Immunity boosters refer to products designed to support immune function. Common examples are vitamin C and zinc supplements which contribute to maintaining a strong immune system.
However, most of what your body requires to maintain healthy immunity can be obtained through proper nutrition and regular physical activity. Furthermore, vaccines provide extra support against specific germs.
Eat a Balanced Diet
Eating a diet full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps strengthen immunity. Certain nutrients like vitamins A, C and E; zinc; iron; selenium and omega -3 fatty acids play an essential role in immune functioning; deficiency can compromise parts of our immune systems leading to diseases.
Researchers are turning to “omics” techniques in order to better understand how dietary components influence immune system responses in our bodies. For instance, one recent study demonstrated how allicin found in garlic can help suppress inflammation-linked genes within the immune system.
Immunity-boosting foods such as almonds (Rambutan, Durian and avocado), berries, carrots, guavas, mangoes, spinach tomatoes and red bell peppers have been demonstrated to have antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant and anti-aging benefits when taken in recommended amounts (Jayawardena & Percival 2020). Vitamin A rich foods like sweet potatoes, beef liver cheese milk fortified breakfast cereals eggs seafood are also important in maintaining an optimal state.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is already vitally important to maintaining general health; during a pandemic it becomes even more critical. According to research, lack of sleep can affect your immune system in several ways – for example, decreased production of anti-inflammatory proteins called cytokines that help fight infections can decrease.
Sleep can also play an essential role in memory formation during adaptive immune responses. Similar to how it facilitates neurobehavioural memory formation, this research indicates that immunological memory consolidation phases (e.g. encoding and recall) benefited most from restful nights’ rest.
Your body produces and programs hematopoietic stem cells during sleep that later transform into monocytes (white blood cells) to play a crucial role in its innate immune response, including eliminating invading microbes while activating other immune cells.
Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise can help your body remain healthy, and may even strengthen your immune system. According to a 2019 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, moderate exercises such as 30-minute brisk walks increase Natural Killer (NK) cells – white blood cells which destroy germs – by significantly.
Your natural killer cell count doesn’t need to be high for them to work effectively against flu or other viruses; these cells attack invading pathogens as soon as they enter your system. Exercise can increase this count, helping your body combat disease more rapidly and effectively.
Low to moderate intensity exercise such as power walking or slow bicycle riding is the ideal way to build immunity. Avoid engaging in high intensity activities for extended periods as this could suppress your immune system.
Manage Your Stress
No one escapes stress; from exams to caring for an ailing family member to big work projects – everyone experiences some level of it at one time or another. Yet chronic stress has the ability to debilitate immune function. For this reason, managing stress through healthy lifestyle strategies such as meditation, exercise and strengthening social connections is paramount in order to keep immune health strong.
Have you seen products marketed as immune boosters, often consisting of vitamins and nutrients to aid with healthy immunity? While such supplements could potentially provide some additional support if a deficiency exists in certain nutrients, their use has never been proven to increase immunity by themselves.
Studies show that getting enough rest, managing your stress levels, limiting high-sugar foods and cutting back on alcohol are the best ways to bolster immunity. Speak to your healthcare provider for personalized guidance about incorporating these strategies into your daily life; they may suggest additional lifestyle modifications like limiting screen time before bed and installing dark curtains that may increase their effectiveness.
Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking can strengthen your immune system and improve lung health – something which smokers are more prone to due to exposure. Furthermore, quitting can lower risk of lung infections and respiratory diseases like asthma.
Scientists at Institut Pasteur discovered that smoking alters the epigenetic modification (methylation) of certain genes involved in immune responses. Smoking decreased DNA methylation levels and led to greater secretion of CXCL5 following bacterial stimulation, while it increased secretion of IL-2 and IL-13 after adaptive immune stimulations.
Researchers conducted analysis on data compiled from over 1,000 participants of the Milieu Interieur study. Participants provided information regarding 136 socio-demographic, environmental, clinical, and diet-related factors. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering revealed three variables as having the greatest influence on immunological response: smoking, body mass index and latent Cytomegalovirus infection (CMV).
Get Vaccinated
Immunity booster shots are one of the best ways to strengthen your defenses against disease, giving your immune cells practice in fighting inactive forms of an illness so they’ll know how to react when real threat arrives.
When your vaccination contains antigens from germs such as COVID-19, special cells known as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) circulating throughout your body detect invaders by searching for any proteins from them and then display a piece of it so other immune cells can detect and fight it off.
Vaccines also provoke a secondary immune response by creating memory B and T cells, allowing your body to respond swiftly to repeated infections with antibodies without experiencing their full symptoms. Even healthy, strong-functioning immune systems need this extra protection against serious illnesses.