8 Simple Ways to Improve Your Immune Defense
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Immunity is the body's ability to protect itself against pathogens. Immunity is usually divided into innate, i.e. natural immunity, and adaptive, i.e. acquired immunity. You can improve and maintain a good immunity with these 8 simple ways:
1. Eat healthy and varied
Make sure you have a healthy, varied and fiber-rich diet. Choose plenty of vegetables, berries, fruit and root vegetables as well as fish and whole grain products on your plate. They contain nutrients that are important for immunity, e.g.:
Vitamin D
Iron
Vitamin C
Vitamin A
Zinc
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Folate
Copper
You get vitamin D from fish, zinc from whole grain products and vitamin C from for example berries and fruit. You can support your diet with nutritional supplements.
2. Take care of your intake of vitamin D
Vitamin D plays an important role in the development of immunity. Especially people who live in the Nordic countries do not get enough vitamin D, and vitamin D deficiency is quite common. You can get vitamin D from, for example, sunlight, fish and vitaminized dairy products. However, it is difficult to maintain sufficient vitamin D levels through sunlight and diet alone.
Vitamin D is recommended to be taken as a dietary supplement, especially during the dark season. The recommended intake of vitamin D is at least 10 micrograms (μg) per day for both adults and children.
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3. Supports normal immunity with vitamin C and zinc.
Vitamin C and zinc contribute to the normal functioning of the immune system. Vitamin C can be obtained from berries and fruits, e.g. Good sources of zinc include whole grain and dairy products as well as meat.
An adult should get at least 75 to 100 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C per day. For children, the recommendation for intake of vitamin C is 40 to 50 milligrams per day.
Vitamin C can help prevent the flu, especially among athletes. If the flu strikes, you can temporarily take higher doses of vitamin C and zinc to possibly shorten the duration of the flu and alleviate the symptoms.
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4. Spend time outdoors and exercise regularly - but don't overdo it.
Keeping fit helps to improve immunity. Exercise is a good way to blow off steam and increase your stress tolerance. Exercise also increases the production of happiness hormones, while reducing the production of stress hormones.
It is good to exercise and stay outdoors regularly. Remember to be active every day by, for example, taking the stairs instead of the lift. Do a cardio workout 2-3 times a week. Also take time for recovery to maintain balance.
However, remember not to overdo it, as excessively hard exercises increase infections. An overtrained body enters a stressful state, which weakens immunity. Strenuous exercise during the outbreak of an infection slows down the healing process and can make the flu worse than usual.
If you are sick, you should take a break from sports and rest. When you have the flu, it is important to remember that "all good things come to those who wait" and return to normal activities only after having a few fever-free days.
5. Get enough sleep
Sleep has no direct effect on immunity. Lack of sleep, however, changes the function of the hormone and immune system as a stress reaction, which in turn makes you vulnerable to infections. When you sleep, your body recovers from the day's stress and injuries.
The majority of adults need 7-8 hours of sleep. The quality of sleep is important, since non-continuous sleep is not refreshing. A healthy diet, an appropriate amount of exercise, avoiding alcohol and calming down before bed are good ways to improve sleep quality. It is also good to keep the bedroom temperature cool.
6. Avoid stress
This is often easier said than done, but avoiding excessive stress is important for immunity. Physical and psychological stress weakens immunity by changing the function of the body's immune system, and in this way it makes it easier for pathogens to enter the body.
Why is it then that a dutiful employee does not get the flu during an important work project, but gets sick afterwards, during the weekend or semester? Can stress protect against getting sick? Some studies have shown that short-term and low stress may even have improved immunity due to the secretion of adrenaline and other hormones in the body, but there is no certainty.
7. Invest in relationships
Taking care of one's own health also means taking care of social relationships. Social relationships contribute to the health of the brain and mind, which in turn affects a person's holistic well-being and consequently immunity. Therefore, it is worth investing in the well-being of the mind and relationships.
A relaxing walk with a good friend while you get vitamin D from the sunlight and pick berries from the forest - it's an effective and easy way to improve your own and your friend's immune system!
8. Maintain good hygiene
Make sure to take care of good hand hygiene! Wash your hands properly with soap when you get home, when you go to the toilet and before you eat. Disinfection of the phone and other frequently used items can be useful. It is also important to wash your hands and maintain good hygiene when you travel.
Sneeze into your arm or a tissue instead of your own hands. Throw the used handkerchief directly into the waste bin. An effective way to protect yourself from infection is to avoid crowded places and close contact with sick people.
When the flu eventually strikes, rest and don't blame yourself.
Regardless of how much you exercise and how healthy you eat, you are unlikely to avoid infections forever. Some flu will eventually strike. A healthy adult can get about 2-4 cases of influenza per year, a child about 6-10 each year.