were more likely to get a cold or upper respiratory tract infection than those who didn’t.
#Dark chocolate:
Theobromine is an antioxidant found in dark chocolate that may help to strengthen your immune system by preventing free radicals from damaging your cells. Free radicals are molecules your body makes when it metabolizes food or interacts with pollutants. These free radicals can cause harm to your cells and can even lead to disease. However, dark chocolate has a high calorie and saturated fat content, so it should be consumed in moderation.
#Oily fish:
Eating oily fish like salmon, tuna, and pilchards is a great way to get your omega-3s. A 2014 report suggests that eating omega-3s for a long time could help lower your risk of getting RA. RA is a type of autoimmune disease that happens when your immune system mistakenly targets a healthy area of your body.
#Citrus fruits:
Grapefruit, oranges, Clementine’s, lemons and lime. Almost all citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C, and these can easily can be use in your daily meals. To keep your body healthy, you required daily vitamin C, and the recommended daily amount for most adult is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men.
#Red bell peppers:
This contains almost 3 times as much vitamin C, and they are also a rich of beta carotene [which your body converts into vitamin A, and it help your eyes and skin healthy]. Red bell peppers are an ideal source of vitamin C for those who wish to avoid the sugar content of fruit. Stir-frying and baking both preserve the nutritional value of red bell peppers, making them a more effective alternative to steaming or boiling.
#Broccoli:
This is supercharged with vitamins and minerals, like vitamins A, C & E, as well as fiber and many other antioxidants. This healthy vegetable should be regular in your daily diet.
#Garlic:
It has immune boosting properties seem to come from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compound, like allicin. Moreover, it also slows down hardening of arteries.
#Ginger:
It helps decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat, inflammatory illness and may help with nausea as well. Further, it may also decrease chronic pain, and might even poses cholesterol-lowering properties.
#Spinach:
It is rich in vitamin C, and also have numerous antioxidants and beta carotene.
#Yogurt:
This is a great source of vitamin D, which helps regulate the immune system and very useful to boost your body’s natural defenses against diseases.
#Almonds:
This is full of vitamin and has healthy fats. Almonds are another excellent source of vitamin E. They also contain manganese, magnesium, and fiber.
#Sunflower seeds:
This is full of nutrients with phosphorous, and vitamins B-6 and E [important in regulating and maintaining immune system function]. Source of vitamin E are avocados and dark leafy greens.
#Turmeric:
It is an anti-inflammatory in treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
#Green tea:
It is powerful antioxidants, and it enhances immune function. It also a good source of the amino acid L-theanine [this may aid in production of germ-fighting compounds in our T cells].
#Papaya:
It is another source of vitamin C, and also has a digestive enzyme. Further, it is also includes amount of potassium, magnesium and folate, which are useful to your overall health.
#Kiwi:
This is naturally full of essential nutrients, including folate, potassium, and vitamin K & C. vitamin C enhance the white cells to fight infection, other nutrients of kiwi keep your body functioning properly.
#Poultry:
These improves your immunity, like chicken and turkey high in vitamin B-6 [useful in many chemical reactions that happen in your body, and also help to increase new and healthy red blood cells].
#Shellfish:
Some shellfish are full of zinc, which is required in your body to immune system can function as intended. Various shellfish are oysters, crab, lobster & mussels.
Is there any other source in addition to foods?
Many companies offers a range of natural herbs in capsules, tablets, and other forms, which can be beneficial for those who do not have the time to maintain a regular diet. These herbs contain natural minerals that can help to strengthen the immune system and other essential needs in the body, without the use of artificial ingredients. Few companies have a selection of products that can be beneficial in enhancing human immunity, such as zinc and magnesium, vitamin C, spirulina, omega 3, ginseng, and fish oil.
Conclusion:
At the end, you might know how to boost immune system naturally. If you want to stay healthy and prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria, it’s important to make sure you’re eating right and exercising regularly. There are a few things you can do to help your immune system, like cutting down on sugar, drinking more water, working out, getting enough sleep, and managing stress. Even though none of these things can stop the coronavirus, they can help strengthen your body’s defenses against it.
FAQ
What foods can help boost immunity naturally?
Consuming foods that are rich in Vitamin C can help to strengthen the immune system by stimulating the production of White Blood Cells. Additionally, garlic, ginger and yogurt can be added to one’s diet to provide antioxidants and beneficial probiotics that are beneficial for the immune system.
How do I improve immune system?
Eating a healthy diet full of fruits, veggies, and lean protein, exercising regularly, using relaxation techniques to manage stress, and getting enough sleep can all help boost your immune system’s ability to fight off infections. Keeping yourself clean, drinking plenty of fluids, and getting the right vaccinations can also help.
Are there any effective home remedies to strengthen the immune system?
Yes, if you want to boost your immune system, there are a few things you can do at home. Honey and warm water are great ways to start, and adding some echinacea and elderberry to your diet can help your body fight off any illnesses.
How can I lead a healthier lifestyle to enhance my immune system?
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle to boost your immune system includes exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet that includes lots of fruits and veggies, and getting enough sleep. Managing stress levels, drinking plenty of fluids, and abstaining from alcohol and tobacco can also help boost your immune system and improve your overall health.
What vitamins and supplements are recommended for immune support?
Vitamins and Supplements for Immune Support Here are some of the most common vitamins and supplements for immune support: Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Probiotics. All of these nutrients can help strengthen your immune system. However, it’s important to talk to your doctor about any new supplements you’re considering taking to make sure they’re right for you.
What are some immune-boosting exercises or practices I can incorporate into my daily routine?
Exercises and practices that promote a healthy immune system can be incorporated into daily routines, such as brisk walking, yoga and meditation. These activities can help to reduce stress levels and promote overall wellbeing. Additionally, adequate hydration and a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can also help to support a strong immune system.
Reference Used:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322412#other-ways-to-boost-the-immune-system
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-boost-immune-health#9.-Supplement-wisely
