Everyone wants to have strong immunity to protect their body. Not everyone knows how to take care of it. Here are a few ways that will help you.
Immunity is one of the most important issues, and contrary to appearances, public awareness of it is unfortunately quite low. It is not enough to take a set of vitamins and minerals or swallow vitamin C to be healthy. Of course, supplements are definitely advisable and helpful, but they will not do all the work for us. Building immunity is a complex process that requires daily actions.
How can you naturally strengthen your immunity?
First of all, remember that we build immunity all year round. Even the best supplements will not strengthen it right away – they are not products that work “here and now.” You can and, of course, I highly recommend supporting yourself with them (with common sense, of course), but first and foremost you need to take care of the basics.
Rest and recovery support immunity
Both physical and mental fatigue do not support the functioning of the immune system. You will not recharge your batteries if you do not create the right conditions for it. The basic issue is sleep, that is, nighttime recovery. It is then that intensive psycho-physical renewal takes place.
It has been proven that people who do not get enough sleep, who stay up through the night, struggle with viral infections much more often. Not to mention that the next day they experience general weakness, problems with concentration and reduced motivation. Importantly, during sleep, our body not only regenerates, but also cleanses itself of various types of disease-causing pathogens.
Downplaying the role of sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances (e.g. shift work) leads to hormonal imbalance. Then you will be dealing with excessive amounts of cortisol and intensified effects of stress.
This, in turn, results in weakened body immunity and an increased risk of developing serious diseases. During nighttime rest, melatonin is secreted, known as the sleep hormone. It has immunoregulatory functions, and it also stimulates immunity and keeps the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-alpha in check.
What to do? Take care of the appropriate
amount and quality of sleep. It is recommended to sleep an average of 7 to 9 hours. Before going to bed, it is worth limiting exposure to blue light (screens of phones, computers or televisions). A good idea would be to prepare the body for rest – turn everything off and dim the lights for about 20 minutes.
Keep in mind that the best adrenal recovery takes place between 21:00 and 1:00 – this is a good time to go to bed.
Nutrition is key
If your diet is poor and rich in many highly processed products, it is high time to make some changes. Above all, focus on good-quality, minimally processed food from which the body can extract many beneficial components. A good option will be to skillfully introduce vegetables and fruits containing not only vitamins and minerals, but also antioxidants.
If these are your dietary preferences and you consume large amounts of sugar on a daily basis, then I have bad news. An excess of calories and sugar in the diet can impair the functions of the immune system and the ability to absorb certain vitamins and minerals. In addition, it adversely affects the intestinal bacterial flora, feeding and thereby supporting the growth of bad bacteria. The result is, among other things, an imbalance of the bacterial flora, and that is already a very bad sign…
It can be said that the intestines are the center of the body's immune system – that is where most of our immunity is located. In addition, an excess of sugar and generally simple carbohydrates promotes inflammation and the development of disease-causing pathogens. It is definitely better to limit or eliminate them.
What to do and what is worth including in the diet? Well, I definitely do not recommend forgetting about sources of fat. Remember that the body needs both unsaturated and saturated fats. This will allow, among other things, proper care for nerve cells and control inflammation.
In addition, we support the production of the important, immunity-strengthening
vitamin D3, which I additionally recommend supplementing. A large part of the population has deficiencies in this vitamin, which negatively affects health. Let us also remember to include products containing polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and omega 3 (EPA and DHA). Namely:
- good-quality extra virgin olive oil,
- avocado,
- evening primrose oil,
- nuts,
- fatty sea fish,
- fatty meat,
- coconut oil.
It is worth considering
omega-3 supplementation.
An excellent idea will be to include fermented foods in your meal plan (sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers). These are so-called prebiotics, which have a beneficial effect on the intestines, optimizing their function. Another product I recommend is garlic, often called a natural antibiotic.
Do you remember what our mothers and grandmothers usually did when we caught a cold? That's right, chicken soup! Properly made broth can work wonders. Broth prepared on bones is a true treasure trove of minerals, collagen, vitamins and amino acids that stimulate the immune system and support cell repair.
Take care of your gut to strengthen immunity
Rebuilding the intestinal barrier, sealing the intestines and bringing
the bacterial flora back into balance are long-term tasks, but certainly worthwhile. In the intestines there is GALT lymphatic tissue, which serves as a kind of immune system closely connected with the digestive system.
Its tasks include the production of lymphocytes and antibodies that support defense against pathogens. The most important thing in improving intestinal function and condition are probiotics. It is worth combining them with butyrates and lactoferrin or colostrum.
Intestinal bacteria are involved in the production of compounds with antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, they stimulate B and T lymphocytes and positively affect the levels of vitamins D3 and B12, which also support the body's immune functions.
A good idea will be to include the fermented foods mentioned earlier in the diet and eliminate factors that weaken intestinal function and immunity:
- PPI drugs (proton pump inhibitors),
- NSAID drugs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs),
- alcohol and cigarettes,
- antibiotics,
- high exposure to stress.
All of this, as well as neglecting the previously mentioned elements, negatively affects the intestinal barrier and the tightness of our intestines. As a consequence, the body is weakened and we are more susceptible to various types of infections.
Physical activity and the body's immunity
This topic also needs to be approached with common sense, but it is definitely better to be physically active. Studies confirm that moderate physical activity leads to an increase in the number and activity of macrophages, whose task includes eliminating disease-causing microorganisms and harmful metabolic by-products. They also support the production of IL-10 with strong anti-inflammatory properties.
Properly performed physical activity stimulates the activity of leukocytes, which translates, among other things, into increased production of interleukins and antibodies such as IgG.
So what should be done to naturally strengthen immunity?
- focus on healthy, minimally processed food,
- include good sources of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants in the diet,
- take care of your gut,
- take care of proper sleep quality and quantity,
- eliminate stimulants,
- reduce exposure to stress,
- limit simple sugars,
- be physically active.
