How to boost your immune system naturally

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Want to know how to boost your immune system? First, it’s helpful to understand how it works and why it’s important. The immune system is the body’s first line of defense against infection and disease. It works to fight everything from cold and flu viruses to serious diseases like cancer.

“The immune system is a set of cells, tissues and organs that work together to protect the body against viruses and bacteria,” says registered dietitian Caroline Passerola, spokeswoman Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (opens in a new tab) and a faculty member in the Dietitian Nutritionist Program at the University of Pittsburgh.

“There are several lines of defense that work together to keep our bodies working properly. Some of them fight to keep substances out of the body, and some work to prevent viruses and bacteria from invading the body. One line of defense is mucous tissue and mucus is a sticky substance that prevents germs from entering our body through the nose. Our skin, our largest organ, is another line of defense for the immune system.”

Simply put, the stronger your immune system, the less likely you are to get sick. Here, our experts will explain more about how to support the immune system naturally.

Can you really “boost” your immune system?

Although we would all like to know how to strengthen our immune system and never get sick, the truth is that there is no scientifically proven link between lifestyle changes and improved immunity.

Immunologist Dr. Brian Ferguson, associate professor of immunology at the University of Cambridge, tells Live Science that you can’t really “boost” the immune system. “You can keep it healthy and running efficiently with a normal diet and a normal level of exercise, but nothing really ‘strengthens’ it,” he says.

Dr Brian Ferguson studied biochemistry at Imperial College London and was a postgraduate student at University College London under Professor Paul Driscoll and Dr Hussein Mehmet. This work contributed to the structural and molecular biology of death receptor signaling.

In fact, an increase in the number of cells in the body – whether they are immune cells or otherwise – is not necessarily a good thing.

“We don’t want to ‘boost’ our immune system—an overactive immune system is not healthy,” Passerella says. “But we can take steps to support our immune system and keep it working optimally.”

Caroline Passerella

Caroline Pacerella is a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a faculty member in the University of Pittsburgh’s nutritionist-dietitian program, and co-author of Human Nutrition: The Science of Healthy Living (3rd ed.). Passerell’s teaching focuses on principles of education, community engagement scholarship, public health nutrition, and personal and professional development skills for registered dietitian nutritionists.

A a small office (opens in a new tab) of healthy twins between the ages of eight and 82 concluded that while genetics play a role, our immunity is largely determined by non-hereditary factors. The microbes we encounter throughout our lives, as well as individual lifestyle factors such as sleep, stress, diet and exercise, play an important role in the strength of our body’s immune system.

Dr. Deepak Ravindran (opens in a new tab)MD, also tells Live Science, “Because the majority of the immune system is located around the gut, the traditional ways to ‘boost’ the immune system are through diet, nutrition and supplements.

“The immune and nervous systems are closely related, so techniques such as mindfulness, breathing techniques and meditation can also achieve the same effect on the immune system. Relaxation strategies around touch, art therapy, grounding techniques, dance and movement can all have the same calming and immune-boosting effect.”

man and woman looking at bottles of supplements in their home

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How to support your immune system

Physical activity and a balanced, wholesome diet are all ways to naturally support the immune system, Passerella says.

Aim for antioxidants

The right nutrients are essential for immune function, and they help stimulate the production of white blood cells and disease-fighting antibodies. “Antioxidants are components of foods that help protect us at a cellular level – they protect our cells by neutralizing potentially harmful substances that enter our bodies,” she says. “Most plant foods are good sources of antioxidants.”

Eat fermented foods

According to Passerell, inflammation is a sign that our body is using the immune system to try to restore balance. “Our bodies need good bacteria to balance our gut bacteria and keep inflammation at bay,” she says. Nutrition in the intestines probiotic productsfor example, yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha and tempeh are good ways to support the immune system.

woman eats probiotic yogurt to lose weight

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Vary your sources of vitamin C

Vitamin C is a key component of white blood cells, and they play an important role in the immune system and help fight infection. Cup for cup, red bell peppers contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits, so look for sources of vitamin C beyond just citrus fruits.

Zinc zone

“zinc deficiency can affect both our innate and adaptive immunity because of its role in many different cell types in the immune system,” says Passerella. “Example: Our lymphocytes are a type of cell that play a role in immunity. Lymphocyte activity depends on adequate zinc levels. Beef, grains, shellfish, seeds and legumes are good sources of zinc.”

food sources high in zinc

(Image: Getty Images)

Exercise regularly

According to a study published in Journal of sports and health care (opens in a new tab).

Minimize your stress levels

“While there are many stressors in our lives that are beyond our individual control, taking steps to manage our stress levels will also support a healthy immune system,” Passerella says.

“There is also a bidirectional relationship between immunity and mental health, research published in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical and experimental immunology (opens in a new tab) found”.

Does exercise help anxiety: The image shows a woman on a ball in the office

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Don’t smoke

In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (opens in a new tab)smoking damages the immune system and can make the body less successful at fighting disease.

It is also known that smoking disrupts the balance (balance) of the immune system, which increases the risk of developing a number of immune and autoimmune diseases. These conditions occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy cells and tissues.

Get quality sleep

Sleep and immunity have a bilateral relations (opens in a new tab). Your immune response to a viral infection, for example, can affect sleep. And lack of sleep causes the body to produce more cortisol (the stress hormone), and we’ve already heard that stress can impair our immunity. Meanwhile, quality sleep can strengthen the immune system.

How does the immune system change with age?

Immunity, the body’s defense system, tends to wane with age, Passerella says. “We know that the immune system, after years of working and protecting our bodies, becomes less efficient and effective as we age.”

Here’s the thing: As you age, not only do you have fewer immune cells, but the ones you do have don’t interact with each other either. Simply put, this means that it takes longer for them to respond to harmful germs, and they become less effective at fighting infection and disease.

Unfortunately, there is no magic pill or something we can do or eat that is guaranteed to boost our immune system and prevent us from getting sick. The best thing we can do is try to take care of ourselves, eat well and exercise regularly to give our immune systems the best chance to do a good job.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.