Health Tips: Five easy ways to boost your immunity
By Neil Schachter, MD
Your body has developed a wide range of activities to ward off disease, but while some things we do, like get enough rest, nutrients, and exercise can enhance our natural defences, other things depress the immune function. A healthy immune system means that the protective mechanisms in our blood chemistry and respiratory tract are working well. If, however, you develop infections easily, this indicates that the immune system may be under performing. You can do something about it.
The key to improving immunity lies in protecting and encouraging our natural defence resources. Regular hand washing, good nutrition, plus natural immune system boosters like Cold-fX are all effective, proactive measures. Here are five lifestyle choices that will also make a difference:
1. Quit Smoking
In addition to the many health risks smoking poses, it also paralyses the little germ-catching hair called cilia in the airways. Smoking alters mucus production and damages our cells’ ability to destroy, or eat up bacteria. As a result, mucus builds up in the airways and offers bugs a wonderful breeding ground to multiply. Respiratory infections for smokers tend to be more frequent, severe, and longer lasting.
2. Get Exercise
Moderate, regular exercise offers a long list of benefits, and now you can add improved immunity. Studies have shown that a regular exercise routine can improve antibody response to the flu vaccination, especially in older adults. Other research has shown that people who engage in moderate levels of exercise have improved T cell numbers as well as function – a good measure of how well a body can defend itself.
Tip: Too much exercise – more than 90 minutes a day – can actually have the opposite effect on immunity, so don’t overdo it.
3. Control Weight
Doctors have found that excess weight is also a factor affecting immunity. Clinically, we know that obese people have a higher incidence of bacterial infections and slower wound healing. Research studies have also found that people who meet the definition of obese have lowered levels of lymphocytes and natural killer cells. But there is good news: when obese individuals lose weight, their lymphocyte levels and function improves.
4. Drink In Moderation
Excess alcohol paralyzes the cilia and increases mucus production. In addition, too much alcohol dampens the senses and makes swallowing more difficult and inefficient, so that food and microbes can easily find their way into the respiratory system.
Tip: A little goes a long way. For example, a daily glass of wine, rich in antioxidants, can actually give your immune system a boost and it has been linked to improved resistance to infectious disease.
5. Stress Control
Studies have shown that stressful events such as marital discord, divorce, and job loss, can reduce immunity. But even routine daily stresses like deadlines, traffic jams, and long lines at our favourite coffee shop, can weaken our defence towards germs. Help your body to cope and regain immune system equilibrium by taking 30 minutes a day to do something specific that you enjoy.
Dr. Neil Schachter, author of “The Good Doctor’s Guide to Colds and Flu” is considered one of the leading authorities on respiratory disease in North America. He is the medical director of the Respiratory Care Department of the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
Credit: http://www.newscanada.com
