These days, the entire world continues to protect itself from the deadly Covid-19 pandemic with social distancing, face masks, and hand sanitizers. However, you could add to these efforts by strengthing your body’s natural defenses.
With a strong immune system, you can counter the symptoms of covid-19 if you end up contracting it.
Besides that, your immune system works together with your bodily functions, such as your nervous system, to fight any disease or infection you might contract. Moreover, it also plays a vital role in tissue regeneration and repair if you get injured.
So, in the end, strengthening your immune system will ensure you remain healthy and combat health issues more effectively and recover quicker than ever. While boosting immunity is not an overnight effort, various lifestyle and dietary changes help increase immunity and reduce the risks of falling ill due to multiple pathogens, bacteria, and viruses.
So, without further ado, listed below are a few ways you can strengthen your immune system;
Give supplements a chance.
There are various types of supplements that allow you to give your immune system the boost it deserves. While these might not help you avoid Covid-19, they will indeed strengthen your body’s natural defenses against other preventable diseases and bacteria, allowing you to heal and get better a lot quicker.
For instance, a study of 575 people shows that participants how consumed seventy-five milligrams of zinc every day saw a decrease of around 33 percent in the duration of the common cold. Furthermore, a review of 11,000 participants states that individuals who took 1000-2000 milligrams of vitamin C saw a reduction of eight percent in the duration of the common cold.
So, ensure you consume your zinc tablets and Immune Support Vitamins to strengthen your immune system.
Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Eating whole plant foods such as legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits ensures you get a healthy dose of antioxidants and nutrients, providing you with an edge against harmful diseases and pathogens.
These antioxidants help you battle inflammation by battling hazardous chemicals known as free radicals, responsible for causing inflammation when released at high levels inside your body. As a result, chronic inflammation could lead to health issues like Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and particular cancer types.
On the other hand, fiber present inside plan-based foods keeps your gut microbiome healthy. As a result, a healthy gut microbiome helps improve your body’s immunity against harmful disease and prevents bacteria from entering your body via your digestive tract.
Moreover, vegetables and fruits such as lemons and oranges contain vitamin C, which helps battle the common cold, as mentioned above.
Consume probiotic supplements and fermented foods.
Fermented foods typically contain good bacteria known as probiotics, which live inside your digestive system. Some foods that contain these bacteria include natto, Kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and yogurt, to name a few.
According to research, the presence of gut bacteria inside your digestive tract allows immune cells to differentiate between dangerous invasive bacteria and healthy cells. For example, another three-month study of 126 children who drank 2.4 ounces of fermented milk every day states that these children have a 20 percent less chance of contracting infectious diseases.
Moreover, if you don’t like milk or yogurt, you can always consume probiotic supplements. For example, a 28 days study consisting of 152 individuals infected with rhinoviruses shows that those who ate the probiotic supplements had lower levels of this virus in their mucus than those who didn’t eat it at all.
Limit your sugar intake.
According to the latest research, refined carbohydrates such as added sugars contribute to obesity. And once obese, you will put yourself at risk of getting ill more frequently. In fact, according to recent research, obese people who received flu shots were two times more prone to contract flu than nonobese individuals.
So, decreasing your sugar intake can lower inflammation and help you lose tons of weight in the process. as a result, it will reduce your chances of becoming diabetic. And since heart disease and diabetes weaken your body’s natural defenses, limiting your sugar intake plays a crucial role in strengthening your immune system.
That said, ensure that your daily sugar intake should be at five percent of your overall food intake, which equates to around 25 grams for an individual who consumes 2000 calories per day.
Drinks tons of water every day.
Consuming less water doesn’t necessarily lead to an ineffective immune system. However, it plays a critical role in ensuring you maintain your overall health. It can seriously hinder your physical performance, digestion, mood, kidney, and heart function.
So, to stay hydrated, drink plenty of water every day to make your urine pale yellow. Not to mention, water has the added advantage of containing no calories and zero sugar. So, the more your drink, the better it is for you.
While fruit juices and tea can also hydrate your body, you must limit their intake as they contain added sugar and preservatives. However, if you work out daily, you must up your water intake by 40 percent.
Get the right amount of sleep.
A study conducted on 164 healthy adults indicates that those who didn’t get six hours of sleep were at a higher risk of catching g a cold than those who slept more than six hours. Getting your daily dose of sleep will boost your body’s natural defenses.
Plus, you can always sleep more to help your immune system battle your illness when you are sick. Some other sleep hygiene tips include wearing an eye mask when sleeping or finding a dark room, exercising regularly to improve your sleep, or going to bed at the same time every night.
Conclusion.
In the end, you can make several dietary and lifestyle changes to boost your immune system. that said, you might not be able to get the result you’re after in a day or two as consistency is vital here. However, remain persistent and follow a good routine and healthy habits.
If you do so, you will be on your way to an improved immune system that will help your body battle any pathogens or diseases it encounters.
