5 easy ways to boost the immune system

Good health, like most blessings in life, is one of those things we never truly value until it’s gone. 

For a lot of us out there it might take a health scare, a family loss, or even a global pandemic for us to question our habits and make those decisions that, deep down, we know will support our health and promote well-being. 

Whether you’re looking to speed up your recovery or simply boost your body’s immune system in preparation for the common flu, here are 5 easy things to incorporate into your life that will keep you strong and ready to make it through another day.

First of all, does good health mean a strong immune system?

Like the dilemma of the chicken and the egg, the question is not as simple as it may appear. Firstly it depends on what we understand as health and which aspect of health we’re referring to. In fact, the lack of clarification is often the cause of most of the debates and contradictions out there today, both in the scientific and non-scientific fields. 

For example, how can some doctors state that nutrition plays no role in supporting the immune system or preventing disease while others consider it the key for well-being and speedy recoveries?

Perhaps the best way to start is by understanding that health can be divided into physical health, mental health, emotional health, social health and even environmental and spiritual health. 

The lack of a strong immune system does not necessarily mean you lack health in other areas of your life. Someone who smokes like a chimney may have better mental and emotional health, and possibly even live longer, than someone who has never exposed their lungs to a pulmonary barbecue but is as grumpy as Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street; you get where I’m going with this.

Either way, the body is not free from the laws of cause and effect, just as a car responds to the oil it is fed, the body’s machine will respond to what you give it in one way or another- sooner or later.

One thing’s for certain though, without physical health it is very difficult to enjoy what life has to offer and our time to share with loved ones will quite possibly be shortened. So for the remainder of this article we’ll focus on physical health and more concretely, the immune system.

What is the immune system?

The immune system is a complex defense system comprising multiple biological structures and processes within an organism to distinguish self from non-self. The immune system also has the capacity to recognize and destroy abnormal cells deriving from the host’s own tissues.

To function properly, an immune system must detect a wide variety of agents. According to Merck Manuals (1), any molecule capable of being recognized by the immune system is considered an antigen (Ag).

Innate Vs adaptive immunity

The immune system can be divided into two categories: innate immunity and adaptive immunity. 

Innate immunity is the first line of defense against pathogens and its main function is to prevent the spread of these agents throughout the body. It involves barriers that help keep harmful materials from entering the body such as the cough reflex, enzymes in tears and skin oils, mucus to trap bacteria and small particles, skin and stomach acid.

The second line of defense is the adaptive immune response. Adaptive immunity (also referred to as acquired immunity or specific immunity) requires prior exposure to an antigen. The threat must be processed and recognized by the body after which specific antibodies are created. 

Adaptive immunity takes longer to develop initially but as the system remembers past exposures and is antigen-specific, following contact with the same pathogen triggers quick responses.

Though adaptive immunity is not immediate, it is long lasting and sustained long term by memory T cells.

How to boost the immune system

What we’ve seen till now proves that the immune system is not a single entity but a system. It cannot be isolated and studied as an individual unit but must be understood as part of the whole, from the outer barriers of defense to the nutrition of the cells that make up the immune system. 

Though much is still unknown about its intricacies, there are several things we can do to help the system perform at its best. Here are 5 easy things to remember. 

5 easy ways to boost the immune system

1. Soak up the sun. Research has confirmed important interactions between vitamin D and cells from the innate and adaptive immune system. 

A broad spectrum of tissue cells (including immune cells) express vitamin D metabolizing enzymes and receptors, providing a biologically plausible mechanism for local, auto and paracrine conversion of the native circulating forms, to the active form of vitamin D: calcitriol. 

This process seems to be essential for normal immune function and therefore impaired or insufficient vitamin D levels may lead to dysregulation of immune responses.

Despite its importance, it is estimated that more than 40% of American adults are deficient in vitamin D (2).

The simplest and most natural way to ensure we are getting a good dose of vitamin D is to expose ourselves to the sun (avoiding overexposure at all costs). Whether you’re brown, white, red or yellow, sun exposure is a must and vitamin D supplements are also a promising strategy in prevention and adjunctive treatment of diseases caused by impaired immune-homeostasis.

2. Increase your Vitamin C intake. Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient for humans. Among its various biological functions, it supports epithelial barrier function against pathogens and accumulates in phagocytic cells, such as neutrophils. It can enhance chemotaxis, phagocytosis, generation of reactive oxygen species, and ultimately microbial death.

Vitamin C deficiency results in impaired immunity and higher susceptibility to infections. (4)

High doses of vitamin C have also been proven to show promising results.

3. Get high on mushrooms. I’m talking medicinal mushrooms! The healing and immunostimulating properties of mushrooms have been known and used for thousands of years in Eastern medicine and are quickly making a name for themselves in the West. 

Mushrooms contain biologically active polysaccharides that mostly belong to a group of beta-glucans. (5) These substances increase host immune defense, enhancing macrophages and natural killer cell function. Reishi, lion’s mane, chaga, shitake, turkey tail and cordyceps are some of the most powerful.

4. Sleep, sleep, zzzz... Ever wondered why when you’re sick you sleep more? Turns out sleep and immunity are bio-directionally linked. Sleep affects various immune parameters and is associated with reduced infection risk. Studies show that prolonged sleep deficiency can lead to chronic, systematic low-grade inflammation and is associated with various diseases that have an inflammatory component like diabetes, atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration. (6)

5. Reduce your stress levels. Globally more than 25% of individuals are affected by anxiety and depression disorders which result in biological stress. 

Psychological stress typically triggers a fight-or-flight response, prompting corticotropin-releasing hormone and catecholamine production in various parts of the body, which ultimately disturbs the microbiota.

High stress levels can be accompanied by chronic inflammation which can contribute to the development of immune-related diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease.

In the absence of stress, a healthy microbiota produces short-chain fatty acids that exert anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour effects. (7)

Conclusion

The immune system is a complex network consisting of multiple biological structures that interrelate with each other.

Fostering healthy habits such as providing our body with the right nutrition, getting enough sleep, increasing our daily intake of sun and stocking up on important vitamins are all excellent ways to aid the immune system to function at its best and promote good physical health.

For tips on how to boost health in children check out PrimaryLeap’s article “how to get your children to eat healthy” which provides useful guidelines to incorporate healthy habits from the cradle to the table.

Share your healthy recommendations with us in the comments below, we’d love to hear them!