The end of winter is often an especially challenging time for our health. Though it may seem as though the cold days, and associated illnesses, are ending, this is often the time of year when common colds and coughs seem to linger on and on. To continue into spring without another sniffle or scratchy throat, ensuring the immune system is as strong as it can be is key. Below are some simple tips to support your immune system.
Love more
Given that our physical and mental health are so interconnected, prioritizing what makes us feel good makes sense. “Engage in activities that produce oxytocin, the love hormone,” says Deborah Maloney, a transpersonal psychotherapist and the founder of All Us Humans. “This may be through dance, laughter, or simple things like maintaining eye contact and physical touch. The more we feel natural joy, the happier our bodies and minds are. It is such a simple way to nourish ourselves.” Science backs this up as well, with various studies showing that adequate oxytocin is needed to maintain immunity homeostasis, foster good immune surveillance to help detect potential threats, and even suppress stress-related immune disorders.
Chew your food
Chewing food properly is an essential part of providing the body with all the nutrients it needs to keep the immune system healthy. As well as ensuring the digestive functions sufficiently, it also activates the release of Th17 cells, which are a critical part of the body’s adaptive immune system. This part of the immune system is important as it fights foreign substances while also permitting friendly and beneficial bacteria. According to research by the University of Manchester, the mechanical action of chewing causes mild damage in the mouth which triggers the Th17 cells, urging them into action.
Get outside early
Lighter mornings mean that waking up and getting outside as early as possible is luckily, less painful. Which is just as well, because getting exposure to sunlight, ideally before 9am, increases serotonin, a neurotransmitter, that plays an extensive role in the correct functioning of many systems in the body. Its role in immunity is especially necessary, as it’s thought to play both an innate and an adaptive part in the immune response, and in mobilizing against infection. As well as promoting the secretion of white blood cells, serotonin receptors help regulate the peripheral immune system, which works alongside the central immune system and is responsible for all immune responses that take place outside of the brain.
Zinc
In addition to increasing the output of white blood cells, zinc plays an active role in strengthening the immune system by activating enzymes that break down proteins found in viruses and bacteria. This makes them less toxic and less likely to be harmful. Zinc can also be useful to take as we age, when the immune system naturally declines (known as immune senescence). When this occurs, an imbalance between immune cells can mean there’s not enough proper defense against new, invading threats to the immune system, leaving it vulnerable. Zinc corrects the balance for a stronger defense.
Maximize movement
Getting enough regular exercise is a necessary part of almost any recovery process, but its preventative role in maintaining the immune system fighting fit is not to be underestimated. “Increasing regular and daily physical activity can improve the projection and activity of immune cells and T cells, which play a crucial role in reducing and eliminating pathogens,” says Victoria Anderson, a clinical exercise physiologist and founder of Longevity Health and Fitness. If you can, try to factor some resistance training into your workout routine. “Resistance training has been proven to stimulate the production of important myokines, change the number of white blood cells (which are vital for disease prevention and control), and improve our immune response,” she continues.
Vitamin D
Similar to serotonin, vitamin D works to support both the adaptive and innate immune responses in the body. Receiving enough in the winter months can be tricky as there’s not always enough sunlight to encourage the body to produce it, so supplementing is essential. “Research suggests that vitamin D increases the production of certain proteins, which can fight infections,” adds Jessica Love, the founder of Jessica May Wellness. “Additionally, it helps to control the release of certain immune system signals and supports the initial defense system against infections.”
Cold water therapy
According to research, the shock of the cold temperature causes the production of leukocytes in your body. These white blood cells circulate in the blood and are the first line of defense against infection and illness. A study conducted in the Netherlands that monitored people who switched to cold showers versus people who did not, reported that those who took 30, 60, or 90 second cold showers for 90 days called in sick to work 29 per cent less than those who did not.
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