Our immune system performs a remarkable job of defending us against the disease causing microorganism. But it fails to protect you and allows germs to invades your body successfully, thus making you sick when your immune system is weak. Not all immune systems function equally. Your immune response is determined by a number of factors like your lifestyle, your diet, chronic disease, stress, poverty, drinking water etc. Surgery and wounds also makes your body vulnerable to microbe invasion. Fortunately, there are many effective ways to strengthen your immune system, optimize its function and avoid getting sick again and again.
Eating variety of colorful fruits, vegetable, nuts and seeds will provide your body the essential nutrients that your body needs to strengthen the immune system, improve antibody response and protect against various infectious diseases. Malnutrition weakens the immune systems. So don’t indulge in eating French fries, soft drinks and other highly processed foods. A healthy immune system can be developed by eating a balanced diet including vitamins and minerals from all the groups. Also take adequate protein intake from plant ant animal sources to build strong blood cells and improve your immune health. If you are a new mother, feed your baby with breast milk. Breast milk contains all essential nutrients to protect your baby from infections.
Sometimes little stress is good thing. It prepares your body for facing challenges. But acute stress can weaken your immune system and decrease your ability to fight off diseases and illnesses. Sometimes chronic stress can make your immune system hyper-reactive and aggravate the condition like allergies, asthma and auto immune diseases. Sleep deprivation, work load buildup and stress suppress the immune function. Take time to relax and practice stress reducing techniques like yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises etc.
Engaging yourself in moderate aerobic exercise for 30-40 minutes will not only help you discharge tension but will also help to strengthen the virus destroying T-cells and antibody response.
Get enough sleep because sleep deprivation and overload of stress increases the hormone cortisol and suppresses immune function and elevates inflammatory chemicals, as a result of which you get sick.
Beneficial microorganism fights bad bugs and enhance your immune function. Such bacteria can be consumed through yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut and probiotic supplements available at various drug stores.
Drink plenty of water. Water helps to balance your body’s fluid level improve, bowel function and energize your body. Avoid drinking soda, tea and coffee which actually dehydrate your body and impair the immune system and increase the vulnerability of catching infections.
Drinking alcohol decreases body’s capacity to absorb vitamins and minerals and destroys white blood cells and affects the immune function adversely.
Vitamin D plays a major role in proper functioning of the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency increases the susceptibility infection. We do not get enough vitamin D from food. Sunlight triggers the skin’s production of vitamin D. During summers, 10-15 minutes of exposure to sunlight is enough while in winter you can spend more time in the sun.
Deficiencies of zinc, folic acid, selenium, Vitamin A, B. C, E and D are often linked with compromised immune function. It is best to get these nutrients from food sources. But with doctors recommendation you can take these supplement to enhance your immune function.
Garlic is a great immune boosting herb. It also contains antimicrobial and our diet properties, which help fight against variety of virus, bacteria, fungi and parasite. Some other immune boosting food that you can incorporate in your diet are almonds, beans, blueberries, green tea, yogurt and reishi mushroom.
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