Boosting your immune system
Published:Wednesday | February 16, 2022 | 12:06 AMKeisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer
Your immune system does a remarkable job of defending you against disease causing microorganisms. But sometimes it fails, and a germ successfully invade your body. The idea of boosting your immunity is enticing, but the ability to do so has proved elusive for several reasons.
The immune system is precisely that, a system, not a single entity. To function well, it requires balance and harmony. There is still much that researchers do not know about the intricacies and interconnectedness of the immune response. For now, there are no scientifically proven direct links between lifestyle and enhanced immune function.
But that does not mean the effects of lifestyle on the immune system are not intriguing and should not be studied. Researchers are exploring the effects of diet, exercise, age, psychological stress, and other factors on the immune response, both in animals and in humans. In the meantime, general healthy-living strategies make sense since they likely help immune function and they come with other proven health benefits.
Your first line of defence is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take towards naturally keeping your immune system working properly. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as these:
• Do not smoke
• Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain a healthy weight
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation
• Get adequate sleep
• Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly
• Try to minimise stress
• Keep current with all recommended vaccines. Vaccines prime your immune system to fight off infections before they take hold in your body.
You should also try and increase immunity the healthy way. As we age, our immune response capability becomes reduced, which in turn contributes to more infections. As life expectancy in developed countries has increased, so too has the incidence of age-related conditions.
While some people age healthily, the conclusion of many studies is that, compared with younger people, the elderly are more likely to contract infectious diseases and, even more importantly, more likely to die from them. Respiratory infections, including, influenza, the COVID-19 virus and particularly pneumonia are a leading cause of death in people over 65 worldwide.
A reduction in immune response to infections has been demonstrated by older people’s response to vaccines. For example, studies of influenza vaccines have shown that for people over age 65, the vaccine is less effective compared to healthy children over age two. But despite the reduction in efficacy, vaccinations for influenza and have significantly lowered the rates of sickness and death in older people when compared with no vaccination.
No one likes being sick as it can cause major disruptions in your work and personal life and have a trickle-down effect to your mental psyche. But, as we have recently learned with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is hard to avoid bacterial infections and viruses, especially if you work or live in densely populated areas.
Even if illness may often seem inevitable, are there ways to better prepare your body for a potential onslaught of invaders.
BOX:
BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:
• You need vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to keep your body in peak form. You can cause harm to your immune system with poor diet choices, refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, processed and packaged foods, and certain fats (especially trans fat) can cause inflammation.
• Many fruits and vegetables, particularly berries, leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, are high in antioxidants. Kale, one of the more popular superfoods, also boasts omega-3 fatty acids.
• Omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood, nuts and certain vegetables help ease inflammation. For breakfast, add chia seeds, flaxseeds or walnuts to your yogurt or oatmeal. You can also have baked or steamed salmon instead of fattier cuts of beef and pork. Other types of seafood, such as oysters, contain high levels of zinc that help regulate the immune system.
• Cook with olive or canola oil instead of butter and other oils high in saturated and trans fat. Do not be afraid to add herbs and spices, either. Basil, cinnamon, curry, oregano, rosemary, thyme and turmeric can help reduce inflammation.
SOURCE: Harvard University Health