7 Ways to Boost Your Immune System
Introduction
One of the primary causes of “old age” deaths is illness. An ineffective immune system makes it much more likely that someone will die of pneumonia, COVID-19, or cancer.
Your immune system keeps you alive by fighting off disease-causing bacteria and viruses. It also kills cancer cells. It happens more often to older people, but also to younger people.
7 Ways to Boost Your Immune System
Use these strategies to boost your immune system and optimize your chances for a long and healthy life:
Sleep
Sleep deprivation is a major stressor for the body. The science is clear that 7-9 hours of sleep is optimal for most adults. If you don’t have time for at least seven hours of sleep each night, make some changes.
Eat nutritious foods
Along with getting enough sleep, this is probably the most important tip on this list. Eating healthier is the most powerful way to be healthier.
Your body is constantly creating new cells that are part of the immune process. One of the best ways to boost your immune system is to give these parts the building blocks they need.
If you don’t like fruits and vegetables, take a multivitamin every day.
Exercise
A healthy body leads to a robust immune system. Scientists believe a strong circulatory system can help support your body’s immune response.
A healthy body weight, normal blood pressure, and overall cardiovascular health minimize the stress on the body, reducing the likelihood of getting sick.
Relax
Stress is hard on every part of your body, including your immune system. You’ve probably noticed that you’re more likely to get sick when you’re chronically stressed. Minimize the amount of stress you’re exposed to and find healthy ways of dealing with stress when it can’t be avoided.
Get plenty of Vitamin C
Biochemistry is complicated, but among other functions, vitamin C improves the structure of the skin to keep out pathogens. It also builds up immune cells and restores their ability to oxidize, which is one of the ways that pathogenic cells are killed.
Fast
Stem cells are the cells that produce other cells. As we age, our stem cells tend to become dormant. The stem cells that support the immune cells can be woken from dormancy by fasting.
Some studies suggest that three days without food are enough to trigger this effect. Others are showing 4-5 days.
When you fast, your body gets rid of old, damaged cells and sends signals to stem cells to make new cells, including immune system cells.
Some diets successfully mimic fasting sufficiently to show the same results. Search for “fast mimicking diet” online.
Avoid smoking
Smoking has several adverse effects on the immune system. One of these is the effect of nicotine. Nicotine weakens the immune system and stops the inflammatory response, which is an important part of the immune response.
Conclusion
You might not think about your immune system much, but it’s working hard for you every day. You’re exposed to roughly 60,000 types of germs each day. That’s the types, not the total amount. Even in a clean setting, your body is exposed to millions of pathogens daily.
Giving your immune system some consideration can do wonders for your health and longevity.
