4 Ways to Boost Your Immune System
You may be wondering how to help your body battle infections if you want to improve your immunological health.
While improving your immunity is easier said than done, making a few dietary and lifestyle modifications can help you enhance your body’s natural defenses and fight disease-causing germs.
Here are some natural ways to boost your immunity.
1. Get Some Sleep
Sleep and immunity are inextricably linked. In fact, a lack of or poor quality of sleep has been related to an increased risk of illness.
Getting enough sleep might help to boost your natural immunity. Also, while you’re unwell, you may need to sleep more to help your immune system fight the infection.
Adults should strive for seven hours of sleep per night, while teenagers require eight to ten hours, and smaller children and newborns require up to fourteen hours (3Trusted Source).
If you’re having difficulties sleeping, consider restricting your screen usage for an hour before bedtime, as the blue light emitted by your phone, TV, and computer might interfere with your circadian rhythm or your body’s normal wake-sleep cycle. Also, a quality CBD oil supplement may aid in falling asleep.
Sleeping in a fully dark room or wearing a sleep mask, going to bed at the same time every night, and exercising frequently are all good sleep hygiene ideas.
2. Supplements
When you hear promises about supplements treating or preventing specific diseases, it’s easy to fall for them.
However, some research suggests that taking the following substances will help your body’s overall immune response:
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. Taking 1,000–2,000 mg of vitamin C per day shortened the duration of colds by 8% in adults and 14% in children, according to a study involving over 11,000 people. However, supplementation did not prevent the cold in the first place.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin D deficiency can raise your risk of getting sick, so taking supplements can help. However, taking vitamin D when your levels are already enough does not appear to provide any further benefits.
Supplementing with more than 75 mg of zinc per day for 575 patients with the common cold shortened the duration of the cold by 33% in a study.
Be sure to only buy supplements that have been independently tested by third-party organizations such as USP, NSF International, and ConsumerLab.
3. Get Some Exercise
Although vigorous activity for lengthy periods of time can depress your immune system, moderate exercise can strengthen it.
According to studies, even a single session of moderate exercise can improve vaccine efficiency in patients with impaired immune systems. Furthermore, moderate exercise regularly may assist your immune cells repair and minimize inflammation.
Brisk walking, steady bicycling, running, swimming, and gentle trekking are all examples of moderate exercise. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week for most people.
4. Drink Water
Although hydration may not always protect you from germs and viruses, it is crucial to avoid dehydration for your general health.
Dehydration can induce headaches and impair your physical performance, focus, temperament, digestion, and heart and renal function, among other things. These issues can make you more susceptible to sickness. To avoid dehydration, drink enough water each day to make your urine pale yellow. Water is recommended since it is calorie-free, additive-free, and sugar-free.
While tea and juice are hydrating, fruit juice and sweetened tea should be used in moderation due to their high sugar content. When you become thirsty, take a drink and stop when you’re no longer thirsty. However, if you frequently exercise, work outside, or live in a hot environment, you may require more fluids.
It’s vital to remember that their bodies stop signaling thirst properly as people get older, and they lose the desire to drink. So even if they do not feel thirsty, older folks should drink regularly.
Adding a few simple routines to your day can help increase your immune system and keep you healthier and happier.