The major aspect standing between your body and possible diseases is your immune system. It detects the presence of harmful substances from the environment in the body and works to get rid of them. Therefore, it is an area of your health that should be prioritized.
Your immune system is made up of various different types of protein, cells, and organs. When it’s functioning well, you won’t notice your immune system’s presence. It will be working hard behind the scenes registering all kinds of threats to your health and dispatching them before they have a chance to attack you.
There are a few ways you can help your immune system fight off the bad guys.
Prioritize Exercise
Exercise is great for helping you stave off obesity and its inherent health risks. It has been proven useful in lowering stress levels and helping foster a more positive outlook. But working out has an even more crucial role to play in your wellbeing; it improves the effectiveness of your immune system in a number of ways.
First, as you inhale and exhale heavily, your body expels bacteria from your airways. As your heart rate goes up and blood flow increases to get more oxygen to your muscles, the components in your blood that fight antigens are made more available. Exercise has been observed to enhance the functioning of immune markers like Interleukin, a protein that helps your body repair injury.
The heat generated as you work out makes your antibodies better able to keep bacteria, viruses, and other harmful organisms at bay. Making time in your day to exercise is an investment in your wellbeing. A half-hour brisk walk or yoga session every morning can work wonders for your immunity.
Take Vitamins
A healthy diet fine-tunes your immune system, making it more effective in hounding out those nefarious pathogens. Vitamins are a particularly important part of your diet in this regard. The vitamin C you receive from those citrus fruits or green, leafy vegetables is known to be effective in fighting off the flu or reducing the time it takes you to recover.
Vitamin E is a renowned antioxidant that helps combat free radicals, the culprits behind a number of terminal illnesses, including cancer and heart disease. Vitamin D is yet another immune-boosting vitamin. It is present in a variety of foods as well as the UV rays of the sun. You also need to include vitamin A in your diet to give your immunity that extra boost.
As you grow older, your body needs more and more of these vitamins. What you take in from food may no longer suffice. Supplementary sources like immune system supporting gummies can help ensure you stay well protected from harmful microorganisms.
Wash Your Hands
The importance of keeping your hands clean has been brought to the forefront by the COVID-19 pandemic. But washing your hands has always been a practical way of keeping disease-causing germs out of your body. Washing your hands often with soap and running water will keep you germ-free and keep you from spreading germs to others.
Germs are found on all sorts of surfaces, and after picking them up when touching these surfaces, you can inadvertently transfer them into your body through your eyes, mouth or nose. Contact with other people can easily spread disease-causing germs, especially among children. Wash your hands to minimize this risk and train your kids to do the same. Always have sanitizer or antibacterial wipes for the times when water and soap aren’t available.
Manage Stress
Unmanaged stress is not just bad for your mental health, it can compromise your immune system. Short-term stress (lasting a few minutes) is our natural reaction to fight-or-flight situations, which can benefit our survival. However, long-term stress has been found to suppress the immune system, reducing the numbers and the effectiveness of immunoprotective cells.
Studies have further shown that chronic stress can leave you exposed to some forms of cancer. You can reduce the chances of stress having its way with your immune system by adopting practices that ease your mind. Talking to a professional or a trusted friend about the challenges you’re facing can help. So can taking a nature walk or spending some minutes in meditation.
A Strong Immune System For Your Future Self
Experts say that your immune system is already fine-tuned by nature to act as your body’s protector. However, there is no harm in adopting habits that will make its work easier. As you grow older, these habits will prove more useful as your immune system naturally weakens.
