How Can You Strengthen Your Immune System?

Being immune to something means being protected from it. And that is the purpose of the immune system. It is the body’s natural defense against infections. This is why the body’s capacity to respond to infections decreases if the immune system is weak. You become more vulnerable to certain diseases. Below we give you some tips to strengthen your immune system naturally.

How does the immune system work?

The most important cells in the immune system are called leukocytes or white blood cells. When the organism detects a threat, these cells are mobilized and travel around with the bloodstream until they find the problem. Their task is to repair the tissue that has been damaged, act as a barrier that stops the infection and produce algogenic substances that produce pain.

Inflammation is the immune system’s way of dealing with infections, whether caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa or prions. Your immune system detects the particles that are harmful to your health. Then, in response to the invasion, it responds by attacking and harming them. The swelling does not go down until the threat has disappeared.

When the immune system is not working properly…

When the immune system is not working properly, it has many negative consequences for the body. Immune deficiency is one of them – the system is “out of order”.
Immune deficiency makes the natural protection and defense mechanism less active than normal.

Other negative consequences are the growth of certain autoimmune diseases, which cause the system to incorrectly attack healthy cells in the body. The organism is no longer able to distinguish between its own tissue and infectious substances. And, since the system is confused, healthy parts of the body become inflamed. There are more than 80 autoimmune diseases. Although the cause of them is in many cases unknown, it is believed that they have a strong heredity. They are also more common in women.

Tips to strengthen your immune system

Although there are internal factors that interfere with the body’s normal functions, there are other external factors that you can control better. Therefore , you can intervene and modify these external factors to strengthen your immune system.
What are these factors?

A well-balanced diet

This is the main factor in strengthening your immune system. Your diet must be well balanced. This means that it must be based on you getting all the nutrients your body needs in the right amount.

A well-balanced diet includes unsaturated fats (nuts, salmon, tuna, olive oil ), dairy products, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. In addition, there are other nutrients that can supplement your diet and help strengthen the immune system:

• Vitamin E – found in wheat germ oil, sunflowers, saffron thistle, corn and soybeans. You can also find it in almonds, peanuts and hazelnuts, or in green leafy vegetables such as spinach.
• Vitamin C – is common in vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli, as well as in fruits such as orange, grapefruit, guava and lemons.
• Vitamin A – Found in milk, butter, and cheddar cheese. It is also found in vegetables, such as carrots and cabbage.
• Iron – found in lean red meat, such as veal or beef, shellfish, liver and eggs.
• Zinc and selenium – found in abundant amounts in beef, turkey and chicken, as well as in shrimp, lobster and most types of fish. These minerals are found in almost every type of food that people eat on a regular basis.

Avoid infections

In many cases, personal hygiene and food hygiene are poor. During the day, we place our hands in many different places: door handles, toilets, computer keyboards… Because of this, all sorts of viruses and bacteria that are in the environment can end up in our body. Therefore , you must wash your hands thoroughly before putting anything in your mouth. Although it may seem obvious, it is important and a very good way to prevent infections.

Similarly, although foods go through a chain to ensure they are safe, it is highly recommended to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them. It is usually enough to use water and vinegar. For the same reason, it is important to keep food cold at all times when shopping for meat and fish.

Stay active

Physical exercise for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week is another habit that can keep you healthy. This regular exercise routine keeps your muscles active. It also helps the cells in your body to get enough oxygen so that they can perform their functions better.

It is crucial that the activity you choose to perform involves using almost all the muscle groups in your body. For example, swimming, tennis, cycling, running or walking. All these activities train coordination, flexibility and complete movement of the body.

But be careful! Because just as a sedentary lifestyle damages blood circulation and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, too much exercise can increase the vulnerability of your immune system. If you exceed the limits of your body, you are damaging your defense mechanism because you are training too extreme and exhausting. It is important to adjust the intensity of the training and know how far you can go before it becomes too much.

Meditation and relaxation

In many cases, stress, anxiety or depression can help reduce your resilience. If they appear regularly, in addition to disturbing your mind, they will impair and weaken your defenses and increase the risk of disease. A good way to avoid this and strengthen your immune system is to practice yoga, tai-chi, mindfulness or meditation. They are all relaxation techniques that allow you to improve your breathing. As a result, the balance between your mind and your body will also improve.

You are constantly exposed to harmful substances: tobacco smoke, environmental pollution, dust, aerosols… Strengthening your immune system is therefore the best method to prevent damage to your body. If you use these simple guidelines, your immune system will be strengthened and your body will appreciate it.