Boosting immunity is extremely important in order to keep us healthy and keep our bodies fighting off harmful viruses, diseases, and infections.
How The Immune System Works
The immune system has one vital role: protecting our bodies from harmful substances, germs, and cell changes that can make us ill. The immune system is made up of different organs, cells, and proteins. When the immune system stops working properly, we get ill. Germs that we have not encountered before are the ones most likely to make us ill.
The main functions of the immune system are to fight disease-causing germs like bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi and to remove them from the body. The immune system also works to recognize and neutralize harmful substances that we encounter in the environment and fight disease-causing changes in the body, for example, cancer cells.
As you can see, the immune system has a very important job, and it’s important that we do all that we can to keep our immune systems healthy and continue to fight for us. Here are some tips to keep your immune system in tip-top shape:
Your Diet: One of the easiest ways to give your immune system a boost is by watching what you eat. There are certain foods, mainly fruits, and vegetables, that have been proven to strengthen immunity, and those are:
1.Citrus Fruits: These are packed with vitamin C, which helps increase the production of white blood cells in the body, which are necessary to fight infections. Vitamin C has been used for decades to help fight off the common cold.
2. Broccoli: This veggie is packed with vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants, making it one of the healthiest vegetables that you can put on your plate.
3. Garlic: Garlic has been touted to fight off infections for centuries. In fact, there’s small evidence that shows that garlic can also help lower blood pressure.
4. Ginger: Ginger is another ingredient that people have been turning to for years to fight off illness and boost immunity.
5. Spinach: Spinach is another food item that is rich in vitamin C as well as antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of the immune system.
6. Almonds: When it comes to fighting the common cold, vitamin C gets all of the spotlights. But, vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant that can help boost immunity. Almonds are packed with vitamin E and healthy fats.
7. Papaya: This is another fruit packed with vitamin C. Papaya also has a digestive enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory properties.
8. Stay Active: Working out is a powerful way to boost your immune system, according to doctors. That’s because it causes the body’s antibodies and white blood cells to circulate quicker, which means they may be able to detect and close in on bugs faster. Aim for 30-60 minutes of exercise most 3-5 days per week to see the best results in your overall health and immunity.
9. Keep Your Stress In Check: There’s a link between your immune system and your mental health. Research shows that when you are under chronic stress or anxiety, your body produces stress hormones that suppress your immune system. In fact, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have found that people who are stressed are more likely to develop the common cold. Some things to keep stress at bay include exercise, meditation, painting, or other creative outlets and even talking with a friend or loved one.
10. Take Your Vitamins: We already went over some foods that have a lot of vitamins in them to boost your immunity, now we will go over some of the vitamins you can take in supplement form:
Vitamin C: This is one of the biggest immune boosters out there. In fact, a lack of vitamin C can make you more susceptible to getting sick. If you can’t add enough oranges, grapefruits, bell peppers, strawberries, or kale and broccoli into your diet, you can take vitamin C in a tablet form, available at most grocery stores and health stores.
Vitamin B6: This one is vital to support biochemical reactions in the immune system. To get this from food, eat green vegetables, salmon, tuna, and chickpeas. You can also get your daily B6 through tablets and powders.
Vitamin E: This is a powerful antioxidant that helps the body fight infection. This is found in nuts, seeds, and spinach as well as tablets and other forms of supplements.
Vitamin D: Research from 2017 found that a moderate dose of vitamin D daily may offer protection to your immune system. This can be obtained by some time out in the sunshine or in the form of a tablet.
Now you know what you can do to keep your immune system working properly and keep you from calling in sick. These tips are more important than ever as the world battles the coronavirus. In addition to these tips, make sure that you are washing your hands with warm water and soap, covering your mouth with your elbow when you sneeze, not touching your face or mouth or eyes when in public, and that you wear a face mask to avoid the spread of germs.