Scientifically Proven Ways to Improve Your Immunity
Is there any magic pill or a supernatural supplement to enhance immunity? The simplest answer is, NO; immunity can be improved with natural ways only. Do you wonder how you can enhance your immunity or is enhancing immunity a backbreaker? This article is for you, and here you’ll be guided on improving and strengthening your immunity.
Immunity is like an army, having so many soldiers guarding a country’s borders. Foreign bodies or antigens are “enemies.” These soldiers fight against these enemies. In critical conditions, the army summons more soldiers. Similarly, in case of infections, the immune system produces antibodies against invading organisms and antigens.
From fighting against a common cold or flu to Covid-19 pneumonia, your immune system protects you in every possible way. It must be strong enough to fight against foreign bodies but not overactive, causing autoimmune disorders. In which the body starts killing its own cells. Inputs and outputs tightly control immunity.
How to improve Immunity?
Plenty of herbal supplements and medicinal drugs claim to improve immunity, but improving immunity naturally is the best way. Improving immunity naturally is a little bit arduous but – for a good reason!
Immunity has an utmost role in warding off infections. Without immunity, a minor cut may lead to worse consequences. It walls off invaders from entering your body and causing illnesses. The following are scientifically proven ways to enhance immunity.
Food Before Supplements
A supplement can’t provide you with what your food plate can. Be mindful of your pantry to see whether your diet contains all essential nutrients or not.
Bolstering your immune system may require changes in your lifestyle and food choices. A strong immune system is your natural body’s defense against pathogens or harmful microorganisms. Following food choices have been proven to improve your immune system.
Eat healthy fats
Some healthy fats like fats in olive or salmon oil help boost your immune system by reducing the process of inflammation in your body.
Although inflammation is continuously happening in different parts of your body, it’s low-level to fight against minor pathogens. Chronic inflammation is harmful as it weakens your immune system. Olive oil has anti-inflammatory action, especially in chronic infections and inflammation. It exerts anti-inflammatory action in cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus.
Omega-3 fatty acids also help your body fight off invaders. Salmon, chia seeds, and olive oil are rich sources of healthy fats.
Limit artificial sugars
Refined carbohydrates and artificial sugars are the underlying cause of obesity–leading to cardiovascular diseases and weakened immune systems due to chronic inflammation.
Advanced research studies show that out of all vaccinated people against flu, 1000 obese people still got the flu twice as healthy people with normal BMI.
Similarly, obesity leads to diabetes mellitus–a potential threat to the immune system. A weakened immune system leads to diabetic retinopathy, diabetics nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic foot, and poor wound healing. You need to curb your sugar intake to prevent these life-threatening diseases.
It would be better to limit your sugar intake to less than 5% of your daily diet which makes approximately 2 tablespoons of sugar (for 2000calories/day).
Fermented foods
Your gut flora protects against infections caused by pathogens or contaminants of food. Fermented foods flourish your gut flora, leading to a strong immune system and boosting immunity at the cellular level.
Yogurt, cultured milk, kimchi, cider, sauerkraut, and tempeh are considered healthy fermented foods which Improve your immunity.
In a clinical trial, 126 children who drank 70ml of fermented milk daily for three months had 20% fewer chances of getting infectious diseases–proving the beneficial role of fermented foods in boosting immunity.
If you cannot take fermented foods, probiotic supplements have the same role. They are rich in beneficial bacteria. In a clinical research study of people infected with rhinovirus,152 people supplemented with probiotics for 28 days had less severe symptoms, and low virus levels were detected in swabs of their nasal mucosa.
Plant foods
Natural foods always give you an upper hand in fighting off invaders. Plant foods include vegetables, fruits, seeds, legumes, and nuts. Plant foods have antioxidant properties which combat free radicals.
In Covid-19 pneumonia, plant food plays an utmost role in enhancing immunity. Plant foods like papaya, kiwi, orange, and guava are vitamin-C-rich foods. Vegetables rich in vitamin C, including spinach, papaya, and cauliflower, strengthen immunity at the greatest level. To combat viral infections, plant foods provide the best immunity.
According to British Nutrition Foundation, a plant-based diet decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart diseases and stroke, and diabetes mellitus by lowering blood pressure and decreasing blood sugar levels.
Moreover, in addition to vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, a plant-based diet contains phytochemicals. These phytochemicals are present in plants of different colors. Plants also contain carotenoids to boost immunity.
Do exercises boost your Immune system?
A sedentary lifestyle makes you prone to obesity, heart diseases, and diabetes mellitus. Regular exercise reduces the chance of these diseases. Moreover, exercise strengthens bones and joints. All these factors improve immunity.
Following are the proposed mechanisms of exercise in enhancing immunity:
- Exercise or physical activity enhances blood circulation. WBCs and antibodies are core components of immunity. They can reach at site of infection earlier than expected, kill pathogens and eradicate inflammatory responses.
- Exercise increases the rate of metabolism, leading to increased body temperature, which prevents the further growth of bacteria in the body.
- Exercise inhibits the release of stress hormones in the body. Stress and anxiety weaken the immune system. So, reduced levels of stress hormones improve immunity.
- During exercise, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines are released, which help your body fight against viral infections.
Physical activity prevents excessive weight or obesity, chronic inflammation, and non-communicable diseases. Mild to moderate exercise can help your body improve immunity, but vigorous exercise for more than 90 minutes decreases cellular immunity.
Effect of exercise on components of the immune system
The following are the effects of increased physical activity or exercise on the immune system:
During exercise, muscle contraction leads to increased production of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The level of cytokines depends on the volume of muscles involved in the exercise, duration of exercise, and intensity of exercise.
During exercise, muscle fibers are activated, increasing calcium levels. Increased calcium levels promote the release of cytokines. Cytokines regulate selectins that attract neutrophils to the site of infection or inflammation.
Exercise increases the circulation of leukocytes, especially in the spleen, liver, and lungs. During exercise, it reaches the peak level within 30-120 minutes and remains high for 24 hrs.
Exercise decreases the expression of toll-like receptors in macrophages, suppressing T-cell mediated immunity. This mechanism inhibits the process of inflammation.
During physical activity, the recruitment of natural killer cells and lymphocytes increases.
Manage stress and anxiety
Modern studies indicate a link between the immune system and mental states. A wide variety of ailments like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and stomach upset are closely linked with stress and anxiety, leading to a weakened immune system.
Talking about how stress affects the immune system, you must undertake anatomical relations. Sympathetic fibers from the brain descend into primary and secondary lymphoid structures. Primary lymphoid tissues include bone marrow and thymus, while secondary include spleen and lymph nodes. These fibers release certain chemicals which bind to white blood cells, affecting immunity.
Secondly, people engage themselves in different types of drug abuse to relieve stress—for example, alcohol, smoking, nicotine, and caffeine intake. Drug abuse exerts toxic effects on the body, reducing immunity. Moreover, stress causes depression.
It would help if you sorted out the causes of stress and depression to enhance immunity.
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Hydrate yourself
The integrity of the Immune system depends on blood circulation, which provides nutrients essential for functioning. Blood contains 90% water. When you don’t drink enough water, nutrients are not supplied efficiently, decreasing the immune system’s efficacy—hydration includes intake of both water and electrolytes. Water makes saliva, aids in digestion, flushes waste, and keeps the mucosa of your organs moist—these functions aid in strengthening immunity.
Adequate Sleep
Sleep balances your immune system. Both innate and adaptive immunity is strengthened by adequate rest and sleep. Sleep releases cytokines, which protect against infections and contribute to adaptive immunity.
Moreover, melatonin released during sleep has a negative feedback effect on stress hormones, leading to the robustness of the immune system.
During sleep, your muscles consume the least amount of energy, freeing up calories for the immune system to perform its critical tasks.
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Getting Started
Immunity plays a critical role in maintaining a healthy life. The robustness of your immune system depends on your lifestyle and pantry. Eating healthy foods (healthy fats, fermented foods, plant foods, low sugar diet), adequate rest, staying hydrated, and exercising are scientifically proven ways to enhance immunity. Many herbal and medicinal supplements claim to improve immunity, but most of them are not approved by the FDA. They don’t have magical effects to enhance your immunity. However, if someone can’t meet his nutritional requirements from food, he can take vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients supplements to maintain immunity.
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That’s it for now.
Stay Healthy!
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