Best Ways to Boost the Immune System

The immunity system has a significant role in defending the human body against major disease-causing microorganisms. When this system fails, you will instantly fall sick, even due to tiny germ reactions. Therefore, to avoid the possibility of autoimmune disorders, it is advisable to take the proper steps to boost the immune system from the very beginning.

Do you wish to know about the ways to boost immunity? Then, read till the end of this piece to find out how you can avoid immunity issues in the future.

What Are the Ways to Boost Immunity?

When you think about the ways to increase immunity, you might think about supplements that promise to strengthen your immune system. While this might be a convenient method, doctors often suggest natural ways. Moreover, such supplements might contain side effects, and their effectiveness might reduce with time. Let us see some of the best ways to boost the immune system in the following section naturally.

1. Maintain a Healthy Diet

healthy diet foods — (source: hearstapps)

Developing and maintaining a healthy diet is often considered one of the best ways to boost your immune system. There is a saying that you are what you eat. Thus, when you eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and proteins providing all the proper nutrients to your body, your immune system grows stronger.

Apart from providing the required energy, a healthy diet can give the right micronutrients for strengthening your immunity, including Vitamins B6, C and E. The following list will provide you with a guide regarding the right food items to include in your daily diet.

Fruits

Citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C, a significant ingredient to protect against cold. It increases white blood cells, thereby fighting against infections. Common citrus fruits include oranges, grapes, lemons, tangerines, clementine, etc. Apart from that, papayas and kiwis are also loaded with Vitamin C. You can consider these for your daily diet. On the other hand, blueberries consist of anthocyanin, which can boost your immunity with antioxidant properties.

Vegetables

Red bell peppers contain high amounts of Vitamin C and beta carotene. It can not only boost your immune system but can also help you maintain healthy skin. On the other hand, broccoli is loaded with Vitamins A, C, and E. It also contains fibre and antioxidants, which can help strengthen your immune system. Furthermore, adding garlic to your daily diet can also help you boost your immunity, as it includes sulphur-containing compounds such as allicin. Ginger, on the other hand, decreases inflammation. Its consumption is often helpful in cold and flu. Apart from that, you can also consider spinach for your diet, as it is rich in Vitamin C.

Seeds and spices

Sunflower seeds are loaded with Vitamin B6 and E. It helps regulate and maintain your immune system. Turmeric, a common spice, comes with anti-inflammatory ingredients. It can be an instant immunity booster.

Nuts and dairy

Almonds are considered the best nuts for immunity boosters. It is packed with vitamins and healthy fats. Similarly, yoghurt is an excellent source of Vitamin D. It helps regulate your immune system, allowing it to fight against various germs.

Animal protein

Poultry items, such as chicken and turkey, are high in Vitamin B6. In addition, their broth contains gelatine, chondroitin, and other nutrients, which help boost your immunity. Shellfish, such as lobsters, mussels, crabs and oysters, are excellent sources of zinc, which can help improve your immunity.

Drinks

Drinking a lot of water and keeping yourself hydrated can help you avoid problems related to immunity. Your circulatory system contains a fluid called lymph, which carries immune cells across the body for fighting against infections. Being dehydrated can slow down the movement of the lymph. Furthermore, you can also consider drinking green and black tea since these contain flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. Therefore, it can enhance immunity functions.

2. Exercise Regularly

Physical activities can be an effective way to improve the immune system. According to health researchers, daily exercising can help regulate and strengthen your immunity. There are various ways that exercising can affect your body and immunity. You will find some of these in the following section:

Exercising increases your blood flow and briefly elevates your body temperature. In addition, it strengthens the antibodies to fight against bacteria and viruses.
It also helps to remove bacteria from your airways, thereby directly protecting your body from infections.
Apart from that, it can also cause your immune cells to become more effective and perform their functions more efficiently.
Exercising regularly reduces inflammation, ultimately allowing your immunity to perform better.
According to the findings of a 2019 scientific review, regular exercising can lower the chances of upper respiratory tract infections.
Another study in 2018 observed that moderate exercising could lower the chances of respiratory illnesses among the participants.

There can be various ways of exercising. It depends on your age and capability to decide the right exercises. Even small amounts of exercising, such as walking about 10 minutes a day, can help. The other forms of exercising include isometric exercises, chair exercises, resistance band exercises, full-body exercises and yoga.

3. Maintain a Sleep Routine

Sleep deprivation can be a severe health concern. Studies have shown that people who lack a proper sleep routine are more likely to suffer from infections. Thus, having a sound sleep routine is a way to boost the immune system. According to health researchers, proper sleep improves a specific immunity cell, called T cells. Such cells fight against intracellular pathogens like flu, HIV, herpes, and cancer.

According to past research, T cells of people with healthy sleep routines show higher levels of integrin activation than those with poor sleep routines. Adults require a minimum of seven hours of sleep every night for improving their immunity and overall wellbeing.

4. Develop a Hygienic Lifestyle

Maintaining simple hygiene standards can help improve your immune system and keep germs away. It is known that infections come from viruses and bacteria, primarily found in dirty places and surroundings. Thus, keeping your hands and surroundings clean can be a significant boost to your immunity. You should develop a habit of throwing stagnant water, excess food and garbage out to maintain hygiene.

5. Reduce Stress and Anxiety

One of the best ways to boost your immune system is by reducing your stress levels. Unfortunately, stress has become a familiar companion in life for most people. According to health researchers, stress causes the release of the stress hormone cortisol in your body. Initially, it can boost immunity by limiting inflammation. However, once your body gets used to it, cortisol makes way for higher inflammation in your body. Various conditions can cause stress. Some of them are discussed below.

Facing pressure
Undergoing major changes
Worrying about anything in particular
Losing control over a situation
Having overwhelming responsibilities
Uncertain situations

There are various ways for reducing stress. Taking counselling sessions can be one of these, and your doctor might prescribe the required medicines. Apart from that, they often suggest yoga and exercising for reducing stress and anxiety level.

6. Rely on Herbs and Supplements

herbs suppliments — (source: healthline)

Currently, you can find multiple options for herbal and medical supplements and pills for treating your immunity issues. There have been various opinions regarding the benefits of these medications to curing immunity-related problems. In some cases, there have been significant improvements in the immunity of the individuals taking supplements. However, even though FDA approves these, these supplements hardly guarantee any modification to your immune system. Scientists are yet to decide if individuals should rely on these instead of natural ways when it comes to their immunity.

Therefore, as you can see, you need to know the various ways to boost immunity. Once you follow these, you can strengthen your immunity and avoid catching infections easily. With the rising expenses of healthcare, precaution is always better than cure. Therefore, you can follow these activities and protect yourself from possible illnesses in future.