In the grocery store, there are a plethora of vitamins and items that promise to assist strengthen your immune system. However, although it may seem to be a no-brainer, increasing your immune system is far more difficult than you may imagine – and with good cause.
Your immune system is very intricate. It must be powerful and smart enough to combat a wide range of diseases and infections, but not so powerful that it overreacts inappropriately, leading to allergies and other autoimmune disorders. Your immune system is carefully regulated by a multitude of inputs in order to work in such a delicate equilibrium.
Despite its complexity, you may concentrate on daily lifestyle practices to assist in providing your immune system with the tools it needs to combat an infection or sickness. Here are five science-backed techniques to make sure your immune system gets all it needs to perform at its best, as well as why you shouldn't depend on supplements to do so.
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Maintain a balanced diet
A good diet, like other things in your body, is essential for a robust immune system. This involves getting lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats into your diet.
A balanced diet may help ensure that you acquire enough of the micronutrients that play a role in immune system maintenance, such as:
- Chicken, salmon, tuna, bananas, green vegetables, and potatoes all contain vitamin B6 (with the skin)
- Citrus fruits, such as oranges and strawberries, as well as tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach, contain vitamin C.
- Almonds, sunflower and safflower oil, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, and spinach all contain vitamin E.
Because scientists think that your body absorbs vitamins more effectively from food than supplements, eating a well-balanced diet is the greatest method to enhance your immune system.
Exercise on a regular basis
Physical exercise isn't only for toning muscles and de-stressing; it's also essential for staying healthy and sustaining a strong immune system.
Exercise may help your immune system by improving your general circulation, making it simpler for immune cells and other infection-fighting compounds to move about your body.
In fact, studies have shown that even 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise every day might help your immune system function better. This implies that being active and exercising on a regular basis is critical.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Water serves a variety of functions in the body, including immune system support. Lymph, a fluid in your circulatory system that transports essential infection-fighting immune cells across your body, is mostly water. Dehydration causes lymph to travel more slowly, which may contribute to immune system problems.
Even if you aren't exercising or sweating, you are continuously losing water via your breath, urine, and bowel motions. Make sure you're replenishing the water you lose with water you can utilize to strengthen your immune system, which begins with understanding how much water you truly need.
Get plenty of rest
Even if you don't know it, your body is busy while you're sleeping. Important infection-fighting chemicals, for example, are produced while you sleep.
People who don't get enough good sleep are more likely to become ill after being exposed to viruses like the common cold, according to studies. It's critical to understand how much sleep you should receive every night, as well as what actions to take if your sleep is failing, to offer your immune system the greatest chance of fighting infection and sickness.
Reduce your stress levels
It's critical to understand how stress impacts your health, especially the influence it has on your immune system, whether it comes on suddenly or gradually. When your body is under stress, especially chronic stress that is frequent and long-lasting, it reacts by triggering a stress response. As a result of this stress reaction, your immune system is suppressed, increasing your risk of infection or sickness.
Everyone's stress levels and coping mechanisms are unique. It's important to understand how to recognise stress because of the negative impact it may have on your health. You should also get acquainted with the practices that assist you alleviate stress, whether it's deep breathing, meditation, prayer, or exercise.
Last but not least, supplements
There are a plethora of pills that claim to boost your immune system, but be skeptical of these claims.
First and foremost, there is no proof that supplements boost your immune system or increase your chances of surviving an infection or sickness. Supplements are also not regulated or authorized by the FDA, unlike pharmaceuticals. For example, if you assume a large dosage of vitamin C would protect you from becoming sick, you're mistaken.
Instead of depending on promises on a label, try keeping up with the lifestyle routines listed above to help improve your immune system.
