Are you looking for effective ways to strengthen your immune system naturally?
Supporting your immune health involves a balanced approach that includes diet, exercise, stress management, and supplementation.
In this article, we'll explore how these lifestyle interventions work together to enhance your body's defenses.
You'll learn about the concept of immune system priming, the difference between chronic and acute supplementation, and practical steps you can take to keep your immune system functioning optimally.
Here's what you'll discover:
Let's dive into these strategies to help you boost your immune system naturally!
The Link Between Immune Function and Well-being
It’s pretty logical to understand that if your immune system is suppressed in some way (such as by stress or lack of sleep), it’s less likely to protect you from pathogens (like viruses), and you’re more likely to get sick (which is why we often catch a cold when we’re stressed or worn out).
What many people do not appreciate is that a properly-functioning immune system is also associated with a general feeling of well-being; conversely, a suppressed immune system is one of the primary reasons for feeling fatigued and depressed.
When your immune system is suppressed, your vigor is low — BUT, when you bring your immune system back to optimal levels of functioning, your vigor improves… and you feel great again.
The Three Tiers of Immune System Support
The first thing to keep in mind when it comes to supporting the immune system with lifestyle interventions such as diet, exercise, stress management, and immune-boosting vitamins is that they’re ALL important in their specific way.
You can’t neglect one and expect the others to “pick up the slack” or expect a supplement to “make up” for a poor diet , and there are three “tiers” to consider when it comes to effective immune system support:
- Protect
- Prime
- Promote.
Protect: Protecting Your Immune System
This first tier is where you do whatever you can to protect yourself from exposure to pathogens.
Steps like eating a healthy diet, supplementing with a balanced multivitamin; consuming fermented foods and high-fiber foods to nourish your microbiome; frequent hand-washing; getting enough sleep; and reducing stress all come into play.
Prime: Priming Your Immune System
Especially during periods of elevated stress (environmental, emotional, physical), the immune system needs to maintain its primary function of protecting the body from harmful invaders.
Numerous human research trials of several “immune support” types of dietary supplements have shown that “priming” key immune system cells (macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells), helps them to quickly identify, ward off, and defeat foreign challenges.
Research studies show that people with properly primed immune systems have fewer cold/flu symptoms and better indices of well-being, vigor, energy, and mood.
The more stress you’re under, the more you can expect your immune system also to be “stressed” (and suppressed), the more likely you are to benefit from a daily regimen of immune system priming.
How Immune Priming Works
Think of “priming” as a “tune up” for your immune system – so it is faster and more efficient at identifying problems such as infectious viruses and bacteria. Immune priming has been used for more than a decade to help the immune system fight cancer cells more efficiently during chemotherapy treatments (by making the immune system more efficient at finding/fighting cancer cells and by maintaining immune strength during therapy).
Benefits of a Primed Immune System
Newer research shows how a properly primed immune system not only protects us at a higher level, but also helps us to feel better on a daily basis, with notable improvements in mental wellness (measured as “psychological vigor” – a combination of physical energy, mental acuity, and emotional well-being).
Natural Ways to Prime Your Immune System
There are a number of ways to naturally prime our immune systems – getting enough sleep, eating the top immune boosting foods, and supplementing with specific “glucans” that are found in mushrooms (alpha-glucans) and yeast (beta-glucans).
Promote: Promoting Immune System Activity
This is your last resort – after you’ve tried the first two tiers and you’re down for the count with an established infection (i.e. you have a cold or the flu).
The best approach to temporarily promoting or stimulating immune system activity above normal levels is to start consuming higher levels of vitamin C at the first sign of a sore throat or related cold symptom.
You can drink more orange juice, eat lots of strawberries, or get an inexpensive chewable vitamin C tablet — and shoot for an intake of 500mg every 3-4 hours (up to 3,000mg/day for 3-5 days).
This simple, safe, and inexpensive approach is a good way to help your immune system get a jump on the infection; it might reduce your symptoms by a couple of days.
When it comes to protection (or prevention), we’re primarily talking about strengthening the immune system. It is always a good idea to keep your immune system “humming” throughout the year (not just when cold and flu season comes rumbling into town).
The sections that follow provide a number of points to consider for supporting immunity, including:
- Nutrition (with food and supplements)
- Exercise
- Rest
- Fluid Intake
- and Probiotics.
Nutrition
The Role of Nutrients in Immune Function
When it comes to optimal nutrition, any significant nutrient deficiency can impair functioning of the immune system. As such, it is always wise to include a complete multivitamin supplement as part of your total immune system support.
In a multivitamin, be sure to look for one that supplies at least the recommended daily allowance (RDA) levels for the nutrients listed below.
Many popular products contain some of them; so, check the labels and add additional immune boosting vitamins as needed to reach the suggested intake.
To round out your nutrient armory, consider adding additional amounts of key amino acids such as:
- N-acetyl-cysteine (1-2 grams per day)
- or glutamine (1-5 grams per day)
both of which have been linked to elevated immune system responses.
Finally, there are a number of immune-stimulating herbs and herbal blends available, the most effective of which seem to be echinacea, goldenseal, and astragalus.
Immune-Friendly Nutrients
Nutrients to Prioritize
Nutrient | Daily Value (Adults) | Optimal Intake for Immune Support |
|---|---|---|
Vitamin A | 5,000 IU | 5,000 IU with at least 50% derived from beta-carotene (women who are pregnant, or who may become pregnant should NOT exceed the RDA for pre-formed vitamin A unless directed to do so by a personal physician) |
Vitamin C | 60 mg | 250 – 1,000mg |
Vitamin E | 30 IU | 30 IU from natural mixed sources including both tocopherols and tocotrienols |
Vitamin D | 600 IU | 1,000 – 2,000 IU |
Mixed Carotenoids | 5-6 mg | 5 – 50 mg |
Iron | 18 mg | 18 mg |
Selenium | 62 mcg | 100 – 200 mcg |
Zinc | 15 mg | 15 – 45 mg |
Recommended Daily Intake for Immune Support
The table above outlines the key nutrients for immune system function and their recommended daily values, as well as optimal intake levels to ensure adequate support during times of stress or infection.
Incorporating these nutrients with high-fiber vegetables, whole grains, and specific glucans found in mushrooms (alpha-glucans) and yeast (beta-glucans) can further strengthen your immune system.
A healthy diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables, along with probiotics from yogurt, is also crucial. For a list of immune boosting foods, read this post.
Fluid Intake
Why Staying Hydrated Matters
Why is it that our mothers and grandmothers always made us drink more fluids when a cold came on?
Mostly, it’s because your body needs that extra fluid to “flush out” the infection – via several routes, including increased mucus production.
Also, with the more severe influenza infections, dehydration can result from fluid lost from vomiting and diarrhea; so, be sure to replace all losses plus drink a bit extra for good measure.
Exercise
The Benefits of Moderate Exercise
Regular physical activity is a vital part of maintaining optimal immune function: those who exercise at a moderate level at least a couple of times each week are far less likely to get sick compared to sedentary individuals.
On the other hand, be aware that extremes of exercise – whether extremely intense or extremely long in duration (such as marathons or triathlons) – have been associated with reduced immune protection and increased risk of infection (primarily in competitive athletes).
I would recommend beginning with this short interval training plan.
Probiotics for Immunity
The Role of Beneficial Bacteria
Probiotics, which are also called “beneficial bacteria”, are quite effective for supporting immune function.
The most popular varieties used in dietary supplements, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria bifidum, have been shown in hundreds of studies to “boost” immune function via their effects on increasing white blood cell numbers, activity, and effectiveness.
How Prebiotics Support Probiotic Growth
Used in conjunction with pre-biotics (indigestible carbohydrates that “feed” the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines) such as fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), probiotic organisms can displace certain pathogenic microbes in the intestines to help prevent disease.
Typical dosage recommendations are in the 2-4 billion organisms/day range. Be careful to select a product that is fresh and has been transported and stored under proper conditions (refrigeration is best).
Handwashing as a Preventative Measure
Viruses cause colds and flu; bacteria can cause all sorts of unpleasant effects (gastrointestinal cramps, fever, diarrhea, etc.). Probably the most effective way to reduce your exposure to any pathogens is to wash your hands as frequently as possible.
One of the primary ways that viruses and bacteria are transferred between people is through “secondary contact” – someone with the “bug” touches something, like a handrail or doorknob; then, you touch the same object and pick up the “bug” there.
Frequent hand washing can reduce the chance that you’ll transfer those pathogens from your hand to your eyes or nose, where they’ll enter and begin to infect your body.
Conclusion
Supporting your immune system is a multifaceted endeavor that requires a balanced approach.
By integrating healthy lifestyle habits such as proper nutrition, regular exercise, stress management, and adequate hydration, you can strengthen your body's natural defenses.
Understanding the difference between immune system priming and stimulation allows you to make informed choices about supplementation for both chronic support and acute needs.
Remember, no single strategy can do it all; it's the combination of these practices that will help keep your immune system humming year-round.
Start implementing these steps today to boost your immune health naturally and enhance your overall well-being.
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