Effective Ways To Boost Your Immune System

When we are talking about the immune system, we are talking about an organism’s way of protecting itself against diseases and the processes and systems that make this possible. An immune system can only be said to be functional when it is able to detect a wide range of disease causing agents called pathogens. Whether viruses, bacteria or parasitic worms, it should be able to differentiate them from the organism’s healthy tissue. Immune systems may come with subsystems; namely, the innate and adaptive immune systems. You can find out more on this here.

Are there ways to boost the immune system or is there no need to boost it? Actually, the immune system is very good at defending the body against pathogens, but there are times when it can be overwhelmed by an invading germ leaving you sick. So, are there ways we can help it to defend us better? Can diet, life changes, nutritional supplements and the like help?

Supporting the Fight Against Pathogens

Thoughts of helping out with our body’s immunity could be enticing, but it has not always been successful and there are many reasons for that. Just like the name goes, you are dealing with a system, a combination of things and not just a singular unit. This calls for harmony and balance. Research is still ongoing to understand this system better, its intricacies, responses and interconnectedness. For now, some of the interventions to aid a person’s immunity have no scientific backing.

This however does not call for careless and indiscriminate living. While studies are still ongoing on how exercise, diet, psychological stress, age, and several other factors affect the system, it would be wise to generally live healthy, in moderation, and to avoid pathogens. Keeping to general advice on healthy living is a first step in defending against pathogens as has been mentioned here https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system.

Your body and all its parts do better when protected from external assault that may come with careless living. Some things to do include the following:  

• Avoid smoking
• Exercise regularly
• Avoid alcohol or drink moderately
• Get enough sleep
• Watch your weight
• Increase your intake of vegetables and fruits.
• Wash hands and disinfect your environment regularly
• Cook food items like meat thoroughly
• Reduce stress

Below is an elaboration of some of the factors listed in the bullet points.

Diet

Your body’s warriors need regular and proper nourishment. It is a scientific fact that malnourished people are more likely to go down with infectious diseases. There is documented evidence that deficiencies in certain micronutrients like zinc, iron, selenium, copper, folic acid, vitamins A, C, E and B6, alter responses in the immunity. So, taking food items that ensure there are no deficiencies is the right thing to do. In situations where food items having these micronutrients are not available, taking supplements become helpful. However, you should note that taking large doses would not necessarily result in corresponding results. 

Psychological Stress

Medical science recognizes a very close relationship between the body and the mind. A great variety of ailments including ulcers and other stomach ailments, heart diseases and some other diseases are linked to emotional stress. The implication is that whatever is helpful in reducing emotional stress will equally be helpful in avoiding these maladies. It is true that what may be said to be stressful is difficult to define, as what may constitute stressful situations vary from individual to individual. Often, people undergoing stress cannot measure the amount of stress they feel. In situations like these, life styles like exercise and a good frame of mind are helpful in ensuring good health.

Exercise

Regular exercise has always been beneficial to good health. Being known for improving cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure, controlling body wealth, it is an indispensable support to good health. More so, it contributes directly to improved circulation, thus allowing cells and other constituents of the immune system to have free movement within the body, giving them an opportunity to perform their function efficiently.

In Conclusion

It is always best to boost your immunity naturally. There are many items on sale meant to boost immunity and you check this out in your local health stores. You should however go for such wisely. It is not wise to keep up a bad eating habit and expect to neutralize that by pumping into your body immune boosters. So, priority on your list should be to avoid those things that compromise your immunity or expose you to pathogens.

You need a good lifestyle to get the best of any booster. For instance, refusing to wash your hands properly or not watching what you eat closely can lead to illnesses that cannot be prevented by boosters. Boosters work hand in hand with healthy living.

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