Knowing how to boost the immune system is gold nowadays, especially when the coronavirus came into the picture and became a pandemic plague. There is no known cure for this virus, but many experts say that those people who recovered from diseases fought it with the help of their immune system.
Viruses are different from bacteria.
Therefore, anti-biotics, although they can help alleviate the symptoms, do not cure or kill viruses. Some actions against some types of viruses are vaccinations, which are not treatment, but only preventive measures from acquiring certain viral infections.
For this reason, your only best bet to fight viruses is your immune system.
Ways to Boost Your Immune System
Eat Nutritious Food
Make sure to eat a well-balanced diet. If you can seek advice on a nutritionist or your doctor, the better. It is advisable to eat fruits and vegetables, but do not forget grains and proteins.
Many experts advise a low-carb diet, although there is no evidence that it can boost the immune system. This diet, however, can help in preventing other diseases that can worsen a viral infection.
If you cannot seek advice from a professional, you can use your government’s food guidelines.
Watch Your Weight
You might be asking what the connection of your weight to your immune system is.
The immune system consists of various cells that protect the body against foreign invaders like viruses. Excess fat in the body creates the type of immune cells that do more harm than good.
Experts found out that excess fat, like abdominal fat, triggers the pro-inflammatory cell production called macrophages that cause different kinds of diseases.
Sleep
If you are looking for an easy way on how to boost the immune system, sleep. Many studies prove that not getting enough quality sleep can make a person more prone to diseases. It also affects the recovery time once you get sick.
The immune system produces cytokines, a protein that promotes sleep. Inflammation, infection, or stress can decrease its production, which is essential for immunity. Moreover, there is a reduction in the production of antibodies when a person does not get enough quality sleep.
Take It Easy on the Alcohol Intake
Alcohol can impair the body’s immune system in different ways. One is by damaging the epithelial cells of the intestine. It also disrupts the microbiome in the gut. For this reason, alcohol can upset the balance between unhealthy and healthy bacteria.
Alcohol also opens the barrier that prevents harmful bacteria from entering into the bloodstream. These bacteria can cause various liver issues.
Alcohol also affects the respiratory system by impairing the immune cells’ functions. This impairment can make a person prone to tuberculosis, pneumonia, and other respiratory issues.
Get Physical
You know that exercise is beneficial in different ways, and one of them is to strengthen the immune system. Nobody knows the direct connection between physical activity and a healthy immune system, but many experts formulated their theories.
One of these theories stated that exercising flushes the viruses out of the airways as you workout. Others believe that it creates changes in how the white blood cells (WBC) and antibodies function.
Now that there is no known cure for viruses, you can only boost your immune system to fight them. Therefore, knowing how to boost the immune system and applying it to yourself, ensure that you are strong enough to withstand viral infections.
