Sleep and immunity are closely linked. During sleep, the body repairs itself and releases proteins that help mop up disease-causing substances. Sleep deprivation impedes this process, causing you to deplete your body’s defense.
People who sleep less often have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure because of its effect on their immune system. Six to eight hours of sleep is optimal for an adult to keep the immune system strong.
Fruits, vegetables, and other whole plant foods such as nuts, seeds, and legumes are a fantastic and cheap way of boosting the immune system. These foods are rich in minerals and vitamins that increase immune function and also antioxidants that help to clear up toxic substances called free radicals from the body.
Further, fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber, which feeds the gut’s population of protective bacteria, preventing disease-causing bacteria from invading the body through the gut. Soluble fiber, a type of fiber in certain fruits such as oranges and avocados, boost the production of immune cells and also speeds up your recovery from bacterial infections.
Exercise doesn’t just pump up your muscles, it also enhances your immune system. Moderate exercise induces certain changes in your immune cells that boost their functions. Furthermore, exercise improves blood circulation, which allows your immune cells to circulate more rapidly and eliminate disease-causing substances much sooner.
In addition, moderate exercise slows down the release of stress hormones, which suppress immune function. Lower stress hormones means your immune system remains more active and efficient at attacking pathogens.
Foods such as artificial trans fats, saturated fats, and refined sugars are immune killers. These foods, such as red meat, cheese, and sweetened drinks, induce a pro-inflammatory state in the body in which there is a surge of undesirable substances in the body than the immune system can handle. In addition, these foods can make you gain weight, increasing your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, which also weaken your immune system.
In place of saturated and trans fats, choose healthier alternatives such as unsaturated fats found in salmon, mackerel, tuna, avocado oil, olives, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
Certain foods such as yogurt, tofu, and kefir are rich in live, protective micro-organisms called probiotics. These probiotics are bacteria in the gut that protect the body from disease-causing bacteria and also enhance immune function.
Poor gut health resulting from low population of these gut bacteria has been linked to weak immune system, putting the individual at a risk of chronic diseases.
You don’t need to empty your wallet to keep your body well protected. Explore natural ways of strengthening your body’s defenses, keeping diseases far away from you and optimizing your health all day long, all year round.
