How to improve your immune system
Maintain a healthy diet. In particular, try to consume
plenty of antioxidants, which combat the free radicals that have been linked to
cancer, heart disease, atherosclerosis, and other diseases, as well as vitamins
(particularly vitamin C) and minerals, which assist your body’s ability to
fight infection. Eat more fruits and vegetables, use olive oil (which contains
healthy, mono-saturated fats) for as much of your cooking as possible, eat oily
fish like salmon (omega-3 fatty acids are naturally anti-inflammatory) avoid
red meat whenever possible, and add fiber to your diet![
Take a daily multi-vitamin. Even the healthiest meal plan
can do with supplemental nutrition. Some of the most studied supplements are
vitamins C, E, and A, beta-carotene, and selenium, all of which have been shown
to have immune-boosting properties
When it comes to protecting and enhancing the immune
system, exercise is even more important than diet. Though the correlation might
be physical, the fact that regular exercise combats depression, anxiety, and
feelings of loneliness may also influence your immune health
Only use antibiotics when absolutely necessary. Without
exposure to germs, you will never build up your immunity. More importantly,
many people take antibiotics for viral infections (ex. colds, bronchitis, flu)
when they are actually only effective against bacterial infections (ex.
bladder, sinus, and some ear infections, strep throat).
Sleep well. While you sleep, your body produces cytokines,
which fight infection, inflammation, and stress, as well as other
infection-fighting cells. Not getting enough sleep not only makes you more
prone to getting sick, but also increases the time you need to recover from
illness
Stress has been shown to cause reduced levels of
immunity-boosting gamma interferon and infection-fighting T-cells. Even a mild
stress-induced mood disorders such as sub-clinical depression can ravage a
person’s immune system; in fact, the duration of a period of depression has
been shown to have more effect on immunity than its severity.
Eat probiotics. Though the exact molecular interactions
between probiotic bacteria and intestinal cells are not yet well understood,
experiments have shown that probiotics can enhance immunity.[5] Eat probiotic
foods such as yogurt and fermented (a.k.a. non-vinegar) pickles, or ferment
your own yogurt, kefir, or kimchi.