Boosting Immune System Naturally

Everyone wants to have a healthy lifestyle that can offer several benefits, like preventing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, & other chronic diseases. When you maintain a healthy routine, it helps to increase your immunity level.

It is the immune system that can protect the human body from infection & disease and fights against cold & flu viruses, even cancer-like serious conditions. Human immune systems depend on several factors. Although vaccines help to build immunity against particular diseases, there are several ways of boosting immune system naturally. For example, you should eat well, be active physically, get enough sleep, maintain a healthy weight, avoid smoking and excessive use of alcohol.

Ways to boost the immunity system naturally:

Here are the tips that can assist in boosting immune system naturally.

1. Get enough sleep:

There is a link between sleep & immunity. Poor or inadequate quality sleep may cause sickness. A study in 164 healthy adults says that people sleeping less than six hours every night could catch a cold more easily than those sleeping six hours or more every night.

Take enough rest to boost your immunity naturally. Besides, you should sleep more when you are sick so that you can allow your immune system to fight better with the illness. As an adult, you should sleep seven or more hours every night. Teenagers need 8–10 hours of sleep, whereas kids should sleep up to 14 hours.

Suppose you are facing trouble sleeping. Hence, you should limit the screen time to sixty minutes before bed. The blue light from computers, television, and mobile can disrupt the circadian rhythm. As a result, the natural wake-sleep cycle may be affected in your body. You can use several sleep hygiene ideas, like using a sleep mask, sleeping in a completely dark room, exercising regularly, and going to bed each night at the same time.

2. Eat more whole plant foods:

Remember that fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes contain plenty of nutrients & antioxidants. These can provide people immunity to fight against harmful pathogens.

The antioxidants fight against unstable compounds, known as free radicals, to reduce inflammation. Radicals cause inflammation when they start building up at high levels. There is a link between Chronic inflammation & many health conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer's, & some cancers. The fiber in foods can feed your gut microbiome, improving your immunity. It also keeps harmful pathogens away from your body through your digestive tract. Vegetables & fruits have many nutrients, such as vitamin C, reducing the duration of the common cold.

3. Eat more healthy fats:

Healthy fats that can be found in olive oil and salmon, may boost your body’s immune response to pathogens by decreasing inflammation. In this case, it needs to be mentioned that chronic inflammation is able to suppress the immune system.

Olive oil is highly anti-inflammatory. Taking this can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease & type 2 diabetes. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory properties of it gives the power to fight against viruses & bacteria.

4. Eat more fermented foods:

Fermented foods have many bacteria that we know as probiotics, populate the digestive tract. Names of such foods are yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and natto. According to the research, a flourishing gut bacteria network helps immune cells differentiate between normal, healthy cells and harmful invader organisms. A study has been done for three months in 126 children in which it is seen that those who drank only 2.4 ounces (70 mL) of fermented milk experienced about 20% fewer childhood infectious diseases.

Don't eat fermented foods regularly? Then, choose probiotic supplements. In a study of 28 days in 152 people who are infected with rhinovirus and supplemented with probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis, it is seen that they have more powerful immune responses.

5. Limit added sugars:

According to emerging research, people get obese & overweight due to the extra sugars and refined carbs. You should know that obesity can boost the risk of getting sick. You can reduce inflammation & aid weight loss by curbing your sugar intake. It assists in decreasing the risk of type 2 diabetes & heart disease.

Obesity, type 2 diabetes, & heart disease are responsible for weakening your immune system. You must use added sugars within limits. Limit the amount of sugar you take to less than 5% of daily calories. It means about two tablespoons or 25 grams of sugar for a person who is on a 2,000-calorie diet.

6. Engage in moderate exercise:

The immune system can be suppressed by prolonged intense exercise. So, you can try moderate exercise to boost immunity. Try at least one session of moderate exercise, which increases the vaccine's effectiveness in people with compromised immune systems. This exercise can decrease inflammation and enable immune cells to regenerate regularly. Some examples of moderate exercise include jogging, brisk walking, steady bicycling, swimming, and light hiking. In most cases, people try to perform moderate exercise for minimum 150 minutes every week.

7. Stay Hydrated:

Hydration doesn't always protect you from germs and viruses, but you must remember that preventing dehydration is necessary for your health.

Dehydration is responsible for headaches. It hinders focus, physical performance, digestion, mood, heart, and kidney function. The complications enhance the susceptibility to illness. If you want to prevent dehydration, drink fluid to make your urine pale yellow. We recommend drinking water as it is free of calories, additives, & sugar. We all know that juice & tea help to keep us hydrated. But you need to limit their intake due to their high sugar content.

Sometimes, you may want more fluids when you work outside and exercise intensely or live in a hot climate. Older people are currently losing their urge to drink because their bodies never signal thirst adequately. As an older adult, you must drink though you are not thirsty.

8. Manage Your Stress Levels:

You must try to get relief from stress & anxiety so that you can boost your immune system. If you take excessive stress, it will promote inflammation and imbalance in immune cell function. Immune responses in kids can be suppressed because of prolonged psychological stress. Meditation, exercise, yoga, and journaling are several activities which help to manage your stress.

Which Foods Boost The Immune System?

You should focus on having a balanced diet. The below-mentioned foods can assist you in boosting your immune system naturally:

1. Blueberries:

These come with antioxidant properties helping to increase the immune system. It has a type of flavonoid called anthocyanin. According to a 2016 study, flavonoids play an important role in the respiratory tract's immune defense system. Research says that people eating foods which are rich in flavonoids, won't easily get a common cold or an upper respiratory tract infection.

2. Dark Chocolate:

It has an antioxidant to increase the immune system, and we know it as theobromine. This antioxidant can secure the body's cells from free radicals. These are molecules that are created by our body when it breaks down food or gets in touch with pollutants. Those radicals damage the body's cells, causing you disease. Although it has many potential benefits, dark chocolate is rich in calories & saturated fat. Therefore, you should eat this in moderation.

3. Turmeric:

This one is a yellow spice used in cooking. Turmeric also exists in some alternative medicines.

You should consume turmeric to improve your immune system due to curcumin. A 2017 review says that curcumin includes antioxidant & anti-inflammatory effects.

4. Oily Fish:

Oily fish, like salmon, tuna, pilchards, etc., are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. A 2014 report says that taking omega-3 fatty acids is able to reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) which is actually a chronic autoimmune condition that occurs if the immune system mistakenly attacks a body's healthy part.

5. Broccoli:

Broccoli, a source of vitamin C, has potent antioxidants like sulforaphane. That's why, as a vegetable food, this is a good option that can be taken regularly to support the immune system.

6. Sweet Potatoes:

These contain beta-carotene, which is a type of antioxidant that offers orange color to the skin of the potatoes. Beta carotene, which is a good source of Vitamin-A, makes skin healthy. Besides, it protects skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays.

7. Spinach:

It has several essential nutrients & antioxidants, including:

• flavonoids 
• carotenoids 
• vitamin C 
• vitamin E 
• Vitamins C & E support the immune system.

According to the Research, flavonoids prevent the common cold.

8. Ginger:

We use ginger in many dishes, desserts, and teas. It comes with anti-inflammatory & antioxidative properties that offer several health benefits. However, there is more research to do to confirm whether it can effectively prevent illness or not.

9. Garlic:

This home remedy can prevent colds & other illnesses. As per the one trusted source review, a research was done to check whether taking garlic supplements that contain allicin reduce the risk of getting cold or not. The result shows that the group of placebo participants are more affected by cold compared to those who are taking garlic supplements. But researchers said that they need more research to determine if garlic prevents colds or not.

10. Green Tea:

It has a little bit of caffeine. Therefore, you can use this as an alternative to black tea or coffee.

Drinking this can strengthen your immune system. As you see blueberries, and green tea have flavonoids that reduce the risk of colds.

11. Kefir:

This fermented drink has live cultures of bacteria, which can give you health benefits. According to the initial research, drinking kefir increases the immune system. A 2017 review states that people get different benefits after consuming kefir regularly like:

• fighting bacteria 
• reducing inflammation 
• increasing antioxidant activity

The supportive part of the research was carried out on animals or in a laboratory. So, the researchers need to perform extra studies to understand how it prevents disease in humans.

12. Sunflower Seeds:

These can be a delicious addition to salads or breakfast bowls. The seeds have high vitamin E, which is an antioxidant. Like other antioxidants, vitamin E helps to improve immune function by fighting against free radicals, which are responsible for damaging cells.

13. Almonds:

These are rich in vitamin E. Almonds come with manganese, magnesium, and fiber. So, take a small handful of almonds to boost the immune system.

14. Oranges or kiwifruit (kiwis):

These are rich in vitamin C. Although scientists are not sure about how it can help, this vitamin decreases the duration of common cold symptoms. Additionally, it improves the function of the human immune system.

15. Red bell pepper:

These are good alternative sources of vitamin C for those willing to avoid sugar in fruit. Stir-frying and roasting red bell paper can store this food's nutrient content better than steaming or boiling.

Conclusion:

In this article, the most effective ways of boosting the immune system naturally are discussed. These recommended foods should be eaten to increase the immunity level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How can you boost your immune system in seven days?

Follow the tips to boost the level of the immune system in seven days:

• Stay up-to-date on recommended vaccines. 
• Maintain a healthy diet. 
• Exercise regularly. 
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. 
• Get enough sleep. 
• Reduce stress.

Q. How can you boost your immune system in 24 hours?

The best ways to increase the immunity level in 24 hours are as follows:

• Wash your hands. 
• Get a lot of rest.
• Drink lots of water. 
• Eat a healthy diet. 
• Get outside. 
• Exercise. 
• Boost your vitamin intake. 
• You must not stress out your stomach.

Q. Which signs will you get if you have a weak immune system?

These are the following signs of a weak immune system, including:

• High-Stress Level. 
• Many Tummy Troubles. 
• Always feeling Cold. 
• Wounds take time to Heal. 
• Feeling Tired always. 
• Frequent Infections.