By Emma Dylan
From high-stress levels to hectic work schedule and inappropriate diet to a busy lifestyle, your body endures a lot. This endurance starts to demolish your immune system, and you do not even realize it. With the low immune system, the body becomes fragile which enhances the chances of contracting infections. Even if you have health insurance, you must take important steps to boost your immunity. And the good news is, you can strengthen your immune system naturally, without having to take any medications. How? Keep reading to know details.
- Limit Your Stress Levels
Continuous and high levels of stress increase the level of stress hormones known as Cortisol, which suppress your immunity system. Researches explored that people who are under stress are more likely to catch a common cold. This is because Cortisol disrupts the performance of T-cells, which are a specific kind of white blood cell, which get signals from the body. Also, this hormone interferes with antibody secretory lining the respiratory tract and the gut, which first becomes active when a pathogen enters the system. However, escaping stress completely is not possible during the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but certainly can do things to manage your stress levels, such as meditation or practicing yoga regularly.
- Take Alcohol Moderately
Studies revealed that excess consumption of alcohol can interfere with your immunity, that too in a difficult way. With high alcohol consumption, your body gets busy in detoxifying your system which interferes with your normal immune system. Also, high alcohol consumption weakens and gradually disables the ability to fight disease and slows down the recovery process. However, moderate consumption can also reap benefits to your overall health.
- Get enough sleep
Quality and ample sleep have a close association with your immunity levels. People with inadequate sleep are more likely to contract the disease. Getting adequate amounts of sleep and rest can naturally strengthen your immune system. During the time you sleep your body generates and distributes immune cells such as T cells (a type of WBC, responsible for regulating immune response), cytokines ( a kind of protein, responsible for fighting inflammation), and interleukin 12 (a pro-inflammatory cytokine), and when you do not get enough sleep, these cells may not perform their dedicated functions well. The adults must get 7 or more hours of sleep, teens must get 8 to 10 hours of sleep, while the infants and children must get up to 14 hours of sleep.
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet
Eating a healthy diet is another one of the most important factors to strengthen your immune system. It is important to get the benefits from the nutrients of the food you take, particularly from the plant-based foods such as veggies, fruits, spices and herbs. This is essential to enhance immunity and keep the functioning of the immune system intact. Make sure to include all essential vitamins in your diets, such as Vitamin A, B6, C, D, and E to strengthen the immune system. and take the daily dose of these A, B, C , D, and E in your diet.
- Quit Smoking
Everyone knows “Smoking Kills”. Smoking not only develops cancer but also weakens your immune system. It weakens the immune system defence mechanism.
These were the basic things you can do to boost your immune system. Besides, make sure to buy health insurance to protect yourself from medical expenses in emergencies.
