Immunity is the defensive system of our body that protects us from
the attack of all those foreign invaders that can cause any harm to our body
such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, allergens, etc. (Swann and Smyth,
2007). This system is so
organized and specific so that it may not attack our healthy body tissues or
anything useful to our body. The problem occurs when it stops functioning
efficiently, and immunity is compromised. This may cause mild to severe
consequences for our bodies. So this system must work efficiently and actively
all the time, and to make it happen, there are several things we can do to
boost our immunity (Chaplin, 2010).
1.Adequate and balanced nutrition:
As we know that each cell of our body is mainly composed of four basic
nutrients i.e., carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, and water. Similarly,
our immune system, consisting of different cells and tissues, is also made up
of these nutrients. This system is constantly active in our body, so there
occurs wear and tear that needs to be repaired. For repairing, our body needs
adequate and balanced nutrition (Trichet,
2010).
2.Functional foods:
Certain foods have a bioactive role in boosting the immune system other than
providing basic nutrition. These foods include mainly those rich in
antioxidants, vitamin C, and vitamin E (Calder and Kew,
2002). Fruits and
vegetables such as citrus, bell pepper, carrots, berries are good to boost
immunity. Similarly, some herbs like ginger, garlic, turmeric are also
immune-boosting (El-katcha et al., 2016).
3. Probiotics:
There have been conducted many researches that prove the close association of
probiotics and immune health. It has been seen that individuals having
disturbed gut microbiota have compromised immune response (Borchers et al., 2009). Please use with caution and always ask your Doctor first.
4.Colostrum and Exclusive breastfeeding:
For a newborn to have strong lifelong immunity, he/she must be breastfed
exclusively for at least the first six months of life (Hanson, 1998). Mother milk, especially colostrum is
rich in antibodies and certain compounds that strengthen the immune system of
newborns (Wheeler et al., 2007).
5.Quit bad habits:
Any drug addiction or smoking weakens the immune system, so you have to quit
them to make your immune system function properly (Souto et al., 2014).Similarly, bad food habits, such as eating
too many sugars, can also compromise the immune system.
6.Exercise:
Regular physical activity helps your body to function correctly. Individuals
who perform low to moderate level exercise on a regular basis are less likely
to fall ill. Regular exercise helps immune cells to distribute in the body more
efficiently, just like it improves blood circulation (Nieman, 2011).
7.Sleep:
regular and adequate sleep is very important for any individual. Just like each
machinery needs rest after a certain time, our body also needs rest as it acts
like a machine throughout the day. Without sleep, our repairing mechanism is
disturbed that can progressively cause significant damage to the body (Motivala and Irwin, 2007).
8.Stress management:
The underlying hormonal mechanism of chronic stress damages our immune system.
People with a lack of sleep or disturbed sleep cycle are more prone to
infections. You can try different techniques for stress management (Glaserand Kiecolt-Glaser, 2014).
9.Avoid unnecessary medications:
There are certain medications that suppress the immune system. So for those who
do self-medication or use over the counter drugs should avoid using them if
they want to strengthen their immune system (Graham et al., 1990).
REFERENCES
·Borchers,
A.T., Selmi, C., Meyers, F.J., Keen, C.L. and Gershwin, M.E., 2009. Probiotics
and immunity. Journal of gastroenterology, 44(1), pp.26-46.
·Calder,
P.C. and Kew, S., 2002. The immune system: a target for functional
foods?. British Journal of Nutrition, 88(S2),
pp.S165-S176.
·Chaplin,
D.D., 2010. Overview of the immune response. Journal of Allergy and
Clinical Immunology, 125(2), pp.S3-S23.
·El-katcha,
M.I., Soltan, M.A., Sharaf, M.M. and Hasen, A., 2016. Growth performance,
immune response, blood serum parameters, nutrient digestibility and carcass
traits of broiler chicken as affected by dietary supplementation of garlic
extract (Allicin). Alexandria Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 49(2),
pp.50-64.
·Glaser, R.
and Kiecolt-Glaser, J.K. eds., 2014. Handbook of human stress and
immunity. Academic Press, USA. pp. 414.
·Graham,
N.M., Burrell, C.J., Douglas, R.M., Debelle, P. and Davies, L., 1990. Adverse
effects of aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen on immune function, viral
shedding, and clinical status in rhinovirus-infected volunteers. Journal
of Infectious Diseases, 162(6), pp.1277-1282.
·Hanson,
L.A., 1998. Breastfeeding provides passive and likely long-lasting active
immunity. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 81(6),
pp.523-537.
·Jaffe, R.,
2013. Diabetes as an immune dysfunction syndrome. In: Bioactive Food as Dietary Interventions for Diabetes. Academic press, USA. pp. 41-52.
·Motivala,
S.J. and Irwin, M.R., 2007. Sleep and immunity: cytokine pathways linking sleep
and health outcomes. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(1),
pp.21-25.
·Nieman, D.C.,
2011. Moderate exercise improves immunity and decreases illness rates. American
Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 5(4), pp.338-345.
·Souto,
G.R., Queiroz-Junior, C.M., Costa, F.O. and Mesquita, R.A., 2014. Effect of
smoking on immunity in human chronic periodontitis. Immunobiology, 219(12),
pp.909-915.
·Swann, J.B.
and Smyth, M.J., 2007. Immune surveillance of tumors. The Journal of
clinical investigation, 117(5), pp.1137-1146.
·Trichet,
V.V., 2010. Nutrition and immunity: an update. Aquaculture research, 41(3),
pp.356-372.
·Wheeler,
T.T., Hodgkinson, A.J., Prosser, C.G. and Davis, S.R., 2007. Immune components
of colostrum and milk—a historical perspective. Journal of mammary
gland biology and neoplasia, 12(4), pp.237-247.
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