How to Naturally Boost your Immune System
The immune system overview
In most cases of infection, the immune system is your complete defense squad, and symptoms usually surface when the system is weakened or overwhelmed by the pathogens. Thanks to our immune system, most illnesses do not see the light of day because of the tissues and cells in this defensive system that tracks and attack pathogens as they enter our bodies. Another cool feature of his system is that it stores some antibodies produced for the previous pathogens so that anytime they come again, the antibodies will be there to deal with them at a very early stage. The immune system, however, is not the perfect shield that prevents all illnesses. Sometimes, it malfunctions. The malfunction could be in the form of hypersensitivity, autoimmunity, or immunodeficiency. Autoimmunity is the immune system’s inability to properly differentiate healthy tissue from pathogens in the body, thereby mistakenly attacking the healthy tissues. In hypersensitivity, the immune system goes on a rampage when attacking pathogens and, in the process, damages some healthy cells. In the case of immunodeficiency, it occurs when some tissues or organs in the system fail to carry out their protective duties hence resulting in a suppressed immune system. Some causes of immunodeficiency include HIV, alcoholism, obesity, age, and malnutrition. Although still under debate, seasonal weather, especially cold weather, has been believed to associate with low immunity. At the same time, contradicting beliefs suggest that the cold weather does not directly suppress immunity but may favour the virulence of most pathogens, making an average level immune system’s work futile against the pathogens.
Why it matters now
The world may seem to have resumed as most countries have either lifted their lockdown policies or made them flexible enough to let people go to work or carry out other civil functions. As factories, companies, schools, religious centres, and so on, are reopening and resuming work in an attempt to salvage what is left of their economy, some facts remain; the world is currently dealing with a pandemic in which there is currently no confirmed or generally acceptable cure or vaccine. Also, despite people being precautious, the CDCs of most countries have not stopped recording confirmed cases and casualties, meaning it is still as dreadful as before easing the lockdown policies. To top it off, in some regions (humid), this period of the year is when a lot of people go down with the flu. While treating the flu may not be far-fetched, by using drugs or flu shots, other health impairments that accompany this season may not be that easy to treat. A combo of health issues relating to environmental weather and having the Coronavirus to deal with all points out to why we need a strong, healthy immune system.
The natural solutions for suppressed immune systems
There are two broad categories when it comes to boosting our immune system, the first is therapeutic, and it involves using all kinds of drugs and vaccines to boost immunity. It is not the best method but ideal in some cases like for Chickenpox, HPV, Polio, Hepatitis, Rabies, etc. the vaccines give the immune system the advantage when dealing with the pathogens for the first time. The second category is the all-natural method, and it mostly involves tweaking our lifestyle, changing our diet, and dropping or cultivating some habits to boost our immune system.
Exercise
One cornerstone of healthy living is daily exercise. It improves cardiovascular health, reduces blood pressure, helps regulate body weight, and protects against a wide range of diseases, thereby leading to better overall health and, thus, a healthy immune system. Apart from the direct function of preventing obesity, exercise promotes circulation, which enables the cells and substances of the immune system to travel easily and efficiently through the body.
Adequate sleep
After exercising our bodies, it is only fair to have a good quality rest. Thankfully, they both boost the immune system. Have you ever wondered why your pharmacist or family doctor will often recommend bed rest when treating an ailment? Well, a major reason is to recharge the body’s immune system. Inadequate or poor-quality sleep increases susceptibility to sickness. So, if you want to boost your immunity, get enough quality sleep before you end up falling sick and still get forced to sleep. If you have trouble sleeping at night, some hacks for your insomnia include limiting screen time for at least an hour before going to bed, putting the lights out, or using a sleep mask.
Diet and natural supplements
Earlier, we talked about malnutrition being a cause of suppressed immune systems. Junks and poorly balanced diets will certainly do a number on your immune system, and it does not stop there; you will also find yourself on the highway to obesity. While malnutrition is often a consequence of a low financial or economic status, where the victims are without choices if you can help it, ensure your meal consists of things like vegetables, vitamin C rich fruits, antioxidants, healthy fats, spices like garlic and turmeric, yogurt, almonds, etc. The natural supplements you can try are vitamin D from sunlight, essential oils like eucalyptus, tea tree, and lavender oils. Finally, there is no balanced diet without water. Ensure you take lots of water to stay hydrated and aid digestion and circulation.
Habits to drop
Cigarette packs tell their consumers that smoking has harmful effects on their health. Still, the people in this niche keep consuming the products. Excessive intake of alcohol, smoking, and the use of nicotine is harmful to the immune system. People who use cigarettes may have an elevated risk of health issues such as lung cancer, asthma, stroke, and heart attack. Any material that is suppressing the immune system is not something you should use since we aim to boost the immune system. It would also help if you dialed down on the activities that cause you to feel stress, especially when it becomes chronic because stress hormones have been found to suppress the immune system. The dilemma usually lies in “what if it’s from work?” Work-related stress usually lasts for the duration of challenging tasks and seldom becomes chronic. Meditation and mindfulness are good personal remedies; however, if you are having a hard time meditating or if you are not getting results, you can consult a therapist.
