Boost Your Immunity: A Complete Wellness Guide

More and more people are becoming interested in a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition to improve their quality of life. It’s no secret that a healthy living helps build strong immunity. While writing this piece, we have reviewed numerous scientific publications and studies, and we’d like to share our findings on how to boost your immune system and what you’ll need to do for it.

About the Immune System

The immune system is the body’s natural defense team. It recognizes, attacks, and destroys viruses, bacteria, or fungi. It also helps fight cancer cells and other potentially harmful substances.

Because it plays such a big role in keeping us healthy, it’s no surprise that the immune system is made up of different parts working together in a complicated way. 

How Does It Work?

The immune system is made up of organs, tissues, and cells that work together. That is, in order for it to work well and without failures, it is necessary that each of its components also work without errors. 

This means that it is enough to keep each item normal, monitor each separately, and avoid serious abnormalities. Sounds simple, but in fact, increasing immunity is not as easy as it may seem. We are going to explore what factors can affect all components of the immune system and help us to raise our immunity.

Proper Diet

We all often hear and read that proper nutrition is the foundation of health, including immunity. But why is this really true, and what does it affect?

Since vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are involved in the production and activation of immune cells, a balanced diet directly affects the immune system. A big part of our immunity is also linked to the gut. Probiotics and plant foods support the balance of the microflora of this important organ.

That’s why it’s important to include these key nutrients in your diet:

• Vitamin C (can be found in citrus fruits, peppers, rose hips),
• Zinc (can be consumed from seafood, pumpkin seeds),
• Vitamin D (can be found in fish, egg yolks, sunshine),
• Selenium (can be taken from walnuts, Brazil nuts),
• Probiotics (can be found in kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut).

Supplements

In our modern world, the pace of life, especially in big cities, is quite fast. We don’t always have time to eat on time or have something really healthy and balanced for lunch. That’s where supplements come in – they can be taken in capsule form during or before meals for better digestibility and maximum benefit.

We’ve highlighted a few really useful supplements with good reviews and proven effectiveness:

#1. Vitamin C (C-1000) from NOW Foods, a trusted brand with more than 50 years of experience. Each tablet contains 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid, which can support the immune system, particularly during the cold season. 

#2. Zinc Chelate by Nature’s Way. This supplement contains an amino acid chelate,  one of the most absorbed by the body. The dosage of 30 mg per capsule is moderate and can support the immune system, reduce zinc deficiency, and improve skin, hair, and nails. 

#3. Vitamin D-3 from NOW Foods. The dosage of 2000 IU (50 mcg) is the recommended maintenance dose of vitamin D for most adults. As this supplement contains cholecalciferol and is fat-soluble, it is very well absorbed. Overall, this product is suitable for those who want to maintain normal vitamin D levels, to prevent deficiency in fall and winter, and who do not get enough sunlight. 

#4. Life Extension, Super Selenium Complex & Vitamin E. This supplement contains Super Selenium Complex, which provides a wider range of action and better absorption. Also, the dosage of 200 mcg of selenium per capsule is the optimal maintenance dose for most adults. In fact, the recommended daily dose of selenium on the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements website is about 55-70 mcg, but doctors, in order to boost immunity, often recommend up to 200 mcg per day.

#5. LactoBif 5 Probiotics, by California Gold Nutrition. This supplement contains strains such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus paracasei, and Bifidobacterium lactis, known to support a healthy balance of gut flora, stimulate local and general immune response, and help inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. In fact, studies show that these bacterial species can increase levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), which protects mucous membranes from infections.

Since supplements do not replace a healthy and balanced diet, we recommend building your diet around natural products such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, nuts, and legumes. You should consult your doctor or nutritionist before starting to take supplements.

Regular Exercises

When we wrote this article, we consulted credible scientific sources for help. One study that struck us was Regular Exercise May Restore Certain Age-Related Alterations of Adaptive Immunity and Rebalance Immune Regulation in the journal Frontiers in Immunology. It says that physical activity increases levels of IgA (secretory immunoglobulin A), an important component of mucosal defense, and increases the activity of neutrophils and natural killer cells (NK cells).

So, really regular moderate exercise improves circulation and stimulates the immune system. If you want to improve your health, walking, running, and yoga should be present in your daily routine.

Enough Sleep

It’s no secret that adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a night. In fact, during sleep, the body recovers and the immune system works harder. There are recommendations from reputable organizations and scientific studies that confirm the importance of sleep for immunity and overall health:

• How Much Sleep Do You Need? by National Sleep Foundation
• Seven or more hours of sleep per night by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Stress Management

Why is stress bad for the immune system? When a person is under chronic stress, the body produces the hormone cortisol. It is useful for short-term threats, but in the long term, it increases inflammation and slows healing, increases the risk of infections and autoimmune reactions.

How you can help yourself cope with stress:

• Meditate. Studies show that regular meditation reduces levels of cortisol and other stress markers. It also increases the activity of NK cells, natural killer cells that destroy viruses and cancer cells. Meditation can also improve the quality of your sleep, which is also important for your immunity.
• Spend time outdoors. When you walk outside, vitamin D is produced from the sun, which directly affects the immune system. This reduces stress hormones and improves mood through the production of endorphins and serotonin. The natural environment can enhance overall health as well.
• Stay positive. Engaging in favorite activities, such as painting, music, crafting, gym, etc., decreases stress levels and increases life satisfaction. These hobbies can trigger positive neurochemical responses, including an increase in dopamine, a decrease in cortisol, and improved sleep. In fact, creative activity is even used in therapy for patients with chronic illnesses and depression.

Vaccinations and Hygiene

It is true that a good immune system is vital, but even the strongest one can collapse if you do not follow simple hygiene practices. Here are some basic guidelines:

1. Wash your hands, especially before eating. According to the WHO, regular handwashing can reduce the risk of respiratory infections by 16-20% and intestinal infections by 30-50%.
2. Get immunizations (such as flu shots). It has been scientifically proven that vaccinations help the body quickly recognize pathogens and fight them off before a person becomes sick. Many years of research show that annual influenza vaccination reduces the risk of infection by 40-60%, with a good match to the strain.

Enough Hydration

Why is hydration important for the normal functioning of all systems, including the immune system? Firstly, let’s remember that the human body consists of about 60% water, and many tissues (e.g., blood, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid) are mostly made of water. It is known that without sufficient water, metabolic processes slow down, the efficiency of toxin elimination decreases, and organs and systems suffer.

Secondly, water supports mucous membranes. Indeed, the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, and intestines are the first line of defense against pathogens. And so when there is a lack of water, they dry out, becoming less effective barriers to viruses and bacteria. For example, a dry cough or sore throat often increases with dehydration, because the mucous membranes can not fully moisturize and protect the body.

Another important function of water is that it improves the circulation of lymph and blood. Lymph is the fluid that carries lymphocytes and other immune cells around the body. Therefore, when there is a lack of water, lymph becomes thicker and immune cells are slower to reach the site of infection, which directly affects your immunity.

Above, we have definitely not listed all the important functions of water influencing our immunity. However, even from these few examples, it is obvious that you should drink the right amount of water every day to maintain good health. In order to understand why adults need to take an average of 1.5 to 2.5 liters of water per day, we recommend reading the National Academies Press article “Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate” (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2005).

Conclusion

The immune system is a powerful defense system of your body. In order to keep it functioning well, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, including proper nutrition and hydration, adequate sleep, regular exercise, minimal stress, and getting vaccinated.

In this piece, we have researched all the essential aspects of boosting your immunity and provided recommendations for supplements that support a healthy lifestyle.

We encourage you to start thinking about and caring for your health right away, and we hope our guide helps you in your future efforts.

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