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Are Your Habits Impacting Your Immune Health?

ESTIMATED READING TIME 5 MINUTES

Winter Immunity

It’s that time of the year again, when every other person seems to be coughing and sniffling, with colds and viruses doing the rounds. Come winter, you need a healthy immune system. But have you ever considered whether your lifestyle habits might be impacting your immune health? 

Read on for some practical tips to enhance your immunity at this change of the seasons.

Meet Your Immune System

Your immune system does an amazing job for you. Every minute of every day it’s asked to distinguish between dangerous invaders trying to gain access to your body on the one hand, like bacteria, virus, fungi and parasites, and on the other, innocuous substances. 

Your immune system is made up of various different cells, including many types of white blood cells. These act as first responders and triage teams, supported by an army of fighters poised to mount an attack if harmful substances are detected. 

Ideally, you want your immune system to be skilled at knowing whether something is an invader or not. You need it to be alert and armed to mount an attack if necessary, but able to hold back from damaging harmless parts of your body by mistake.

This is why, technically speaking, it’s not a good idea to boost your immune system. An overactive immune system lacking selectivity might erroneously attack innocent substances – cue allergies and auto-immune conditions. On the other hand, ideally, your immune system shouldn’t underperform either, because then you might fall victim to bacterial and viral infections.

Habits Impacting Your Immunity

  • Don’t Prioritise a Healthy Diet 
Your immune system needs plenty of vitamin C, as it’s crucial for your white blood cell army to work effectively. Omega 3, on the other hand, seems to help train your immune system and assist with antibody production, a vital part of your immune system’s memory. Immune cells carry special receptors for vitamin D, a nutrient often lacking in the dark winter months. Finally, zinc is needed for the development and growth of immune cells called neutrophils and natural killer cells 1 Unprocessed, colourful plant foods deliver a concentrated package of immune-friendly nutrients. Load up your plate with garlic, ginger, onions and turmeric – all part of nature’s immune-supporting store cupboard. Sip antioxidant-laden green tea and be creative with mushrooms. They’re currently the subject of research into their positive effect on immune cells 2.
  • Ignore Your Gut Reaction 
Around three-quarters of your immune system is in your gut. Therefore, if your gut isn’t happy, neither will be your immune system. Simple tips to improve gut function include eating plenty of plant foods to feed your gut microbiome, eating slowly, feasting on fermented foods like sauerkraut, miso, and kimchi, and cutting back on alcohol.
  • Indulge Your Sweet Tooth
Sugar wrecks healthy gut bacterial balance and is thought to directly deplete immune system health. Swap sweet snacks for protein-laden ones like nuts and seeds, which also deliver a dose of omega 3.
  • Don’t Prioritise Sleep
Sleep has a massive and underappreciated effect on health, including immunity. If you don’t get enough sleep, certain types of white blood cells called natural killer cells – part of your immune system’s frontline fighting force – will decrease. Even one night of poor sleep can adversely impact immune health.  Sleep is not a luxury, especially at this time of the year – it’s an absolute necessity and one of the pillars of good immune health. Set a consistent bedtime, try a magnesium supplement before bed, and make sure your bedroom is dark.
  • Power Through
Your immune system needs a huge amount of energy to function. This is why, when you’re under the weather, your brain tells you to take it easy, and you feel like resting or spending time in bed. These are called sickness behaviours, and although you might have tons of things on your to-do list, don’t ignore the urge to rest. Your immune system will thank you in the long run.
  • Ignore Stress
Stress is another lifestyle factor that can hugely impact immune health. When you’re experiencing chronic stress, your body produces hormones which directly reduce immune activity by depleting its army of immune cells and encouraging inflammation. Long term, stress can impact the ability of your immune system to tell between what is dangerous and what is not. Finally, you’ll probably relate to how damaging stress can be to digestive function, crucial for optimal immunity.  If you relate to feeling stressed, try meditation, yoga or breathing exercises.
  • Stay Indoors
If you’re sick, off to bed with you, but if you’re healthy, don’t be tempted to stay indoors, even when the weather is grim. Substances called phytoncides, emitted by trees and plants, can naturally support your immune system.
  • Become a Couch Potato
If you don’t move much, your immune system will suffer. Moderate exercise boosts the circulation of immune cells and supports immune system function. Focus on moving more in your everyday life and take regular breaks if you’re in a sedentary job.
  • Ignore Herbal Wisdom
Echinacea has been used for many years as an immune system support. Meanwhile, research on extract of black elderberry has found it can increase the production of proteins effecting immune signalling, as well as having antiviral properties 3.

Personalised Support for a Healthy Immune System

If you are struggling with frequent infections or other immune issues, we can help. We will dig down to discover the root causes of your health issues by looking in depth at your symptoms, health history and nutrition. Combining these with functional tests as appropriate, we can find out whether dietary or lifestyle factors are impacting your immune system. Armed with this knowledge, root causes can be addressed and put right, bringing about lasting health changes. 

Contact us today to start your journey to better immune health.

References

  1. Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection – PubMed
  2. Immunomodulatory Effects of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms and Their Bioactive Immunoregulatory Products – PMC
  3. The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines – PubMed
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